We Are Lightning

Dear Diary,

It’s been quite the memorable journey this semester, but this is the final entry for this blog that will be made. It’s a bitter sweet feeling as I compose the words I want to say. Writing is a lovely form of free expression, but at times words seem to fall short of the meaning you want them to have. This final blog is meant to be reminiscent of all the learning and experience that has taken place over the course of this semester. And it’s funny, but even though I know that I have learned a treasure trove worth of knowledge, my mind is going blank. It feels a lot like the knowledge is present but expressing it becomes infinitely more difficult. I wonder perhaps if it’s my minds way of staying in denial about the end of the semester. Just like our humble beginning, I find myself struggling to talk personally about my experience, but just like before I will give it my best try.

This class has been very eye opening for me. When we received the rundown on how the class would go and what topics would be covering, I found myself at first very disappointed. I noticed that learning about individual countries was not a topic we were going to cover. When I heard about the class I thought we were going to learn about the countries of the world, and culturally sensitive ways helping professionals could work with those individuals. But that’s not quite what happened and now I understand why the class was organized differently. We learned through simulations and lecture’s how connecting our personal experience to our cultural interactions was important to create a sense of compassion and understanding. And that it was important to build empathy to better connect with the youth and their families. We tested ourselves on our knowledge of competent social aspects of culture and learned about how they vary from country to country. (Like how I learned that in India you pass important documents with your right hand!)  We explored as a class power and privilege and how different cultural group denominations experience these elements differently. We answered quizzes and wrote about these subjects in our blogs, all the while making the connections to our personal learning, striving ever closer to go from culturally knowledgeable to culturally competent. We dug deep and explored our own culture and endeavored to tell our own cultural story. We as a class had the chance to connect with an individual from another country and share in their personal story. Discovering first-hand how even youth from the same country could bring such a different perspective to a culture .This being one of the more powerful assignments of the semester. And then we as a class challenged ourselves to go even further and push ourselves out of the comfort zone safety bubble, and do something new. For me, going to the smudging ceremony, was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I walked away forever humbled and changed. I took in so much this semester I found myself realizing that had the class been about breaking up the world by its divisible boundaries and studying what was different the connection and celebration of the unity we have as human beings would have been totally missed.

The emotions of this day are impacting me as a writer. I can’t seem to do this blog the justice I want to. I can’t seem to sum up half a years’ worth of knowledge adequately. From the card game, to our Sayoutloud guest speakers, to the single story video, this semester has just been jammed packed with such intense opportunity for learning and growth. Words really do fall short. As I prepare to enter the field I feel prepared. I feel that I now carry with me a sense and understanding that will allow me to work with youth and families and meet them where they are at. Allow them to teach and empower me on their culture, and with acceptance and patience always strive to go further up the culturally competence scale.

To all my peers and professors, thank you all for such a wonderful three years and particularly for this wonderful semester. The healing and growth I have experienced has helped spur my growth from the invisible girl to a girl brimming with confidence and passion. I will treasure all I have learned and all the memories we have shared in the scrap book of my heart. Since my own culture is very much steeped in games and animation I want to share with you a song from one of my favorite web animated series that might do a better job expressing the summation of my feelings of this bitter sweet yet powerful experience.

-With all the loves and feels

Sincerely Kayla Clouthier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w83phD3EwSc (Lyrics)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsy7VJheMBI (Animation)