SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – In 2018, the NCAA's Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC) partnered with the National Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) to generate dialogue regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion using social media platforms. The two entities saw a growing interest in diversity and inclusion in athletics, and decided the best way to push that conversation was via social media, considering its broad use among student-athletes and other audiences, and the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Week has grown every year since then.
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| Marley Berano and fellow SAAC members were thrilled and proud to bring Schuyler Bailar to speak on campus in the spring of 2023. |
This year, Mount Holyoke College Athletics kicked off its Diversity and Inclusion campaign with Lyons basketball team captain Marley Berano taking the lead role. Berano serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rep for SAAC, a title with deep meaning to her. "I was drawn to this position because of potential growth both in leadership and engagement and D&I programming," Berano said.
During her tenure, Berano has helped SAAC accomplish some impactful things that encourage DEI practices. Last year, the Mount Holyoke SAAC's DEI subcommittee brought in Schuyler Bailar, the first transgender athlete to compete in any sport on an NCAA Division I men's team, to speak at the Annual BOOM (Building on our Momentum) Learning Symposium. It was a proud accomplishment for Berano and the subcommittee to bring such a highly sought out speaker to campus. Additionally, Berano and the subcommittee started an initiative for MHC's varsity athletics teams to participate in MOZONE peer-education training and workshops. Berano also helped with the launch of Pressing Paws, a summer monthly e-newsletter that promoted athletic stories around DEI topics along with snapshot educational and allyship resources.
Berano's personal ties to diversity and inclusion drive her passion to educate others. "Being part of the LGBTQ+ community and from a mixed race background, it's important that others know the difference between diversity and inclusion. You can put diversity and inclusion numbers on a chart, but inclusion requires you to ask 'Why?' or 'Why not?'"
Berano says that inclusion is a perceived feeling, and the efforts of promoting inclusivity is a continuous process. One solitary action won't make everyone feel included. "I hoped to set a standard of urgency for education among diversity and inclusion in athletics, while making it more relatable and exciting for all of my fellow student-athletes."
In the future, Berano hopes to see the emphasis on DEI to continue, with SAAC being the driving force. "I'm really excited and hopeful to see more individual team programming and outside speakers on the topic."
