Iiona Virgin is a Licensed Master Social Worker. She has a Master's Degree in Social Work from Baylor University, a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services, and an Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education. One of her goals as a therapist is to come alongside and be with the individuals she works with. Iiona wants them to know that she is on the journey with them. She approaches their time together through a holistic, strength-based, and culturally informed perspective. Iiona values the relationships she has with each person. Additionally, she honors all things that make them who they are. She has worked in schools for two and a half years and is currently working in a small rural school outside of Georgetown. Iiona serves students from grades pre-K through 12. 

 

In this episode Dr. Gaye Lang and Iiona Virgin discuss:

• What is diversity all about? 

• Communicating cultural differences 

• Helping people who are resistant 

• The power of building relationships

Key Takeaways: 

• Diversity isn’t all about race. It also includes disability diversity, linguistic diversity, cultural diversity, and more. 

• It’s important to communicate the differences that you may hold from the culture you belong to. Set some boundaries with people and let people know your honest feelings while at the same time trying your best to be polite. 

• The first thing to help people who are resistant to adapting to diversity is to get them to look around and acknowledge that diversity already exists. Once they’ve accepted that fact, ask them then to take baby steps toward adapting to diversity, whatever it is. 

• Build relationships. Be very intentional about how you interact with your co-workers. Building relationships cuts down a lot of the friction and creates a sense of belonging. 

 

“Instead of yelling out loud, get engaged in a back-and-forth with them. Pull them to the side? Is there another way that we can engage the student who is showing up in the classroom at that moment versus calling them out?” - Iiona Virgin

 

Connect with Iiona Virgin:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iionavirgin/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/augusta_crane/ 

Website: https://augustacrane.com/ 

 

Connect with Dr. Gaye Lang:

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaye-lang-1735761b5/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Gaye.Lang/ 

 

KEY WORDS: 

Diversity, inclusion, equity, tolerance, racism, bias, implicit bias, and explicit bias.  

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

 

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