Socio economic status isn't just about being rich or poor. It's awareness of how your education, neighborhood, and income make you different. It can creep in when we're working remotely and you see your co workers beautiful home in the background of video calls, or your boss's really nice car when you park at the office. For many, socio economic status can define your perceived worth within society. Perception's reality, or it certainly can feel that way. Let me tell you what I mean. Growing up as a white female from a two parent middle class household. My earliest understanding of my own socio economic difference was with my schoolmates. We all went to the same private school, but I was there because my mom was a teacher at that school. Her payment was my tuition. There may not have been any difference in my ability to perform in the classroom, but my peers were paying five figures for their tuition. And in social circles, the distinction felt clear. Having the latest toys at recess the newest clothes every semester, having luxurious family vacations, every winter and summer break, those things didn't always apply to me and it made relatability more challenging. Later down the road came a community service requirement where I help tutor youth in a lower income neighborhood. In this tutoring, we did math and reading language arts. I saw the same sense of embarrassment in their eyes that I felt at school, they also perceive that distance and relatability What if you have the talent, the skill, the drive to be the next great Picasso, Hemingway, Mozart, Steve Jobs, but you don't know how to get there. A lack of resources or the access to those resources will dramatically affect a person's life. Many times the way we can assist people in elevating their socio economic status doesn't require us to reach in our pocket or offer money. Networking events, mentorship, tutoring, your time can be the biggest asset to help change someone's life. In the office, this could even look like considering different people for a promotion, looking into equitable pay for your employees or giving someone Junior in the organization an opportunity to lead a big presentation. Sharing my story about private school friends, it felt silly. It's my white middle class experience. But is it invalid? Absolutely not. Every experience in your life where you have seen a lack of access due to where you come from, is an important part of this conversation. Here's the truth. You aren't a self made individual. You have a starting point of placement that determines your access in life, and maybe even a network that helped you get there. As you get into this module and learn more about socio economic status, we hope you'll be able to expand your perspective. Let's learn how to be equitable in the workplace and see the qualities that come from our experiences as the invaluable assets that they really are.