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Doctor of Education student Sharif Liwaru’s passion for equity takes him throughout the region to break down cultural barriers and educate educators on how to positively influence the next generation.

Ask Sharif Liwaru what drives him – what motivates him to do the work he does – and a smile crosses his face.

In a nutshell, his work as the equity and family partnerships senior director for the Northwest Regional Education Service District is all about relationships. Or, as he puts it, “It’s just human beings connecting with each other, learning how to operate in different environments.”

His job takes him throughout Northwest Oregon – Columbia, Washington, Clatsop and Tillamook counties – for whom he provides professional development training and support for 20 school districts in addition to his education service district.

“The impact of seeing human beings connecting with each other – understanding their God-given differences in a celebratory way, in a way that helps people inquire about one another – is what drives me,” says Liwaru, a current student in Â鶹Éç Fox University’s Doctor of Education program. 

“I really enjoy seeing people light up around the value and connection that comes from learning about people who have cultures that are different from theirs, and just as much when people learn about themselves.”

A Multifaceted Role

His work is multifaceted. It may take him to policy meetings where a committee works to ensure that the policies that support the equity work are being implemented. It may involve professional development activities where people share how they approach particular topics, how they see the world, what can be done to break down intercultural barriers, and how to provide helpful resources for those in the district trenches.

What he loves most, though, is seeing the next generation lead the way in equity education and practices. To that end, he helps organize student-led conferences where the students themselves present to educators, sharing their insights into how to bridge generational and cultural gaps.

There are also book studies that focus on culturally sensitive topics and equity learning teams tasked with finding solutions to equity challenges and discussing the tactics that work versus those that don’t.

“It’s very collaborative, because we’re getting the opportunity to draw from people – their knowledge, their information – and facilitate the conversation around topics that many of them may not think about or have any background in,” Liwaru says. “It’s a fun thing because you’re digging deeper into what people believe. I told somebody, ‘How did you come to learn that?’ And they’re like, ‘I don’t know.’ And I said, ‘Well, we’ve got to figure that out.’ Maybe not specifically, but at least in general, we ask the question, “How did you come to learn the things that you didn’t realize that you have learned?’”

Most Rewarding Work

The most rewarding aspect of the work comes when Liwaru sees a shift in educators’ approach – a change in their outlook. 

“We talk to people about learning things in their life that they want to counteract, embracing that which they have learned that is beneficial and learn how to find and reject the things that may be detrimental,” he says. 

“That’s really the part I find most enjoyable: Connecting with people, hearing their story, helping them grow in their ability to navigate the world in a positive way – be an asset – and elevate the impact of being able to achieve their purpose because they understand what they’re bringing to the table and how they can impact that vocation.”

The most challenging aspect? “Either when individuals do not know that they need growth or that they need to unlearn something,” he says.

Education: A Two-Way Street

As Liwaru sees it, education is a two-way street. There’s no debate that students learn from their teacher mentors. What isn’t often recognized is the fact teachers are also learning from their pupils.

That very truth came through at the recent Cascade Alliance for Equity Conference, led by youth.

“There was an educator there who told me that they had, over the years, participated in a lot of professional development,” he says. “They came because they thought it would be kind of cool to hear kids and listen to what they had to say. What they discovered was that they were profoundly impacted by the wisdom that came from these kids.

“What they shared was, ‘I realize now that I can draw knowledge from these students and, moving forward, I’m going back to my classroom and incorporating different ways in which the students are able to share their story, their experience and their perspectives so that I am not the only one doing the teaching.’”

As a result, a paradigm shift took place in the mind of the educator. 

“They had previously seen their profession as, ‘This is what I’m paid to do. It’s my responsibility to teach. It’s not fair to put it on the kids to be teaching when I am the teacher.’ They realized that that had robbed their students of some learning and growth opportunities. A scholar is someone who’s always learning but has the wisdom to be able to teach you. That can happen both ways, from teacher to student and from student to teacher.”

‘An Act of Worship’

Liwaru says his time in the doctor of education program has reinforced his belief that education can, as he puts it, “be an act of worship.”

“One of the things I found as a plus was, being a Quaker-based institution, the ideology truly aligns with my own,” he says of Â鶹Éç Fox. “It aligns with my belief that learning and teaching is spiritual work. It’s given me greater comfort in bringing my entire self to my work environment as well as being more open and communicative about those motivations and what drives me.”

Just as his profession revolves around relationships, it’s the relationships he formed in his MEd program that have enriched his experience and given him the tools to take his equity work to the next level.

“You are known at Â鶹Éç Fox,” he says. “This is not a catchphrase. Maybe it is, but it’s not a false catch phrase. It’s not an exaggeration. The professors remember you and interact with you. 

“As a result, the learning has a much stronger hold and impact when you elevate them in the sense of recognition of their expertise, while their humility lets you see them as a partner in your education versus this elevated status of hierarchy. They know more and they’re sharing what they know, but there’s not this superiority kind of aspect of ‘I’m the professor, you're the student.’ I’ve really enjoyed that at Â鶹Éç Fox.”

Mentors Who Stand Out

Specifically, professors Marc Shelton and Dane Joseph have been instrumental in his educational journey.

“Marc has been the person I’ve turned to from the beginning, whether he was my direct advisor or not. I was like, ‘Well, you're stuck with me. I’m going to keep bugging you every semester whether I am in a class with you or not.’ “And then there’s Dane. He comes to mind as someone pushing the way that I think about things. I might say, ‘Nope, I still don't know what you just said – I don’t understand the impact of that.’ His patience shows in him being able to say, ‘OK, so let me try to explain it this way,’ or ‘Let me approach it in a different way.’”

A Passion for Equity

For Liwaru, doing what he does suits him. And as long as he continues to see the breakthroughs – eyes that light up with the exposure to new ideas or ways of doing things – he will continue in this work.

“The equity work is my passion, and that’s what I’m doing,” he says. “I don’t have aspirations to become a superintendent. If that happens, that’s cool. But they would have an equity director as their superintendent, so they’d have to know that that would be my focus. So if that’s what you need for your superintendent, then I’m in. But equity and inclusion – helping folks understand each other and have a sense of belonging and purpose with each other – is what I enjoy doing, and I’m in a place where I can do that.”