Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) has always been the tent-pole to our mission and vision of Saga Education. We aspire to remain at the cutting edge of educational innovation and impact. Meet our DEIB committee members and discover how they integrate DEIB into their personal lives and nurture a sense of belonging at all levels of our organization.
Denise PG (she/her/hers)
Senior Product Manager
What DEIB topics or issues are you most passionate about, and why are they important?
It’s hard to pick a single topic because I think all aspects of the DEIB work are equally important.
In a few sentences, explain why Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) are important to you personally.
The intersectionality of my identity causes multiple DEIB topics to be impactful and relevant to my lived experience. That being said, I’ve also learned about other identities and issues that are not a part of my experience and are equally important to me. I also believe that if we as an organization plan to mark changes around equity, then it’s important that we start internally.
Is there someone or something that inspired you to become involved in DEIB efforts? If yes, please share.
When I first joined SAGA, it was a new company still establishing systems and policies. As I witnessed certain things happen, I knew that if I was going to work here long term, I wanted to be a part of creating a positive, inclusive, equitable culture within our organization. So when the opportunity arose, I was happy to join.
What challenges have you encountered or observed in the field of DEIB, and what solutions do you propose or support?
I think the biggest challenge of work in regard to DEIB is the fact that it requires a lot of effort, a lot of intentionality, and a lot of acknowledging and having conversations about uncomfortable and ugly truths and realities. So it can be difficult to get people to willingly engage in this work, but when it does happen, it is extremely meaningful and can create so much change.
What advice or encouragement would you offer to your colleagues at Saga who want to get more involved in DEIB work?
I would encourage my colleagues to check out our DEIB events. It’s a good way to engage. They are as informative as they are fun and engaging.
How do you see DEIB efforts making a difference at Saga Education, and what would you like to see in the future?
I definitely believe the DEIB work that we’ve done so far has made a difference and I believe we have a very inclusive, diverse workforce. As an organization, we do a lot to celebrate diversity and to educate ourselves to bring awareness within the DEIB space. I definitely think we have also made steps towards creating more equitable practices and policies. Moving forward I would really just like to see us continue on that path and continue doing that work so that we can as an organization be the best we can to support the students that we serve.
Read our three-year DEIB Strategic Plan on how we will use these work components to accelerate educational equity through the proven power of high-impact tutoring.
