I Belong: Running Start & Representation in the Classroom

“I just love learning about people’s stories and the influences of their culture,” said Aria Cornwall. Aria is a Capital High School student who attends SPSCC classes through the Running Start program. “My first year at SPSCC has been great! I see the diversity, but I also feel it.”

Born in the Bronx to parents who immigrated from Jamaica, Aria is part of a military family that has lived in six different states. This has allowed her to interact with many people from different backgrounds, and with each interaction, she’s learned something new to carry with her.

“Living in New York was one of the best experiences of my life because it’s truly a melting pot,” said Aria. “I got to realize my own privileges and see that the world is way bigger than myself.”

While the White population in New York City hits just under 32%, Thurston County leans about 82% White*. That was a big change for Aria and her family when they moved here in 2017.

Then a middle schooler, Aria realized that—not only did her classrooms lack the ethnic and racial diversity she experienced in other places—many of her peers knew little about Black culture, figures, and history.

“At the time, my school mostly limited Black education to MLK,” she explained. “I decided to help educate my peers and staff about other important contributions.”

In the eighth grade, she started leading morning announcements for Black History Month that recognized lesser-known Black figures and events.

“The announcements eventually turned into a weekly, student-led video broadcast called the Cornwall Connection which informed students about social issues and cultures from around the world.”

When her junior year of high school began, Aria decided to enroll at SPSCC to begin earning college credits through Running Start. She immediately recognized the college’s intentional focus on equity and belonging where historically underrepresented students make up about 24% of the student population, nearly 6 points higher than the County.

“I love walking around campus and seeing other Black students and people of color in a magnitude I wasn’t used to seeing at my high school,” said Aria. “My English teacher is the first person of color to be my teacher since the fifth grade and I’m not the only Black student in my classes like last year.” To Aria, representation in the classroom matters.

“I appreciate the emails the DEIC [Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Center] sends out recognizing events like Indigenous People’s Day and giving information about other diversity topics such as issues facing dreamers and other groups,” Aria added. “The DEIC is a resource and somewhere I know I can go for any reason.”

In addition to the DEIC, Aria makes the most of the resources she has access to as a student at SPSCC, like the free tutoring center, weekly yoga classes, movie nights, and more. Through Running Start, she also gets tuition-free college credits and the chance to earn an associate degree at the same time as her high school diploma.

When she’s not on campus or educating her peers on what matters to her, Aria loves watching and playing basketball and tennis, and loves to eat and explore the many local restaurants on her growing “to try” list. “My favorite restaurant so far has been El Antojo. It has been hard trying to find authentic Mexican food that satisfies my appetite after living in California and El Paso, Texas, but El Antojo was really good! It gets an A plus in authenticity for me.”

Aria's story was originally featured in the Summer 2023 issue of Soundwaves, SPSCC's community magazine.