The changing profile of race and ethnicity within Mennonite Church USA is the inspiration for the newly established Hesston College Inclusion Scholarship in support of the college’s ongoing work with inclusion and diversity.
As membership and participation within Mennonite Church USA continues to expand beyond traditional Swiss-German and Russian Mennonites, it is important for Hesston College, as the two-year college of Mennonite Church USA, to recognize, accept and embrace the experiences students bring from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures.
“Society is changing around us, and so are the demographics within Mennonite Church USA,” said 1983 Hesston College alumna Annette (Steider) Brown of Frisco, Texas, who initiated the scholarship with her husband, Greg. “Hispanics will account for 95 percent of the U.S. teen population growth through 2020. To support the church of the future, Hesston College must recruit students from all our diverse Mennonite congregations while finding new ways to help those in financial need.”
Annette Brown is a former Hesston College admissions staff member and Board of Directors member since 2007. She and Greg are both employees of PepsiCo. and have been part of the company’s two-decade long inclusion journey. The new scholarship’s purpose is to improve diversity at Hesston by mirroring the diversity of students within the denomination, and to support the efforts Hesston is making in being a welcoming campus to all students. Students from underrepresented groups within Mennonite Church USA will be priority recipients.
“Being a diverse campus is not enough,” said Brown. “Inclusion is the goal and it means embracing differences and accepting unique contributions.
As a campus that is home to students from 27 states, 15 countries and more than 20 religious backgrounds, Hesston College has been intentional in taking steps toward increasing inclusion and diversity on campus. Members of the Hesston College Inclusion and Diversity Initiative are working to identify areas the college can be more welcoming of diverse backgrounds and experiences.
“In order to fulfill our mission to be a Christ-centered community, we must do as Christ did in reaching out to persons and groups in minority positions and who may not have the same opportunities as others,” said Hesston College President Howard Keim. “We also recognize the demographics of our region and the church are changing, and that we have an opportunity to include persons that will enrich the experience of all students on our campus.”
The Inclusion and Diversity Initiative council is comprised of Hesston administrators, faculty, staff, students and board members, and their goal is to educate the rest of campus about becoming a truly inclusive community and to help establish new policies and procedures to achieve those goals.
“We are so thankful for this new scholarship and how it can assist in supporting under-represented students who are currently on our campus and in bringing new students to Hesston,” said faculty member and Inclusion and Diversity Council member Tony Brown.
Anyone who supports the scholarship’s mission of inclusion is welcome to make contributions toward its intended purposes by contacting the Hesston College Development Office at 620-327-8147.