Through her involvement in the Intercultural Facilitator Program, Ana Cornejo has learned that everyone has a culture and everyone has a story.
Ana wants to pursue a career in medical social work and is grateful that her experiences in the IF Program have taught her how to be open-minded when getting to know people.
The Intercultural Facilitator Program was designed to help students learn about identity based social inequalities and social justice outside of the classroom. The program provides members of the broader LMU community with another venue to engage in dialogues about important social divides in an increasingly diverse world.
Ana, a senior psychology major from Mission Hills, became involved in the IF Program in Spring 2012, and and is also a member of the University Honors Program, Psi Chi and Alpha Sigma Nu. Looking to pursue a career in medical social work, she says she is grateful that her experiences in the IF Program have taught her how to be open-minded when getting to know people.
As part of the ‘10 for 15‘ series, freshman Nathalie Rubin asked 10 questions to 10 seniors from the Class of 2015 who were involved in Student Affairs. Here’s what Ana had to say about her experience in the Intercultural Facilitators Program.
Why did you choose to come to Loyola Marymount University?
I’m from the Los Angeles area, and I knew that I wanted to stay close to home. When it came time to make a decision, LMU and another L.A. school were offering me about the same amount of financial aid. After visiting both schools, I knew that there was just something different about LMU. Everyone was happy all the time. Everyone was helpful and positive. I wanted to get what they were getting from their college experience.
How did you become involved with the Intercultural Facilitator Program?
When I went through orientation, I heard about a class that focused on interculturalism. Throughout my first semester, I attended several workshops put on by Intercultural Facilitators, and their dialogues really made me think and take on different perspectives. It’s not that they had all the answers to interculturalism. In fact, some times these workshops left me more confused, but in a good way. I knew that I definitely wanted to engage in more of these powerful discussions. I registered for the first intercultural class — which met on Saturday mornings — and then the next semester I signed up for the second part — which also met on Saturday mornings. It was during this second semester that my teacher encouraged me to apply for the position.
How has you involvement with the IF Program affected your experience at LMU?
My involvement with the IF Program has impacted my experience on three different levels: professional, social and personal. In a professional way, I’ve been able to reach out to and educate so many people. Through my time as an IF, I have probably presented to and facilitated dialogues for close to 500 people including students, faculty, staff and off-campus community members. That is way more people than I could ever have imagined engaging with in a professional way during college. This experience taught me how to speak well in public, how to engage a crowd and how to efficiently and appropriately facilitate participant-led conversations that really mean something to people. On a social level, I have found an incredible support system through EIS and the IF program. By working so closely with such great people, I have been able to build great working and social relationships that I know I will hold on to for a very long time. Finally, on a personal level, my time in the IF program has constantly changed the way that I perceive the world. Each group that I worked with has given something new to think about. The whole experience has definitely taught me to be open-minded as I get to know everyone that I meet.
What is your favorite memory from the IF Program?
My favorite memory from the IF Program is probably the annual summit that we put on for some local middle schools. It’s always really great to work with younger students because they are so open and receptive to what we’re saying. By the end of the day, they are so grateful for the time that we’ve had together, and they go back and implement some really brilliant things at their own schools. It’s nice knowing that we made such an impact at a really crucial point in these students’ lives.
Who in EIS has inspired you and how have they done so?
This is the hardest question because I want to name every staff member and student in the department. But someone who has impacted me a lot this past year is Dr. Nathan Sessoms, Director of Black Student Services. This was Dr. Sessoms’s first year here, but he did an amazing job. What inspired me the most was how dedicated he is to all of the students that come through his office. No matter what he was working on, I always saw Dr. Sessoms make time for whoever needed it. He really listens to everyone’s problems, and he makes it a point to keep up with people and check in with them throughout the year. He’s definitely a huge part of how I made it to where I am today. He taught me how to keep things in perspective, to remember what I’m really working for, and to take time to check in with people every day.
What is the most important lesson you have learned from the IF Program that you’ll take with you?
Through learning how to be an important facilitator, I think I’ve learned a lot about what it is to be a good leader. Being in charge doesn’t always mean directing everything. It is important to listen to others with both your ears and your eyes, to let a powerful silence last, and to let others direct the conversation. By being able to take in and process everything around you, the things that you do choose to say can be that much more powerful and profound.
What is something most people don’t know about the IF Program that you’d like them to know?
We’re not boring. I think a lot of people hear “interculturalism” and they run for the hills. We’re not here to lecture you. Our programs are designed to talk about what YOU want to talk about. I think if people were more open-minded about what we do, they would find that engaging in our activities can be really eye-opening and impactful.
What are your plans after you graduate and how do you think your experiences in the IF Program will benefit you moving forward?
My goal is to go into medical social work. I want to help people, and I know that I’m well-suited for that job. My supervisor Henry Ward always reminds us that everyone has a culture and everyone has a story. I think that sometimes in life, we are too quick to make assumptions. We think that we know where someone is coming from because they must think like “us,” or they must think like “them.” In a job like social work, it can be easy to make assumptions, to think the worst of people, to judge a situation without having the facts. If I can remember to take the time to someone’s story, I know I will be so much more effective in my career.
What advice do you have for current and future LMU students?
Take time to adjust. College isn’t easy at first, and that’s okay. If you don’t have a best friend by day one, or a job by week three, or a favorite hangout spot by year two, that’s okay. It will all come in time. Take things one day at a time, reach out for help, and it will all work out eventually.
What will you miss the most about Loyola Marymount University?
I will miss my closest friends, being within walking distance of school and work, and those yummy tacos from the Lair.
By Nathalie Rubin