拉旺一生都在维护弱者. Long before she came to Concordia she was passionate about standing against injustice and standing up for those who don’t have a seat at the table or who have been looked at as “less-than.” She currently works with university students implementing restorative practices in higher education. She credits her Concordia experience for challenging and evolving her and her fellow students into not only better citizens but better community leaders and all around better educators.
Please tell us about what you consider to be one of the biggest impacts you are making/have made in one of your respective communities.
When asked about the positive impact she is having on her community LaVonne sees the future. 她让今天的学生参与到建设更美好的明天中来. She sees her work at a local university implementing Restorative Justice and restorative practices as having a small impact now, 但她明白，她正在奠定的基础可能是巨大的. 她的耐心得到了回报.
你对这个社区的不同需求有什么了解?
“Young college students struggle to have conversations with those who have different views from them. They are not always able to accurately express themselves and communicate what they are feeling. They are learning that just because we look the same does not mean we think the same. Part of the communication disconnect seems to be from students not understanding how to listen to each other and at times, 不关心他们是否不尊重其他群体.” LaVonne knows that any hope for a better tomorrow starts with young people today. The work that she is doing with Restorative Justice in the university has the potential to have an amazingly positive impact.
How was your research/study as part of CUI’s EDD program helped you address the needs of this community?
“这是了不起的3年! 整个旅程让我为这一刻做好了准备. 我学的不仅仅是学术知识, 但是生活知识,里格斯谈到她在康考迪亚大学尔湾分校的经历时说.
通过她的论文研究, 课程作业和两次旅行, 拉翁表示，她正在从另一个角度看待教育. In particular the trips have really impacted her thinking especially when it comes to working with her university community. “维.C. 这次旅行太棒了! 演讲者向我们展示了对现实的不同看法. 我们认为是真实的和现实是非常不同的. This will allow us to look at our districts and our state in a different light.中国之行拓宽了她对社会正义的看法. “ Looking at social justice in China - gave me a much broader view of the world. Different communities have different terms/meanings for concepts example the word “inclusive" has a different meaning in China than in the USA.“这也让我开始思考，社会正义到底是什么样子的?? 这个学位拓宽了我在这方面的观点.” For LaVonne the two trips not only impacted her ability to meet the needs of her community but also validated her choice of 欧文康考迪亚大学. 她为那些做艾德的人感到难过.D.S在其他学校. “你无法在课堂上学到这些经验.”
拉冯也把这归功于她的艾德.D. 导师对她的成功“没有让我们半途而废”. 他们和我们一起在战壕里指导，确保我们取得成功, 有时会从我们嘴里扯出信息又踢又叫. 领导力培训非常棒. Everyone brought their “A” game to challenge and evolve us into not only better citizens but better community leaders and all around better educators.
How have you used your research or experience to develop strategies to meet these needs?
LaVonne says that the coursework and China trip helped her realize she knows very little about the world as a whole, but now she understands how to find the information - where to go - and how to read the data. 无论是和她的大学生还是其他团体一起工作, 这个项目教会了她没有的东西, 也不需要拥有, 所有的答案. 她相信自己可以做研究，找到她需要的信息.
你参与这个社区对你生活的其他方面有什么影响?
这是拉旺的私人恩怨. 对她来说，不公正一直是一个问题，即使在抚养孩子的过程中也是如此. “为弱者挺身而出. 对于那些想要被倾听却没有这种能力的人. 对于那些在谈判桌上没有一席之地的人——那些被视为“不如”的人.“现在是时候让我们的学生，甚至我们的教师停止这种心态了。.” Part of the Restorative Justice work that she is doing involves bias training for adults. “We all have bias but we need to recognize our bias so we can adjust our frame of thinking and create a backup plan when necessary.”
LaVonne wants to give people of all ages the tools to get along and to address their issues with each other without shame. “我们很容易被冒犯. There is so much shame in our society from years and years of issues not ever being resolved. 我们甚至以羞耻欺负人. 重要的是教会人们学会不带羞耻地交流. 当我们可以毫不羞愧地走到一起, knowing we are not perfect and knowing we have issues we will be able to come together and have those difficult conversations. We need to get to a place where we can acknowledge that we may not agree on a topic but we can leave the conversation having a little bit more knowledge and respect for each other's viewpoints.”
LaVonne’s goal is for people to realize we all are valid and we all have a purpose regardless or our background or experiences. “We all have a richness to bring to the conversation if we are listening and willing to learn how to have a cohesive dialogue.”
LaVonne your CUI community applauds you and thanks you for being willing to Engage!
访谈前调查的补充回答
在哪些方面，如果有的话，Ed.D. program enhanced your ability to assess and develop positions/programs/interventions to respond to the needs of this community?
的艾德.D项目拓宽了我对社区的看法. It has given me a much wider understanding of academia and the needs of educational culture. Through this program I discovered restorative practices and have been finding ways to involve myself in a variety of programs that work on implementing restorative practices and justices. 我觉得这个项目提供的机会非常好. 这些旅行增强并加深了我的经历. 教授们都很有知识，也很鼓舞人心. 在节目的支持下, I feel that I have been able to excel at becoming a better educator and member of my community.
演讲
“恢复性司法:满足学生的需求。." Presented by LaVonne里格斯-Zeigen to students at Grand Canyon University Diversity Speaks Forum, 凤凰城, AZ, 2019年2月.