Amanda Jensen

I helped create the #DiversityIsOurStrength project, working as Wheat Paste (co-Lead), and on the Design, and Social Media teams.

My Family History

My family members came about equally from Germany and England, Wales and Northwestern Europe, with a few members originating in Ireland, Scotland, Norway, and Sweden. I know most about the Fishers on my father’s side. William Fisher immigrated to Philadelphia from Germany in the mid 1700s. He later moved his family (a wife and 6 sons) to Virginia to escape the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793, and then to Cottageville, West Virginia. Around 1910, my great great grandfather, Samule Austin Fisher, moved to Iowa to establish a Methodist ministry. I’ve lived in Iowa my entire life.

Living in Iowa

Iowans have quite the reputation for being kind, respectful people. And like typical midwesterners, we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty. I think we owe it to small town Iowa, there’s just something about knowing and caring for everyone around you. And as an alumni of Alburnett High School, I can attest that it’s ingrained in who you are. Thank you, Iowa, for constantly helping me see the good in the world.

My Dreams

I do well in art, music, and design; just about everything involving creativity. I’m also a people person, or maybe I just like talking. My dream is to move out of Iowa after college, and work as an art director for a movie one day.

A Teacher Who Changed My Life

Mrs. Amy Seiler, Art teacher, Alburnett Elementary-Middle School-High School She believed in me, and supported my work. That’s all it took to start dreaming big.

My Favorite Thing

Journals

My favorite things are the journals that I kept when I was younger. I wrote short stories, drew pictures, and talked about how much I love my friends and family. It’s fun to look back and see what 7 year old me was thinking about. I think I’ll hold onto them for a while.

What #DIVERSITYISOURSTRENGTH means to me

Imagine an Iowa where everyone has that community-based connection with everyone. A place where people of all backgrounds can come together and celebrate their differences. Where we can all work, go to school, and create that solid kind of community. I can see it in Iowa’s future.

Alex Knospe Amanda Jensen Annebel Trumm Ben VanHorn Brett Foreman Colin Hughes Connor Gibson Dakota Davis Elexia San Nicolas Hannah Stater Kalei Owens Leslie Owusu Madison Watland Preston Larson Reagan Saul Sami Enos

#DiversityIsOurStrength is a public web and mural project developed by Interactive Digital Studies (IDS) majors at the University of Northern Iowa. IDS is an interdisciplinary program focusing on creating digital experiences. We are using what we’ve learned in our culminating IDS Practicum course to create a highly visible public project that both addresses the challenges and embraces the future of educational diversity in the Cedar Valley.

One inspiration for this project came from the 24/7 Wall Street article that identified Waterloo and Cedar Falls as the #1 worst metro area for Black Americans in 2018. Having this distinction continues to be disturbing for all of us. Our second inspiration comes from 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative led by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Waterloo native Nikole Hannah-Jones. The project reframes the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.

Thank you to literacy educator Dr. Shuaib Meacham, Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, who has guided this project.

Also thank you to Anthony Woodley and Mack Vos for helping in the final stages of the project. Due to COVID-19, the project became delayed and was unable to be completed by the end of the spring semester, and without their help, the project could not have been finished.

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION

Contact Us

Email: diversitystrength@uni.edu