Acknowledgments
One of the most rewarding aspects of writing in the open education world is the opportunity to involve students in the process. I sincerely appreciate the students who have been part of this book’s journey since its inception in September 2020. Their unique insights have been instrumental in shaping this book, and their contributions have been invaluable. As they continue their paths in university education and the helping professions, their distinct perspectives and experiences will undoubtedly make a significant impact. You, the students, are the inspiration behind this book, and I thank you for your intellect, support, and unique contributions that have made this a richer resource for all future students.
Kelichi Wright, MEd, LCPC, LPC; Kortney A. Carr, LCSW, LSCSW; and Becci A. Akin, PhD, all associated with the School of Social Welfare at the University of Kansas, have contributed to the unique feature of this text. Their seminal work “The Whitewashing of Social Work History: How Dismantling Racism in Social Work Education Begins With an Equitable History of the Profession” appeared in the openly licensed Advances in Social Work peer-reviewed journal in 2021. This made it possible to adapt their wisdom and expertise to the human services profession for an introductory textbook. To my knowledge, this perspective does not appear in any introductory textbook; this adaptation has the potential to make an equity-focused contribution to the foundational understanding of beginning students. As a Native author, I have also had experience in the education system, which is also an experience that many students have had. They have not seen themselves reflected in their textbooks, as their stories have been whitewashed to fit a narrative to support an educational system that many students are not being supported in, and textbooks are not feeling up to date or that they enhance learning anymore. With these books, we hope to begin to change this story, and your contributions have been instrumental in this transformative process.
The Open Oregon Educational Resources team is not just brilliant, supportive, and fun but also integral to the success of this project. They made complex work flow smoothly. I’d especially like to acknowledge Michaela Willi-Hooper, Phoebe Daurio, Amy Hofer, Veronica Vold, Elizabeth B. Pearce, and Matthew DeCarlo. Your brilliance, support, and fun-loving nature have made this project successful and taught me how to be a better professional. I will always be grateful for your unique contributions.
All of the contributing authors of this text played a significant role in making it better, not only by writing both with specific chapters but also by educating me on your specialized knowledge. Your contributions have been invaluable. I am proud to be part of a project that has been started by a fantastic group of individuals just as passionate as I am about increasing access to rich and boundary-breaking content for students as I am. I have no words to express my genuine admiration for that. Thank you for your invaluable contributions, and I look forward to our continued collaboration.
I need to thank my colleagues at Portland Community College most definitely, Dr. Andrew Garland-Forshee and Sally Guyer, who have been not just critical in keeping me grounded in who I am as a person over this process but also as an educator over these last few years in higher education and have not just ourselves as educators but how we see students learning styles needs and how we need to reimagine not just how we looked at teaching but teaching materials including textbooks and access to those books. Intersectionality was crucial for those conversations. We know the demographics of the communities that we serve, the demographics of the students in our programs, the demographics of the providers, and the demographics of the educators in higher education, and we know that all of this needs to change. All of this needs to be considered when writing this book. I thank them for their dedication, continued critical thinking, and desire for a more equal educational and accessible experience for all students.
Lastly, I want to thank my loved ones for their support outside my professional roles. I needed them to help me as I grew more into myself and my love for applying for roles such as adjunct professor, which led me to this project. Thank you to my two sisters, Luisa Mendez and Erika Ochoa-Alcantar, who were my first teachers and taught me that lessons are mostly not found in classrooms but in life experiences and relationships. They are sometimes taught to us by the smallest hands or the tallest trees. Thank you, Bronxs and Keka, for your unwavering support and love.
Secondly, my friends and family remind me that this opportunity was unique for many reasons, including the ability to push barriers and introduce perspectives and narratives that may not have been part of the usual classroom experience for some. They also remind me that new does not always mean dangerous, as some people in this country may have us believe. Thank you for the daily reminders, Margaret Copeland, Erin Sloan, Mila Rodriguez-Adair, Calaya Sanders, and Megan Christopher. I will never forget the many students who have been part of this process who would demand something different every time they picked up the textbook they had to use in class and would have to correct what they saw written. Thank you for making me a better educator and person.
