Lindenwood Magazine - Spring 2022

14 15 SPRING 2022 EDITION SPRING 2022 EDITION THE LINDENWOOD THE LINDENWOOD FACULTY PROFILE CAMPUS LIFE CAMPUS LIFE DR. GÓMEZ JAIMES ENGAGES THE EDUCATORS OF TOMORROW Born and raised in Nayarit, Mexico, faculty member Dr. David Gómez Jaimes’ background lies in Instructional Design & Technology with seven years of experience designing online courses, and ten years of experience teaching them. “The reason I love distance education is because it provides an opportunity for those people who don’t have the time or resources to attend college like a traditional student would, to still gain that education experience.” Gómez Jaimes said. “It really levels the playing field.” In 2021, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the College of Education and Human Services a grant that made a new initiative possible: “The Academy for the Preparation of Males of Color as Classroom Educators.” Touching upon topics such as diversity in the classroom and education accessibility, this initiative was of natural interest to Gómez Jaimes. “The real world is requiring that people are exposed and collaborate with those who are different than us. If we don’t purposefully and intentionally start those kinds of experiences within the university, we’d be doing the students a disservice,” he said. Gómez Jaimes now serves as director of this initiative, which seeks to increase the enrollment of males of color who want to become classroom educators by providing them with scholarships, mentorship, and connections to fuel their success as future teachers. “The idea behind DEI is that when more and more people become conscious and start doing little things to level the playing field, we take down systemic barriers,” Gómez Jaimes said. “My hope for young people is that they realize their day-to-day actions have the power to make people who are different from them feel welcome in this world.” CAMPUS EVENTS Lindenwood students, faculty, and staff participated in many events over the past few months and are looking forward to many more in the fall. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) under the direction of Student Involvement started the spring semester with a bang. They hosted virtual events for Welcome Back Week which included Grocery Games and Let’s Get Quizzical. Once in-person events were allowed in February, students attended a Valentine’s Day event cleverly titled Plant One On Me. Students were able to paint a pot for a succulent and bring it home to brighten their room. CAB also teamed up with Library Services to make blue hats for an anti-bullying platform called #HatNotHate. In March, CAB took a field trip to Forest Park and enjoyed lunch on Art Hill, a stroll through the Art Museum and a visit to the St. Louis Zoo. Students concluded the year with two well-loved events, Evans Unlocked and Late-Night Breakfast. Save the Date: Tailgate season is heavily anticipated with the University’s NCAA Division I announcement. The 2022 football schedule has been released and the Lions will take on Keiser University in the home opener, Saturday, September 17. Homecoming week will take place October 17–22 and Dark Carnival will return on October 29. Winterfest will take place on December 4. Lindenwood invites all families, friends, students, employees, and alumni to join in the fun! DR. GÓMEZ JAIMES The real world is requiring that people are exposed and collaborate with those who are different than us. If we don’t purposefully and intentionally start those kinds of experiences within the university, we’d be doing the students a disservice. Events