Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Profile: Cat Arisa March
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Program Coordinator
Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Cat March is committed to equity and social justice work. They are particularly interested in cultivating community, representation, and engagement for underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. They imagine a world where our identities are celebrated with pride and compassion.
March earned a Bachelor's Degree in English and Gender Studies from Kenyon College and a Master of Arts in Higher Education, Student Affairs at Western Michigan University. They hope to elevate faculty and staff's familiarity with and expertise in DEI topics through programming and events. They also hope to create more spaces for students to engage with faculty, staff, and each other over shared identities and a shared dedication to social justice.
Describe your efforts as they relate to the college's DEI strategic plan.
I hope to increase support and accessibility for our LGBTQ+ students and community members, create accessible online DEI learning spaces, and increase cross-campus collaborations via DEI programming opportunities.
What about the college's DEI strategic plan inspires your work?
I am inspired by Kalamazoo Valley's commitment to engaging faculty, staff, and students around issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. I believe that DEI leadership must occur on all levels of the institution in order to effect change. It is all of our responsibility to create a more equitable environment for our peers.
What does using the "lens of DEI" mean to you in your work?
The "lens of DEI" means remaining unafraid to speak about and address inequities. It means leaning into the discomfort of learning, embracing new experiences, and creating space for marginalized voices to share their stories. It means that we will need to discover new and inventive ways to engage an ever-changing population of students, faculty, and staff.
Share any struggles or challenges you've faced in relation to DEI and how you've worked to overcome them
As a non-binary Asian American person living in the United States, I have faced plenty of challenges related to equity and inclusion. From my own personal college experiences to seeking out a work environment that would recognize and affirm my identities, the journey, although short (since I am fairly new to my career), has been a difficult one. This, however, has not stopped me from creating spaces in higher education that embrace marginalized identities. I have guided students through conversations about racism, harm, and community accountability. I have created spaces for queer and trans students of color to thrive. I have also engaged folks who are only just starting to think about what diversity, equity, and inclusion might mean. I use the lens of my own personal struggles in higher education as an access point to serve the needs of students, faculty, and staff who wish to build a more equitable world. This is what I hope to achieve during my time at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, as well.
Who inspires you?
I am inspired by poet, activist, and scholar Audre Lorde. From the moment I read "The Master's Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master's House" as a young undergraduate student, I felt a fire light up within me. Lorde reminds me that we cannot keep reusing the same oppressive mechanisms of the past if we ever hope to dismantle the oppression of the present and the future. Her intersectional lens has guided me throughout my life as I seek to create equity and advance justice wherever I go.
I am also inspired by my mother, Dr. Kathy Takayama, a first-generation college student and the daughter of two Japanese immigrants. She grew up in Queens with the hopes and dreams of generations on her shoulders. Against all odds, my mom attended an Ivy League institution and, in the face of racism and sexism, has continued to dedicate herself to anti-oppressive praxis in higher education. I am endlessly proud to be her kid.