Andrea Wamboldt, director of 澳门六合彩开奖结果鈥檚 First Year Experience program, strives to give freshmen a chance to fully understand and embrace the 澳门六合彩开奖结果 community as they become part of it.
As such, all first-year students are required to participate in a week-long series that sees 澳门六合彩开奖结果 community members from all walks of life discuss their personal stories of overcoming adversity. The goal is to challenge perceptions and stereotypes in a space designed for open dialogue without judgment.
Previously, Conversations with Warriors was presented as a panel discussion 鈥� this year, students chose which speakers they wanted to connect with in small-group, 15-minute rotating sessions. Also for the first time, Conversations with Warriors was included as part of Unity in Diversity Days.
鈥淲e wanted there to be more interaction,鈥� Wamboldt said. 鈥淥ur panelists are now storytellers, so they’re still sharing their stories and answering questions but it’s in a smaller, intimate setting. It鈥檚 more of having a conversation and an informal learning opportunity than taking part in a large lecture program.鈥�
During one session, Kadie LaFlamme, an access service librarian in the McQuade Library, discussed what she described as her 鈥渁dventures in the NICU,鈥� while delivering her first daughter, Adelaide. Despite a difficult delivery and weeks spent in the hospital, Adelaide is now a healthy, happy six-year-old.
鈥淚 decided to participate because I wanted to show that while everyone鈥檚 story is different, we are all on this wild adventure called life together,鈥� she said. 鈥淓veryone鈥檚 stories, everyone鈥檚 experiences, matter and are important. We can always learn from each other and grow together, and sharing stories is a great way to do that.鈥�
Elsewhere, Cristina Fern谩ndez, the assistant director of career advising at the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, discussed her adult autism diagnosis. A self-described 鈥渨eird kid,鈥� it wasn鈥檛 until Fern谩ndez was in her 20s when she finally received clarity on some of her perceived eccentricities.
鈥淚 had to struggle without any kind of accommodations until I could get my own diagnosis,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭hen everything clicked for me. My take-home message to students is that they should feel confident to be radically authentic.鈥�
Jackson Fortune-O’Brien 鈥�25 participated in multiple sessions over the week to discuss his life as a transgender man.
鈥淲hat made me do this event is my drive to educate people,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have two younger siblings that look up to me so I strongly believe in learning through life experiences.鈥�
鈥淲hat I learned is just to be yourself,鈥� added Michael Rebmann 鈥�27, who is currently pursuing an undergraduate marketing degree. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let anyone talk you down for being who you are and who you want to be. Do your own thing.鈥�
