BELONG COORDINATOR
During the fall of 2024, I became a belong coordinator for UHP. This experience consisted of collaborating with a small group of other coordinators to design and plan events centered around inclusion and the identity of our students. We focused on creating a welcoming environment for UHP students, but invited UC students to join us as well. Usually we tried to hold about 2-3 events per month, and would successfully get anywhere from 25-50 students. Some events we held include mental heath day goodie bags, Native American Heritage month trivia, Diwali Diya making, Lunar New Year red envelope goodie bags, etc. (Pictures of these events can be seen below.) The photos of our events are important because they show the ideas that our group came up with and brought to life, and how much effort we put in so that we could celebrate our students and give them the opportunity to join us for chats, laughs, and fun activities.
This experience will be something that I never forget and was truly a highlight of my undergraduate career. Not only did I get to help design amazing events that support so many students, but I also had the pleasure of meeting and working with other coordinators that were kind, creative, and friendly. I felt that it was extremely easy and natural for us to come together as a group and bounce ideas off each other, and I always looked forward to the times when we met. It consistently felt like a safe space, and I think we were able to create that same safe space for students. I was able to learn more about the strength of teamwork, and how listening to the ideas of others, then elaborating with more ideas can create the most successful results. Additionally, I completed learning opportunities and reflections on leadership and inclusion, which helped me learn more about being a strong leader and creating the skills to become an inclusive leader. These opportunities were beneficial to my role as a belong coordinator, but also applied to my jobs outside of school and will definitely come in handy as I work towards pursing my career goals. This experience helped me understand that being a global citizen scholar means you never stop learning or striving to learn because it is an ongoing process, and it will all go towards initiating positive, influential change. Having finished belong, I can confidently say that I was able to learn more about myself, leadership, inclusion, and form special connections and friendships.
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