Current Public Health student Greg Hooke is working with the College of Life Sciences Belonging Council to promote acceptance and inclusion here at BYU.
After returning from the Diversity Summer Internship Program with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Hooke decided to apply his experiences towards creating a sense of belonging in the College of Life Sciences at BYU. The internship at Johns Hopkins taught him about embracing diversity, conducting quality research, and becoming culturally competent leaders.
Hooke spent the majority of his time at this internship researching racial and gender bias among patients with Long COVID. “I thought that it was super heartbreaking that we have people who are suffering and being treated with bias based on gender or race,” he said. Hooke knew he couldn’t walk away from this internship without taking action.
Upon returning to BYU, Hooke met with Dr. Allphin to address what he had seen. “After my internship over at Johns Hopkins, I came back with a fiery determination to play a part in ensuring no one had to feel like those patients who felt unseen, unheard, alone, and discriminated against,” he said.
Hooke was able to create the College of Life Sciences Belonging Council with eight other students with the goal of making an impact and connecting students with others. So far, the council has hosted several events to pursue these goals.
“We're trying to put on these events to make sure that students feel like they can make friends and it’s been a lot of fun,” he said. Events have included a Fall and Winter Social, the annual Women in Life Sciences Luncheon, the annual First-Generation Luncheon, and the Becoming BYU event. Each of these events has been focussed on promoting belonging and inclusion within the College.
“We want to foster opportunities for students to make friends as well as connect students to more resources for student success and help them feel like they have a voice,” Hooke explained. While he has multiple goals for the Council, the most important one is ensuring that students feel a sense of belonging in the Life Sciences.
Recent surveys indicate that Hooke and his Council have been successful in this effort. College-wide surveys show an increase in feelings of belonging within the Life Sciences. These numbers provide quantitative proof that students are benefiting from a sense of belonging.
Qualitatively, students are expressing their love for the inclusivity that the College of Life Sciences Belonging Council promotes. Before the Council was created, surveys showed that the biggest barriers to belonging were students’ lack of opportunities to make friends. Now, students have communicated their appreciation for the events put on by the Belonging Council.
Hooke also states that another one of his priorities is ensuring that the Council continues after he graduates. “I want the Belonging Council to continue far after I graduate,” he said. Although Hooke has until 2026, he wants the improvements of the council to also impact future generations.
How can you get involved? Hooke says it's simple: “If you want to get involved, just be friendly to other people. Seriously! Be a genuine friend. Your efforts will make a bigger difference than you think,” he said. At its core, the act of being a friend to others is what belonging is all about.
“I would love it if every college had a Belonging Council. I think it's so important,” he said. From his internship at Johns Hopkins to the College of Life Sciences at BYU, Hooke has made a difference by fostering an atmosphere of belonging.
