Cross Cultural Retreat

When I signed up for Cross Cultural Retreat I expected to learn more about other cultures but I had no idea that I would learn so much about myself.  I just got back from this weekend-long retreat yesterday and I have had some time to process and reflect upon my experience.  On Friday when we arrived we discussed what the theme "I am...:Claiming Identity and Moving Beyond Tolerance" meant to each of us.  Normally I am a very talkative individual who has no problem raising her hand in class when there is silence.  I decided that during this retreat I was going to be completely present and work on listening, only to share when I felt like it was important and beneficial to myself or the group.  As a result I was able to better understand my whole identity as well as connect with others who were brave enough to share their experiences.  At the end of this retreat I took away some important lessons:

1) Accept and carry my whole identity with pride

2) Color Blindness (or any kind of identity blindness) is not seeing the whole person 

3) Recognize my white privilege (and other privileges) and use it to advocate for others as an ally

Why I'm Grateful

The new year has just begun and I am about to start a new quarter at Cal Poly!  I can not think of a more positive way to begin than to reflect on the people I am grateful to have in my life.

1. My family & friends who support me through the process of applying to programs for graduate school
2. My mentors who have taken the the time to write me several thoughtful letters of reference
3. My co-workers in Residence Life (especially my own staff) who genuinely care about their residents and other staff members (and it show's it the work that they accomplish)
4. My amazing supervisor who has given me honest advice and critical feedback on my essays and other application materials
5. My residents who inspire me to make more personal connections and plan events and activities that will excite and educate them