4th Annual Common Threads Diversity Essay Contest

First Prize Essay Winner

Diversity through My Eyes: How an Appreciation for Our Differences Enriches My Life at UTMB

by John M. Leonard
Patient Affairs Specialist - Senior Services

I am sixty-two years old. I wish I could say that I have always been a tolerant person. When I was younger, however, I fell into the trap of thinking that my race, religion, and/or way of thinking was superior. That those who were different in color, race, or creed were not quite as equal to me.

I was raised in a diverse neighborhood where my friends were of all races and religions, but I can't remember ever uttering a racial expletive. As an adult, I toiled in construction, had a lengthy career in law enforcement, and did a stint as a bartender/manager of a local sports bar and grill. It wasn't until those early adult years that I developed crude behavior and joined my friends in spewing out thoughtless expressions of bigotry.

The simple truth is that I am guilty of making derogatory remarks about people of different races, religions, or sexual orientations. In law enforcement for many years, I became "good" at profiling people. I gradually drew in my own inner circle to a group of friends I could count on one hand. We looked at everyone suspiciously.

After winding up my career in law enforcement, I chose to work as a bartender and sometimes manager of a local sports bar and grill. I had matured, and some of my now larger circle of friends were of different origins, and I loved them all.

Then, at age sixty, a great opportunity came along in the form of this job I now hold.

I've often remarked that this is the most diverse environment I've ever been in, and I find that I love it. On a daily basis I meet bright and compassionate people from all different backgrounds working together to accomplish common goals--people whose myriad life experiences mirror those of the very community they serve.

Nearly all races are represented here at UTMB, and I am proud to say I have friends of many ethnicities. I am so happy to be growing this way in my life at age sixty-two and to be bound no longer by senseless intolerance.

My own thoughts of superiority have vanished. If anything, my prayer is that I might in some small way measure up to the hard-working folks I see on a daily basis.

I have always been touched by the story of John Newton. He is a man who also grew to see the error of his ways and opened his heart. He was once a slave trader and captain of one of the inhumane ships that transported human beings across the seas to lives of horror. Through revived faith, he changed his life and became a clergyman. He is best known for penning a song that has captured many hearts. It summarizes the changes in my own life and how I have been led here to do good works and to strive side by side with so many wonderful and diverse people.

The name of that song? Amazing Grace.

Second Prize Essay Winner

Diversity through My Eyes: How an Appreciation for Our Differences Enriches My Life at UTMB

by Velita Walker
Neuro/Plastics Unit 6C/D

Saturday morning began by feeling like a typical day at work of bedside care for injured and ill individuals who would probably soon forget my name and face after their brief stay at UTMB.  Yet that day turned into something wonderful and inspiring.  I was sitting with a disoriented patient that had weakness on one side and had a tendency to fall.  I was accustomed to taking care of patients with this nature of symptoms, yet I was not prepared to observe a patient for twelve hours that spoke Spanish and no English.

Let’s say for the sake of patient confidentiality that the patient’s name was Ms. Garcia.  My Spanish is very limited, but I was resolved to use what Spanish I knew to keep Ms. Garcia at ease with my presence in her room.  “Olah Buenos Dias senora Garcia.  Comment esta?”  Ms. Garcia replied, “Bien.”  We communicated throughout most of the day with a few Spanish words and our own crude version of sign language that we created in the course of that time when she needed help with anything.  Two doctors reviewing Ms. Garcia’s test results stopped by to talk with her that evening.  Although the report from the doctors was good, Ms. Garcia began to cry.  She explained to one of the doctors who spoke Spanish that she missed her family and wanted to go home.  The doctors or nursing staff could not console her.  She could not remember her family members’ names or how to contact them due to the nature of her illness.

Ms. Garcia cried on and off like this for most of the day.  I did my best to comfort her.  After Ms. Garcia ate dinner, she gestured to see a culinary magazine that I was looking at.  She sat up at the side of the bed to look at the magazine with me.  I pointed out to her a beautiful blue and white place setting in the magazine.  “Muy Benito, si senora?”

She replied agreeing, “si.”  “But mucho dinero too senora si,” I responded as I pointed out the price of the place setting.  Ms. Garcia finally smiled and laughed a little bit that day.

Days later a social worker was finally able to locate Ms. Garcia’s family.  I learned an invaluable lesson on diversity from my time taking care of Ms. Garcia.  Although there was a significant difference in our way of communication, we found a way to bridge that gap.  Diversity in our UTMB family will continue to be embraced as long as our community has health needs to be met, and our focus as UTMB employees and students is to meet the health needs of our community.

This story is a small-scaled example of diversity at UTMB being embraced, adapted to, and surpassed for the sake of the well being of our community.

Mr. Leonard and Ms. Walker will be recognized at the next Employee Service Day Awards Ceremony on August 17th.

Read about the 2006 Diversity Week Schedule...