Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28WILLIAM JAMES COLLEGE 15 excellence was prized. She was surrounded by high expectations and leaders of color, and, as a result, she didn’t question her ability to excel. When she immigrated to the US at age 12, she held the firm belief that if she worked hard she would succeed. “I came from a different place,” she says, “that buff- ered me against justifiable rage or pain re- sulting from discrimination and limited op- portunities that many Black Americans face. In addition, I’m easily able to bridge cultures and communities in large part because of my background.” Cort, age 37, admits she is “slightly in awe” of where she is at this point in her life. In 2013, she left the University of Rochester Medical Center, where she’d earned her PhD and been Department of Psychiatry faculty before coming to William James. “Here I’m using my passion, skills and expertise in a different way to support talented people as they pursue their dreams. It’s amazing to me.” Cort is realistic. She admits fulfilling the goals of the Academy and the Initiative will take time and commitment. “We’ll have to change the climate,” she says. “Everyone here needs to feel supported and invested in accomplishing our goals.” According to Cort, “diversity has to exist at every level. Attitudinal change always takes time. We may be challenging fears and biases we may not know we have.” But, she insists, “I’m cautiously optimistic. We’re in a good place. We’re dedicated, empathic, and able to deal with uncertainty and discomfort as we ride this wave. We’re on good fertile ground for this to happen.” We’re in a good place. We’re dedicated, empathic and able to deal with uncertainty and discomfort as we ride this wave. We’re on good fertile ground for this to happen. —Natalie Cort, PhD, Director, Black Mental Health Initiative & Graduate Academy