Community Contribution #3

How may diversity and inclusion contribute to a PLN?

Diversity and inclusion can contribute to a personal learning network by exposing people to different perspectives and experiences. I feel like your PLN is far more than just the people you know in your surrounding environment; it is the connections you have made through networking, different work experiences, volunteering, and the resources you have. Interacting with people with diverse backgrounds is important because it makes me more well-rounded and helps me learn about experiences I may not have encountered on my own.

For example, when I use LinkedIn, I typically connect with people in the marketing field, people at UVIC, or people at a company I am interested in. If my PLN is limited, I may have fewer opportunities because I lack information or connections. Since about January, I noticed a pattern in my connections and have tried to make it a 2026 goal to expand my network. As I was reflecting on this assignment, an experience that I had when serving at my part-time restaurant job came up. This girl who sat in my section was a recent graduate, and we ended up talking about jobs. I thought her position was interesting, and we ended up connecting on LinkedIn. This conversation expanded my mindset, as it made me open to different career options rather than the one I was solely looking at. This allowed me to discover a new career opportunity that I would not have had otherwise if I wasn’t curious and looking to learn. This experience showed me how important having a diverse PLN can be; you can always learn something from people not directly in your PLN and continue connecting with others for different perspectives! Overall, I think diversity and inclusion can make your PLN even more beneficial, as it makes you a more well-rounded person and helps prepare you for different experiences you will have.