- What happened to Gaile?
Gaile’s Honors 100 course instructor Dr. Barbara Clinton, also the head of the Highline honors program, helped her express her strengths in her portfolio and résumé and take productive risks toward the rewards she sought. After Gaile shared her financial concerns, Dr. Clinton helped her find and win scholarships for which she was eligible. With newfound confidence, Gaile took risks that rewarded her with employment authorization from the Immigration and Naturalization Service and a job as a critical care nurse technician. She graduated in 2007 and started working as a registered nurse. She has completed a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Washington at Tacoma, and will soon have permanent resident status.5 - What does this mean for you?
Everyone needs a person who can be a “resource for life,” like Dr. Clinton was for Gaile. This person can help bring out strengths and provide support and encouragement as you take risks. Who could be your resource for life? Make two lists, each with at least five people’s names (friends, family, faculty, work acquaintances, anyone you know personally). One list identifies people who you know well, who already support you and care about you. The other list identifies people you don’t know as well but that you admire and feel you could learn from. Choose one person from each list and brainstorm a short paragraph about what you think you need from that person as a mentor. - What risk may bring reward beyond your world?
Your needs are important and so are the needs of others. Risk reaching beyond your world to mentor someone who could use your help. Check out www.mentoring.org as a start to find out more about what mentoring involves and what kinds of programs are already in place for people who want to mentor others. Look into a program from that website, a program at your college or in your community, or start making more regular contact with someone in need on your own. Your presence will reward the person you mentor, as well as yourself.
Build basic skills
Review the five actions for cultural competence earlier in this chapter. Reread the suggestions for Action 5: Adapt to Diverse Cultures on pages 227–228. For the three strategies listed at the top of the next page, give a real-life version (something you’ve done or know someone else has done). For example, by choosing to wear a blindfold for an entire day as part of a “Blind for a Day” experience, students put themselves in other people’s shoes.
- Put yourself in other people’s shoes.
- Adjust to cultural differences.
- Help others in need.
Take it to the next level
Make these three strategies into personal plans. Rewrite them as specific actions you are willing to take in the next six months. For example, “help others in need” might become “Sign up as a tutor for the Writing Center.”
Move toward mastery
Choose one of the three plans to put into action in the next 30 days (or even tomorrow, if you can). Choose wisely—recall your knowledge of SMART goals and pick the one that is most attainable and realistic. Name your choice. Describe your goal with this action—how you want to make a difference.
Finally, do it. Name the date by which you plan to have taken action.
Sample Solution