ODEI Offers Assistance For Unrecognized Students

Green River Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator Benjamin Lealofi and his team welcome all to the college’s diverse campus.

Green River College is not only home to a diverse group of students but strives to make them all feel welcome. With  19,113 students currently enrolled in Green River College, diversity is embraced. The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (ODEI) staff members are here to help students.

Lealofi has been the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion coordinator for three years, starting out as the program coordinator office manager overseeing the front desk. Lealofi´s passion to help students has only grown throughout the years. Along with his team, they hope to assist all who need assistance. “I love the community here. 

There’s a lot of potential for growth and opportunity and I love working with our students and ODEI,” Lealofi said.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion caters to a variety of people of different backgrounds and ethnicities with one goal in mind. When they walk through the door to be greeted with a smile it makes them feel welcome. “ODEI is a welcoming environment, an environment that feels like a second home, a home away from home,” Lealofi said.  

One aspect of the ODEI is the Peer Navigators. Peer Navigators are students who help other students navigate the college system which may include helping students with class enrollment, locating financial aid resources help with scholarships; getting loans, getting an internship, volunteer opportunities etc.

Peer Navigators are key members of this organization. “They do the bulk of the one on one direct service with constituents or students, the peer navigators are very special and are a great help,” Lealofi said.

Lealofi and other ODEI members work with a variety of communities on campus and their members such as Foster Youth, ‘First Peoples’ which work with Indigenous people. They work with the LGBTQ community, women’s peer navigator, immigrant and refugee peer navigator, Latino and  Latinas peer navigator and also black or African peer navigators etc.

ODEI offers assistance for types students that not everyone may be aware of and believe is important for the population to know about.

“Many times when we talk about students of color or students who are underrepresented or undeserved students, this is truly a safe haven. This is truly a place where students can come and feel comfortable authentically themselves and many times when we navigate through things we don’t navigate alone.

We don’t have isolation we move together as a unit as a community and the thing I want to emphasize is Unity within the community.”

With so many communities and people, Lealofi has grown accustomed to multitasking, having various tasks, events, and activities to do. One of his duties includes assisting the director as a supporting role and coordinating or helping coordinate events and activities.

Additionally, he’s also responsible for scheduling appointments, speaking with partnerships and most importantly attending and overseeing peer Navigators.
Peer Navigators also provide academic support with multicultural study tables.

Which they host and are a way to build community by having everybody come together as one and succeed together by getting their homework done.

All students are welcome to come to get help with homework, organizing, and filing, or get study tips. Study tables take place twice a week and are an hour-long located at various locations on campus. This is a great way to connect with your local community and to get help.

Additional services they offer is a Book Loan program which is one of the most popular services they provide. They do what they can to help those who cannot afford books to check them out from their library for the quarter. After the quarter ends the book is returned to them on the date they are due back.

For The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion linguistic diversity is no barrier at all. Having such a diverse staff they have the ability to provide a bilingual service line which has over 10 different languages that are spoken within their Offices.

They have also established a bilingual extension line in the case the representative for that language is not present. One can leave a message and as soon as they can, they will link them up with someone who speaks that language.

ODEI  also has what’s called the ‘Passport to College’ for students who identify as foster youth or wards of the state can get help with receiving textbooks, getting school supplies; essentially anything they need for school.

This organization also has a meditation room in the Student Union building 152 Twin Peaks. There are two rooms available for quiet reflection or meditation. For any of the students that need a moment to reflect they can meditate and pray if they so choose in the meditation room. The meditation room is open to everybody.

Finally, another service offered is resources for undocumented students those that are through DACA or not. It can help find funding options, scholarships, housing, health resources, legal resources, and helping to fill out the WASFA. 

Their offices are located on the upper level of the student union building and for additional services they can be contacted by call or email. Email and phone numbers are displayed on the Green River College website.

The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is all-inclusive. “This is really a family-oriented, friendly-oriented place that is a welcoming accessible place for all kinds of students despite who you are and where you come from, we don’t judge you,” Lealofi said.