In my classes, I provide a dynamic learning experience that speak to equity, diversity and social justice.  My main objective is to engage students to form a connection between the classroom and life outside of class. In my experience, merely lecturing on writing and literature does not help a diverse student body bridge this connection; thus, I turn to bell hooks’ notion of engaged pedagogy to develop lessons that help students understand how to become socially responsible agents of change.  Because I am a first-generation Filipino, female immigrant, I inherently understand how different experiences and backgrounds can help us access knowledge in important ways.  All students must be supported differently, and since graduate school, I have designed my classes to follow the model of “Universal Design for Learning” (UDL), seeking to provide equal access to learning that does not diminish academic challenges which may come from diverse physical, racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds.  Last December, I received an ESCALA certificate in College Teaching & Learning in HSIs after completing a 27-hour leadership course on culturally responsive teaching and implementation of equity practices in the classroom.