Entering the workforce can present many challenges for students, which can be unique for each person. 

A panel of local professionals talked about their experiences as people of color in the workplace at a panel on Tuesday at Wichita State. It was hosted by Ambassadors for Diversity and Inclusion (ADI). 

There were four panelists:

• Dr. William Polite, director of Equity, Diversity, and Accountability at Wichita Public Schools
• Sgt. Efrain Rueda, with the WSU Police Department
•  Byron McSwain, a U.S. Navy veteran and owner of Greater Grounds Coffee in downtown Wichita
• Harish Kumar, owner of Astoria, a local Indian restaurant.

The panelists answered a wide range of questions regarding their backgrounds, career paths and obstacles along the way. McSwain discussed the reality of running a minority-owned local business.

“I’m fairly new, three months in with Greater Grounds. Being a minority, opening up a business is tough,” McSwain said. “I took a lot of ‘Nos.’ 80% of small businesses fail. That’s the reality. I was trying not to be in that 80 percentile. What makes me the 20%? … It was hard, heartbreaking. It took me two years to open.”

Kumar explained that “patience is always the primary key” to success and encouraged attendees to use their hardships to motivate them.

“My motivation is always my pain,” Kumar said. “So if you have pain in your life, you know you always want to go (to that pain) when you hit your rock bottom. There’s nowhere you cannot go down. You have to go upwards. So that’s my motivation.”

According to ADI Vice President of Events Hafsa Sadaf, the event went “very well,” and she appreciated how thoughtful the panelists were in their responses.

“What I love is how passionate these professionals were about sharing their story with the students and how much they want people to succeed,” Sadaf said. “A lot of them came from very different backgrounds, and maybe not so positive backgrounds, even as they mentioned, and yet, they got to where they are today. They also shared how different support systems helped them along the way and I think that was really beautiful.”

Sadaf said she would encourage students to find similar experiences to learn from other people and make everyone feel welcome. 

“Attending events like this is really important because you get to meet new people,” Sadaf said. “You get to listen to diverse, different stories, and connect with people in a different way. I think just socializing can literally change your mindset.”Those interested in learning more about ADI or the group’s upcoming events can follow it on Instagram @wichitastate.adi.