There is no greater feeling than volunteering at an event and leaving feeling like you really had an impact on others. The Experience MN event this year was one of the best yet!
At 7:15AM, while others were sleeping or out putting the final touches on Halloween costumes, myself and the other CLA Ambassadors were preparing to meet almost 500 students of color at Experience MN, the annual event geared toward prospective multicultural students.
The day began in Ted Mann Hall on the West Bank with welcome speeches by Rusty Barcelo, Wayne Sigler, and the Admissions Staff. Then, the show got really exciting because Thomas, Lashowna and I of Voices Merging were invited to perform.
Fellow graduating ambassador Thomas and I wrote a piece that looked back on our four years here at the U, they really have been great. I have grown so much as a person, gained so many skills. I really will miss it once I graduate. Thomas talked about all the new found "family" he discovered at the U and the impact that they had on his life.
Then we did another poem called "Be Connected" which talks about how we felt when we first came to the U and how we found community, a new appreciation for diversity, and faculty connections.
We received excellent feedback from both students and parents alike after our performance. I really enjoyed doing it.
After the opening session, we were able to mingle with students and then I headed to the Honors session where I was able to share some of my experiences being in the program. I highlighted my wonderful adviser and research opportunities within the Honors program. They were two other students that highlighted their experience and it was great to hear about the cool things they were working on.
Then, it was lunch time with delicious food from Potbelly's Sandwichworks. There was an info fair with different organizations and offices on campus. I spent half my time running the table for Voices Merging and the other half talking with a group of parents who were quite interested in hearing about my experience at the U. We had a great conversation and I got to meet several awesome students.
The Student Panel was next, and I and 5 other amazing students were able to answer questions from the students. It went well and the students had many great questions to ask about student life. It was great because between the 6 of us, we have all taken advantage of different opportunities and have various experiences and advice to share.
After the Student Panel and closing ceremony, the day was just about over, but I was able to connect with a few more students and of course exchange info so we could be Facebook friends haha! Overall, though it was a long day, at the end, I felt like I could do it 3 more times. I love feeding off of the students' energy and it was beautiful to see so many students of color excited about going to the U.
Also, Thomas and I were featured in a Minnesota Daily article that was written about the event. Yay!
Unitil next time, be EZ!
Jasmine
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