Author's Note and Introduction

Author’s Note and Letter to the Student Body

Dear Reader,

This first issue of the article contains first-hand accounts and perspectives from students and faculty in regard to the advancement and improvement of the status of diversity inclusion within the Pre-health community at Baylor University. The interviews conducted offer current and prospective students an opportunity to read what steps the faculty are taking to further advance heterogeneity within Baylor Pre-Health. To the readers who are of the current student body, it is imperative that you understand that those selected for an interview possess backgrounds that are unique. Thus their paths through pre-med and towards medicine will likely not be similar to that of your own. Rest assured their goals within medicine are still prominent, their stories are still relevant, and with that, their knowledge of Pre-Health is viable and worth the investment and understanding. Keeping an open mind as a preprofessional while looking to learn more about the intricacies of what the Baylor pre-health has to offer will allow you as a reader to be well versed in making more educated decisions based on your specific circumstances within your daily student life. Opportunities are present through every conversation, every email, and every chance that you as a student undertake to expand your mind and your capacity for acquiring wisdom and knowledge.

Sincerely, Albert K. Sarpong

Introduction

Mosaic is a new annual periodical developed by Baylor University’s Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students and focuses on aspects of both cross-culturalism and academia. Multiculturalism has risen exponentially over the last two decades here at Baylor University. The objective of Mosaic is to encourage diversity on campus and culminate the impacts of the increased cultural diversity by providing a platform for undergraduate students and faculty to express their unique cultural perspectives on a wide array of subjects from the sciences to humanities. The main issues we are looking to tackle will be in relation to diversity and diversity inclusion across campus in the present and in the future. We want students to have a platform to express perspectives and viewpoints from an array of ideas that may or may not necessarily compare identically, but in principle, can shed a different light on specific topics and resolutions. With Mosaic, we intend to give people of different backgrounds and upbringings a voice in academia to show that Baylor can represent the best of all students and faculty. In addition to the feature articles, Mosaic will also include highlights on research progress and incorporate creative pieces such as fiction and poetry post its first issue. Through Mosaic, the Baylor community can read about other students and faculty who possess similar or different cultural backgrounds and experiences to their own and potentially influence others to view the world from various perspectives.