one of 12 students from UW Bothell<\/a> to be recognized in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAwareness through art<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
During her second quarter at UW Bothell, Verville took BIS 300 Interdisciplinary Inquiry. That class ignited her passion for social revolutions and activism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe studied the Tiananmen Square protests that were student-led demonstrations in Beijing in 1989,\u201d Verville said. \u201cTroops who were armed with assault rifles fired at demonstrators who were trying to block the military\u2019s advance into Tiananmen Square.& Despite the violence directed at them, the protesters just stood holding flowers. I admired the way they held their composure and stood unified together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This display of power in unity inspired Verville in the summer of 2020 to create What They Forgot to Mention, a collective of like-minded people who find solidarity through art. \u201cI am a Black, biracial woman in the United States,\u201d she said. \u201cIt has been amazing to see the elevation the Black voice has gotten through pressurized advocacy this past year. As we move forward, it is imperative that we bring that same level of dedication to other marginalized communities that need our support, such as the Indigenous peoples.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To jumpstart the initiative, Verville reached out to a few of her Indigenous and Black friends. Together, they brainstormed ideas about how to bring academia and art together to tell the story of life in the U.S. through the lens of Black and Indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe talked about street performances in Tacoma where we would have murals accompanied by spoken word pieces and about utilizing community spaces to host a gallery and open mic event that concentrates Black and First Nation experiences,\u201d she said. \u201cIdeally, this would allow us to get donations to fund mutual aid projects like King County Equity Now and other local organizations helping to sustain the Black community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Due to COVID-19, Verville and the group had to pause their plans for collective gatherings. She does, however, plan to continue developing What They Forgot to Mention in the years to come. \u201cAs I move into positions in youth leadership, I absolutely plan to continue this as a youth-led collective,\u201d she said. \u201cBut for now, we shifted to be an online support group for people to share their experiences, heal and be in solidarity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activism in academia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Interdisciplinary Inquiry was not the only course at UW Bothell to shape Verville\u2019s future. In fact, she said it was a community psychology course that \u201ctranscended\u201d her entire academic career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the group projects in the class focused on identifying stakeholder positions as they relate to segregation in education. The group was asked to look at the treatment of different people within the educational system. Verville was part of that group initially but branched out to create her own project that would more adequately represent the Black voice. \u201cYou can\u2019t analyze systemic issues in education without centering the Black students\u2019 narrative in the United States,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her project, The Black Experience in Education, involved interviewing current Black students living in the Midwest, former Black students from the 1930s and 1940s who went to school before desegregation, and former Black students who went to school in the Deep South during busing efforts. She also engaged academic professionals, including a Black preschool teacher for kids of color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verville said speaking with the teacher was profound. \u201cShe works in Alabama at a prestigious preschool that receives federal funding to create a program for less privileged students, but it has resulted in segregation in the building,\u201d she said. \u201cThe kids in the federally funded program, who are predominately of color, came second to the kids from the wealthy, predominately white, homes. A white parent even said something along the lines of, \u2018My child won\u2019t have to be with all of those poor black children, will they?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project brought to light some other findings. \u201cIn comparison to white children at the preschool, the Black children were exponentially more likely to be punished or penalized for something a white child wouldn\u2019t be,\u201d Verville said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was also an \u201cechoing sentiment of being the \u2018one and only,\u2019\u201d she said. Interviewees reported that they didn\u2019t have many fellow Black peers or educators \u2014 and felt like they were alone in their experience. \u201cIt\u2019s hard not having that representation,\u201d Verville said. \u201cWe are getting an education, but we aren\u2019t seeing ourselves in positions of power.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her project will be published in the November issue of the Process Journal, a forum for undergraduates. \u201cI am excited for this research to have a public platform,\u201d she said, \u201cand for the Black experience in education to be shared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Standing in solidarity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Verville\u2019s passion for activism extends beyond academia. In fall 2020, she organized with Harborview Health for All, a campaign for a proposition that would ensure the continuation of high-quality health care at King County\u2019s public hospital. As the organizing fellow, she worked closely with the campaign manager and key stakeholders to increase voter contact, promote volunteer engagement and support campaign communications. \u201cI pulled in a lot of nurses, doctors and staff at the hospital who are committed to a Health for All system.\u201d Verville said. \u201cWorking together, we got the measure passed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The campaign was just the start of her accomplishments in activism. Later in the academic year, she was a civic education intern for the Washington State Legislature and then a senatorial intern. As the former, she did intensive research into how a bill is passed, how the legislature works and how bureaucratic government is structured. \u201cIt was amazing,\u201d Verville said. \u201cWe got to meet with people like Bob Ferguson, the Washington state attorney general, and others who are on the governor\u2019s board. We were able to pick their brains about what it is like to be in government and how to get into similar positions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verville\u2019s favorite project as a senatorial intern was starting the Women of Color cohort. \u201cThe legislative body is predominately white men, and I wanted to create a space for women of color in government to uplift each other,\u201d she said. \u201cWe are the most isolated and ostracized people in the United States, and we really need that sense of belonging and community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The cohort was focused on sharing experiences. One event was a community luncheon for members and allies. \u201cSharing our experiences with people who want to support the liberation of those of color was important because they need to hear our experiences,\u201d Verville said. \u201cWe felt heard, seen and empowered.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming full circle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Nhi P. Tran, an undergraduate academic adviser at UW Bothell, said, \u201cTay continues to not be bound by her circumstances and figures out how the impossible can become possible for herself and others. She is truly a beacon of hope and source of inspiration for faculty, staff, students and her community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One way she does this now is as an education fellow at a holistic boarding school n Colorado called Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center. \u201cIt is an anti-racist school focused on social justice and reengaging disengaged youth through a social justice framework,\u201d Verville said. \u201cIt completely pushes down on the traditional educational model.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verville can speak from personal experience because she went there her junior and senior years of high school. \u201cIf it weren\u2019t for that school, I would be on a completely different track. I had dropped out of high school my sophomore year and didn\u2019t think I would go back, but they showed me that I am just as intelligent and capable as anyone else,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEagle Rock showed me there were things in the world worth caring about \u2014 and I hope to do the same for the students that I will meet in the coming years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tay Verville is a 2021 graduate and Husky 100 recipient who has a talent for connecting with people, a passion for empowering others and a desire to make a impact on her community. “Any activist trying to make a difference in this world resonates in my heart,” says Verville. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[209,202,200,204],"tags":[],"school":[419],"class_list":["post-20724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-news","category-profiles","category-students","school-school-of-ias"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"Contact Us","email":"test@uwb.edu","phone":"(206) 999-1234","box":"Box 358500","address_line_1":"18115 Campus Way NE","address_line_2":"Bothell, WA 98011-8246","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\n
Courage to create change - News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Courage to create change - News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Tay Verville is a 2021 graduate and Husky 100 recipient who has a talent for connecting with people, a passion for empowering others and a desire to make a impact on her community. “Any activist trying to make a difference in this world resonates in my heart,” says Verville.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-09-10T11:42:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-08T18:23:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"\",\"@id\":\"\"},\"headline\":\"Courage to create change\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-09-10T11:42:03+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-08T18:23:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\"},\"wordCount\":1569,\"articleSection\":[\"Alumni\",\"Campus News\",\"Profiles\",\"Students\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2021\/09\/10\/courage-to-create-change\",\"name\":\"Courage to create change - 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<\/figure>\n\n\n\n