Featured Profiles
Myleen Leary, Associate Professor of Management
Why I work on equity and inclusion efforts in Bozeman and at MSU
I’m a mom of two beautiful, smart, fantastic girls; they’re in the picture with me
to the right. My fear is that the world will only see them as Black girls and they
will have to work that much harder for everyone to see them as the amazing people
they are. What if that didn’t have to happen? What if we lived in a society where
the color of their skin was seen as the beautiful brown that it is and not as a deterrent
to their acceptance?
I work on equity and inclusion efforts in Bozeman and at MSU so that everyone can
live in the world that I want for my daughters. A world where harmful beliefs are
banished, and everyone is included to participate with their full selves.
One of the things I’ve learned when I work in the diversity and inclusion space,
is that it is important to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. When we start
opening up our spaces, our lives, and our thinking to perspectives different than
our own, we must grapple with what it means to believe what we do. Sometimes our beliefs
withstand that analysis and sometimes they don’t. What do we do then? How do we move
in the world when our beliefs start to change? That’s when the discomfort sets in.
What we do with the discomfort determines our path for growth.
Think of the place where you felt the most secure. Now, think of why you felt the
most welcome and part of that community. Without knowing what you’re thinking of,
my guess is you’re transported yourself to a place where the people around you shared
your experiences and you felt like you didn’t have to hide any part of yourself in
that group. That sense of belonging is what inclusion brings. The question we face
is how to have everyone feel that they belong at MSU and at Jabs. It is something
that we still need to work on.
If you’re interested in learning more about how to create inclusivity, there are
great programs on campus and in the community to do so. The Diversity and Inclusion Student Commons (DISC) on campus offers many different programs to “increase understanding, promote inclusion,
and inspire critical thinking about diversity,” and the Jabs Diversity & Inclusion Committee is working to understand where we are as a college and how to support efforts at
the college and university levels. The work that needs to be done requires everyone’s
participation and you are all welcome.
Terrance Limpy, American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL)
Good morning, Bobcats. My name is Terrance Limpy and I am from the Northern Cheyenne
Tribe of Southeast Montana. I am a Junior here at Jabs studying Business Management,
and the president of the MSU’s American Indigenous Business Leaders (AIBL) chapter. I’m also a non-traditional student, a dad, trout bum, and member of Jab’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I have been given the honor of representing our club this week.
We are a small, local chapter of AIBL which is an organization that solely focuses
on empowering business students. The club envisions an idea that benefits tribal communities
and develops a business plan for that idea. This plan is presented at the National
AIBL convention in a “Shark-Tank” inspired competition with other chapters of AIBL.
Last year, we placed 1st with our business plan that created a sustainable business model for Dr. Alexandra Adams’ “Turtle Island
Tales.” This year we plan on a two-peat with the upcoming virtual AIBL competition
in March.
Students are encouraged to check out AIBL as we are not solely made up of business
students. We are students who want to create better opportunities for our communities.
We also have four amazing advisors who consist of a long time AIBL advisor and three
Jabs faculty members. They are great people and we can learn plenty through their
knowledge and expertise. I’m grateful to have met every single one of them. On that
note, I’d like to thank you for your time and your consideration to join us. Let’s
all have an amazing semester and finish stronger than ever! We got this.
All students are encouraged to participate in AIBL regardless of race, academic major,
or career objectives.
