Diversity Fellow Project, Whitney Jones
'Mitakuye Oyasin' (We Are All Related). South Dakota's Approach to Diversity Fellowships: A Collaborative Cultural-Experiential-Immersion Based Learning Experience.
This presentation provides the framework for which the USD Center for Disabilities (SD UCEDD/LEND) and Sinte Gleska University (SGU), a Tribal College on the Rosebud Indian Reservation collaborated to establish a diversity fellowship. A description of the processes of recruiting fellows from tribal communities, establishing collaborative learning experiences and activities, and initial outcomes and impact of the fellowship will be provided.
Project Narrative
1. Please describe your activities during your fellowship experience. Describe your final capstone project(s).
My activities included attending clinics in Sioux Falls, and in Rapid City South Dakota. I also had the privilege to attend the state legislative in Pierre SD. I attended an AUCD seminar in Washington DC. My final capstone was a short video clip introducing myself and giving a little insight to me.
2. Who did your project inform, help, influence or impact? (UCEDD, individual, community, state) How?
My project was made in the hopes to inform other students, as well as anyone who watched, about my fellowship experience. I was hoping to tell people what I did being involved with LEND. And to let them know how we are trying to bridge the gap between non-native and native people.
3. Why did you choose to work on that project(s)?
I was not really picky in my projects. I tried to get involved with everything I could, I found all the clinics and everything so interesting and wanted to soak up as much information as I could.
4. What did you gain from being a Diversity Fellow?
I gained so much insight on how hard a lot of people work just to help others with their children. It is not easy to inform a parent about a diagnosis or prognosis regarding their child but on the other side it is also so refreshing and leaves you feeling so good when you confirm and give a parent the answer they were looking for.
5. How will this experience impact your education or career decisions?
This experience that I gained has already made a difference in my life; it has me looking at situations a lot different. Now when I see kids or parents in a situation I can at least talk some comfort with them. It has already changed my direction in life and now I’m looking for employment in a position I had not saw myself ever doing.
6. What are your future goals? Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
My future goals seem so clear now. I look to seek employment in the counseling field and will look at more of a younger age than what I intended. I recently applied for a job as a counselor in the school system working with kids from Kindergarten through eighth grade.
7. What recommendations do you have for other fellows?
My recommendations for any future fellows is very simple; be a sponge and soak up as much information as you can, you never know when that one thing you learned becomes so important.