Nicole, Alexa, Syeda, Candice and Yunhao

Through our cultural conversations, we found that you can include meaningful components for studying online that will help create a multicultural student community at Laurier.

Our first component is the value of remaining vulnerable in order to support yourself and others to step out of their comfort zone. This helps create a space that is safe for every group member to discuss personal experiences with multiculturalism in each of our unique perspectives.

Our second component is the importance of being respectful. We curated an environment of mutual respect through the appreciation of our diverse backgrounds, knowledge and opinions. We also acknowledged the importance of privacy as virtual learning has brought the classroom into our personal spaces.

Our third component empathy was able to elevate our abilities of being vulnerable and respectful. It allowed us to be inclusive, accommodating and understanding under the strain of a pandemic which created space for stronger, more intimate discussions regarding multiculturalism and what that means for us.

We each experience multiculturalism from different perspectives but through these conversations and three components we have been able to establish connections with one another despite being separated physically.

Laurier International Cultural Conversations group participants:

Alexa Stucke, HR 261, Human Rights and Human Diversity, Brantford

Candice Yin, International Student Collaborator, Faculty of Arts, Waterloo

Nicole Sguigna, HR 261, Human Rights and Human Diversity, Brantford 

Syeda Khadijah, HR 261, Health Administration, Brantford

Yunhao Liu, HR 261, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Brantford