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Meet Christopher

Jul 26, 2021 | By: NextHome Priority

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Christopher was nominated as a hidden hero in Portage County because he stood up for what he believed in; diversity, inclusion, and equity. His leadership roles at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus open doors to create policies and practices that made the campus and community more inclusive. 

Originally, born in Brooklyn, New York, but he grew up in Bangalore, India. Having lived in highly populated and diverse communities such as New York and India, the factor that influences him the most is the lack of understanding of diversity and inclusion that some groups in Portage County have. This makes Christopher want to work harder to educate as many people as possible with regards to topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This was one of the driving factors for starting his social welfare organization, Difficult-Discussions Inc. Through this organization, Christopher has been able to conduct workshops for local organizations and also create free resources for entities that want to create inclusive environments but lack the financial resources to do so. 
 
What did you have to overcome to get to where you are today?
 

I had to overcome leaving all of my friends and most of my family behind in India to be here now. I also had to overcome my impostor syndrome while managing life and professional growth.

When I was a sophomore at UW-Stevens Point, I was walking back from the University Center to my residential living hall at night, and this big black truck with a confederate flag waving behind it drove past me. The people in the truck threw a half-filled soda bottle at me and told me to go back to my country. This incident left me rattled and unsettled, after a few weeks of feeling like an impostor in this city, I was led to an opportunity to act on my desire for change by joining the UW-Stevens Point Student Government Association. This was when my spark for diversity, inclusion, and equity work began. I was then able to take on more leadership roles on campus to create policies and practices that made the campus community more inclusive. Now, I use the knowledge and leadership skills I developed to serve as the Executive Director for a social welfare organization that I co-founded called Difficult-Discussions Inc., we do work with regards to creating inclusive and equitable communities. 

 
 
Christopher's Favorite's:
 
Song- 'Changes' by Tupac Shakur. 'A Kiss to Build a Dream On' by Louis Armstrong.
Food- A really good Mutton Biryani- a Biryani is a Southeast Asian dish made with Indian spices, rice, and meat.
Book- non-fiction: 'Health Care Revolt' by Dr.Michael Fine, and fiction: 'The Godfather' by Mario Puzo.
Quote-"An individual has not started living until he [they] can rise above the narrow confines of his [their] individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity." ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
I added the [they] and [their] in to make it a more inclusive quote. 
 
What makes you happy?
Spending time with family, traveling, and cooking food (if the end product comes out as intended). 

How does living in Portage County influence you?
Having lived in highly populated and diverse communities such as Brooklyn, New York, and Bangalore, India the factor that influences me the most is the lack of understanding of diversity and inclusion that some groups in Portage County have. This makes me want to work harder to educate as many people as possible with regards to topics related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This was one of the driving factors for me starting my social welfare organization, Difficult-Discussions Inc. Through this organization, I have been able to conduct workshops for local organizations and also create free resources for entities that want to create inclusive environments but lack the financial resources to do so. 

Where are you headed?
I am currently in the process of getting all my requirements completed to apply to medical school. If things work out, I hope to be in a medical school program soon. 

Who's your hero?
There are so many to list, I consider anyone I learn from my hero. My family (my mother Pon Ida Benny, my sister Crisma Benny, and my father Benny Thomas), my mentors like Dr.Sam Dinga at UW-Stevens Point, Dr. Lindsay Bernhagen at UW-Stevens Point, and people like Greg Wright at Create Portage County who actively work to create a better community. 

What can people from the community learn from you?
We need to understand that we are always learning new things, what we actively need to do (including me) is to always be ready to accept new information and build on the knowledge we have. For people that want to help create a more equitable and inclusive community, you can use the resources we share on the Difficult-Discussions Inc. website to learn more about the topic- www.difficult-discussions.com. 

What is your most deeply held belief?
Education is a lifelong process that is vital for self-growth as well as collective growth as a community. 

Do you prefer to donate time or money to those in need? 
I would say that both are equally important, but it depends on the situation for me. If I can afford to donate money for a cause I will always be willing to, but if I can't or even if I do, I try to volunteer as much of my time as I can for good causes. The balance lies in whether you are consciously taking time to sustain your physical and mental well-being. 

What is the hardest truth you've ever learned?
Trying to create something as logical as an inclusive community is a very difficult process that will be faced with fierce opposition. 

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