stuff white people like #72

During a meet and greet session at a conference last spring, this woman came over, and started chatting me up. She was fairly new to the international education field, and after a few minutes, she was like, " Do you realize we're the only non-white people in this room?" It was true - at a conference of about 300, there were probably less than 10 minorities in attendance, and while that conference was all industry people, the general demographic for students going abroad is pretty much the same. It even made the infamous "Stuff White People Like #72".

I also met a woman there who works with the TRIO program, and who is trying to help expose her students (all 1st generation college students) to all the opportunities that they have. We've been working together to help build programming targeted specifically for multicultural students for the 2009 - 2010 academic year, which I'm really excited about and can't wait to get more into once the summer/fall hits.

I'm currently building one of many workshops that I will be presenting at a conference hosted by a foundation for low-income and 1st generation college students in Florida in a few weeks. My workshop is on international civic engagement for multicultural students, which matches up well with their overall theme of service and civic engagement. I am stoked to go - other workshops include topics on building advocacy campaigns and social marketing strategies. They also have one that is all about the benefits of and how to implement community garden programs, which are so great. I think I'm more excited about attending the other workshops than I am about presenting mine. And I think even more than the other workshops, I am excited about the end of conference talent show and dance party. I mean, come on, who doesn't love a conference that ends with a talent show and dance party?

Anyway, that's all I got. I'll be in Florida from June 2 - June 6, so that'd be a GREAT time to call and catch up, as my cell phone will be back on.

Lots of love.

Paz.