When I was 18, the new chapter of my story began. I came to the US from Uzbekistan, a country located in Central Asia. As a young and open-minded person with confidence in my communication skills, I was not afraid of the new environment and people. As soon as I arrived at the university, I have met incredible people and made many friends. Socializing with diverse people allowed me to expand my cultural understanding and grow as a global resident. My study abroad experiences allowed me to learn and understand real diversity and its value in our society. I gained a solid understanding of different values, cultures, identities, ideas, and backgrounds and learned how to connect, work and compromise with diverse individuals.

 

Later on, to expand my cultural knowledge and experiences, I became an International Student Orientation Peer Mentor in spring 2019 and 2020, where I worked with first-year students from all over the world. My role was to help new students transition to the MNSU. Precisely, I assisted international students with class registration, hosted a campus tour, helped to open my first bank account in the US, and provided advice on accommodation. This experience was a great opportunity that allowed me to compare and contrast my own culture with other cultures. Also, this role helped me to develop sympathy towards culturally diverse students and learn to communicate with international students more tactfully.

 

In addition to this, I have multiple jobs on-campus that allowed me to expand my understanding of diversity and prepared me to work with diverse individuals. For example, I served as an Orientation Peer Assistant and was a third-year Community Adviser. In order to succeed in these roles, I have been not only prepared to work with diverse students from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and values but also was able to apply my knowledge in practice by serving diverse students on campus. I succeeded at my job because I have received valuable training from "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department" representatives who hosted multiple workshops to educate and coach me on engaging with diverse students. I still use and will continue using all of the knowledge shared by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department representative as I believe that diversity awareness is essential in any workplace.

 

All these experiences expanded my understanding of diversity in different aspects and helped me develop a mindful attitude towards others. So I feel confident in working with a diverse team.