Education for All: Student Riyahauna Headley Shares What It Means to Her

In her response below to the question, what does Education for All mean to you, Riyahauna Headley speaks to the heart of our white paper, Education for All: What It Takes to Get There, which opens with this statement: 

“Education for All means that institutions must do everything in their power to understand individual student needs and provide them with appropriate resources to meet those needs and achieve their academic goals.” 

She also zeroes in on the second of three key areas all institutions should consider in the pursuit of progress toward an Education for All, Being and Belonging, also framed in the white paper:  

“While academic achievement is certainly a goal in Education for All, it is impossible to reach if a student does not feel they belong or does not have opportunities to participate in their academic community.”  

As Riyahauna sums it up, “Equity means that all voices are heard, and all students’ needs are met on a diverse campus.”  

Here's what Riyahauna had to say:

My name is Riyahauna Headley and I’m a McGraw Hill Student Ambassador that attends Queens College. When thinking about what Education for All means, the first thing that comes to mind is being on a campus that accepts everyone and ensures that all students have the support and resources they need to succeed. Here at Queens College, I’ve witnessed students befriending each other regardless of race, gender, sex, religion, etc.  

Our campus is very diverse and accepting of all its students. I’ve seen faculty members listening to students when they raised concerns about campus accessibility and saw students get invited to meetings where decisions that affect them are made, and where they were encouraged to suggest new ideas. Equity means that all voices are heard, and all students’ needs are met on a diverse campus.  

Education for All looks like being a student at Queens College. 

For more on how to foster student success, download our new white paper, Education for All: What It Takes to Get There.