Thank you, Crayola

Cultural competency was one of the most important lessons I learned at Concordia. It was one of the most difficult and most controversial, and sometimes yes, annoying (I'm looking at you, D.W. Sue of Columbia Uni, NY). Yet it was one of the most important, and singularly this base of knowledge was the most useful to have in mind when working as a counselor as well as program lead helping facilitate counselor onboarding and execution of curriculum with fellow counselors.

As I write my final post here, special shout out to all facilitators past and present. For sure, what I have seen working on this programming since inception, our strength as a program really has been in the diversity of our interns. It's been a joy, honor, and distinct learning experience for me in synthesizing all your viewpoints and unique vantage points in processing and delivering the curriculum we have developed together. Our strength is in our diversity, and universality simultaneously. We could not have had any relevant content without the diversity of our perspectives and cultural backgrounds. We could not have gotten so much done without being in harmony in a way that only comes from anchoring in what binds us all together. Diversity/Love/Universality. Maybe that's a less misleading acronym for DEI. Relevant content for counseling comes from diversity/universality/love.

All my quirks aside and inclinations to leave you with amusing memes and messages (albeit educational and redeeming ones!), I leave you with this YouTube short I stumbled upon looking for the Forrest Gump soundtrack Clearance Creedwater Revival - Fortunate Son. It's been a meaningful song for me in my early childhood experiences discerning how I wish to serve as a citizen and human being. For the four months or so, as I prepared to submit my formal letter of resignation from CCOC and HS REACT, it's hard not to think of my past four years with CCOC/REACT as the opportunity for me to serve the public in a professional capacity that would not have had otherwise. I feel very blessed for this.   --J