Quest for Educational Equity at Heart of Intern’s Goals

As a student in Baltimore City Public Schools, Brayden Hamilton saw how the district struggled for funding compared to other districts in the region. She also noticed that, in many cases, students faced obstacles to planning and preparing for college that their counterparts in wealthier areas often did not encounter.

Hamilton’s parents stressed the importance of education throughout her childhood and played an active role in the Baltimore City Public Schools community and as leaders in school parent groups. As an aspiring first-generation college student, however, Hamilton says she lacked insight about how to pursue her higher education dreams — especially when it came to finding ways to pay for that pursuit.

This year Hamilton will be a sophomore at Fisk University, a private historically black college in Nashville, where she majors in political science and music. She has served as a Student Government Association senator and is currently a Fisk University Student Ambassador. She points to herself as an example of a student for whom accessing higher education came with a steep learning curve.

“I talk a lot about not only racial and ethnic diversity but also economic diversity,” says Hamilton.

“Something that’s really important for people who don’t come from a high economic status is that they have people doing the work to figure out how to make their experience a little bit easier for them.”

Now Hamilton is channeling her passion for removing those inequities into her role as a summer and fall 2024 Every Learner Everywhere student intern.

“My goal,” Hamilton says of her internship work as well as her poli-sci studies, “is to make sure people are not left behind.”

Digital tools as equalizer

The Every Learner Everywhere student internship gives Hamilton the opportunity to promote the educational equity that has become a priority in her life. She and the rest of the team of interns are researching and testing AI tools, with the goal of producing a toolkit that provides instructions and outlines best practices for the use of artificial intelligence in higher education.

Hamilton believes widespread understanding of AI will be key in providing equal opportunity to students.

“As a community and globally, we’re just moving so quickly,” she says. “I think this work can contribute to my intention and my passion to make sure people have the information they need, so they’re not discouraged.”

Broad support for underserved populations

As a student at a historically black college, Hamilton is keenly aware of the role equal access to information and other resources can play in supporting HBCUs. But she and her fellow interns also are exploring ways to promote equity for underserved populations at other postsecondary schools, including Tribal Colleges and Universities and Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

“How can we make sure we’re showing up in that space, and not just for HBCUs but also for other institutions that dedicate themselves to the minority in the United States?” she says. “That’s something we’re definitely highlighting.”

Value of diverse backgrounds

Hamilton’s career plans center on public policy with the hope of one day becoming an attorney, and music also is a priority for her. She has been playing clarinet since elementary school, and at Fisk, she performs in the Music City Sound Marching Band.

Following her interest in policy has given her the subject matter knowledge she will need to pursue her chosen career, and she says music has provided interpersonal skills and networking opportunities that will be important in her future.

“Working in law or policy, there’s a lot of academic background behind that, of course, but I think there needs to be a lot of connection between people and music,” Hamilton says. “I definitely feel that it’s important to nurture a passion for music as part of my personal journey. It teaches you a lot even when you’re not using that skill directly.”

Emphasis on student impact

Hamilton says her variety of interests and skills is a hallmark of the intern group this year, as each of her colleagues brings unique skills to the program, collectively providing a diverse set of talents and viewpoints as the group explores AI and its applications in higher ed.

While she is looking forward to developing her own skills and perspective about AI during the internship, Hamilton is focused more on how the project helps others.

“I feel like education is less about personal gain and more about impact,” she says. “I will feel 100 percent confident that it was all worth it and that I had a good experience if someone feels this is useful to them, or if they’re inspired by the work we do.”