Director of Student Life Now Manages J.E.D.I. Center

Camden Alford | Writer

Main entrance to the J.E.D.I. Center

In a college bustling with thousands of students, some look for a place where they can freely express themselves without fear of judgment. At Lehigh Carbon Community College, that space is the J.E.D.I. Center.

The J.E.D.I. Center (which stands for Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion) opened during fall of 2023 after LCCC received a grant from the PPL Foundation. 

According to the LCCC website, “The newly renovated area, situated between the college bookstore and the cafeteria, includes spaces for activities, workshops, offices, a lounge and small meetings.”

Located on the second floor of the Academic Research Center, the J.E.D.I. Center is now managed by Gene Eden, the Director of Student Life,  who took over in the summer of 2024 . The center hosts events like cafecito meetings—small gatherings with food and discussions about social issues—and workshops. Eden hopes to make the J.E.D.I Center a welcoming space for all students.

“I just moved in the summer, but I'm already thinking about doing what we call strengths workshops, where we do an assessment with students about identifying their top five strengths,” Eden said. “And this would be a great space to do those kinds of activities, and we have some computers that we can use to facilitate that.”

Student worker Haily Hottenstein, who has worked with Eden for about six semesters, expressed confidence in Eden’s vision for the J.E.D.I Center.

“I’ve seen the J.E.D.I. Center flourish, and since Gene moved in, I’ve already noticed more improvements than we probably would have had with someone else,” Hottenstein said. “She is constantly making an effort for people to come in.”

The J.E.D.I. Center remains an inclusive space for study and rest, welcoming all students at LCCC.