Resident Assistant
Pine Manor is one of the most diverse colleges in the United States. Studying here has made me more comfortable with people who come from different cultural backgrounds. It has also encouraged me to be open to learning about other cultures and respecting other world views. For example, I can connect personally with the Muslim women from my community ESL class because we both face similar difficulties in life, and that would probably never have happened if it were not for all the people I met as an undergrad. The diversity at Pine Manor has helped me become a respectful and more open minded person when it comes to the diverse number of people who attend.
College has opened the doors to multiculturalism for me. I was always knowledgeable about other cultures from my previous schooling, but my understanding was limited. I have met and learned about several different cultures from some of the best people through International Club and Model UN. During my first International Education Week, I met Nhu and Linda when I helped them make egg rolls they were going to serve to the school to celebrate. I also met Heba, with whom I share the same interest in cultural exchange. Also, Heba and I have been each other's confidants. We are both undocumented, and for years now we have supported one another with friendship in our journey towards graduation and documentation. Having the opportunity to attend Pine Manor was very exciting for me, since my freshman year I had been working really hard to gain a position as a Resident Assistant but sadly, due to my lack of documentation, I was unable to qualify. It was not until I was able to return from the detention center, a time when I was alone and facing homelessness, that Pine Manor was very supportive and offered me the opportunity to live on campus in exchange of being a Resident Assistant. It was a pretty sweet deal! Becoming an RA was an experience that taught me about patience, fairness and, most importantly, responsibility. Becoming an RA is more than just getting a single room and throwing events for your residents every month. You need to learn how to work as a team with other RA's in order to collaborate and make living situations easier for everyone. You also need to be available for your residents whenever they need you. They rely on you to keep them informed and feeling comfortable and safe in their dorms. As an RA, you are someone who is representing the school and facilitates conversations between students and staff. There were times when being that bridge was difficult. Doing random rooms checks with Campus Safety was one of them. One day, for example, Harry and I were on duty and were asked to accompany a Campus Safety officer look for unauthorized internet routers on the dorms that used to cause the internet on campus to slow down. It was difficult being fair and making younger classmates realize that I had to do my job as an RA and couldn't always be their friend. It's important to enforce the rules in order to make everything as fair as can be for all the students living on campus. |
Heba pranking me after a long day of classes
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
A sample of the weekly reports we had to submit to Lisa
Being a supportive team member
|
Map of my hometown
Ward 2 Crime Watch Meeting
Flyer I made for our "Meet Your Muslim Neighbor" community discussion
|
REVERE: The tale of two citiesDuring my last semester as a senior, I was offered a paid internship with Women Encouraging Empowerment, a local nonprofit in Revere. It’s been a very exciting opportunity to have my first job in my field of choice and organizing in the community I grew up in.
One of the first events I was able to work on was a community discussion titled “Meet Your Muslim Neighbor.” To the right, you can see a flyer for that community discussion we had, after some threatening notes were posted in Revere. During this event, a group of religious leaders and Muslim women in the community volunteered to explain the true meaning of Islam. At this early stage of my internship, it was very difficult to come to terms with how hostile the place where I grew up is towards people of color. I had always felt a certain level of transparency growing up but I thought it had to do with my inability to assimilate to American and Italian American culture. I'm a very passionate person; sometimes that's a positive attribute that keeps me motivated, but other times, it hinders my vision, and I let my myself think irrationally. The first four months of my internship were frustrating, I spent most of my time feeling like a stranger in the community that saw me grow up. I was also angry at the reality we are facing due to the decisions made by a group of very selfish people. I was seen as someone that was difficult to work with, and I had to constantly validate that I was a resident of Revere for years and I cared about the future of the city. Through patience, respect and showing commitment by being reliable and attending community meetings, I have slowly begun to win acceptance and a spot in my community. It has not been easy, and I've made errors a handful of times. I have very liberal views that often contradict the beliefs of the majority in the city. I've had to learn to chose my battles and to only press points whenever there are issues that hinder our ability to become a more inclusive city. I'm not going to say that I'm accepted by all, but slowly and surely, members of the community have begun to recognize who I am and have begun to listen to what I have to say. Below are two sources that demonstrate the level of hostility that exist in my community. One is a video from Fox 25 News and the other is a Boston Globe article that further illustrates the incident of the hate letters addressed to Muslim residents. |