Goal 4

Introduction

The fourth goal of the Honors Program is to engage with diverse perspectives in order to cultivate cultural competence and an appreciation of differences. In order to be a contributing member of an organization and society, one must be able to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It is also imperative to learn to understand and appreciate individual differences in order to create a more inclusive and tolerant society. I will show how I have achieved the four different outcomes within this goal through artifacts from previous courses.

Outcome 1: Analyze current and historical international issues and aspects of global culture

I completed the first outcome of goal four in a journal activity in the Citizenship and Service course (395H). For the journal activity, students were tasked with examining the best way to acknowledge and celebrate differences. For this activity, I wrote about the importance of understanding the history and culture of international countries in order to remove any bias you may have towards a specific group. I accomplished this outcome in the journal activity by analyzing the aspects of different cultures around the world and how our society can remove any biases that may exist towards any specific group. I believe it is important to understand historical international issues and the aspects of global culture in order to better communicate and work with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures. In order to do this, I believe that you first need to acknowledge the biases that you have and by doing so you can move past those biases and start to better understand and acknowledge the differences and struggles that individuals face. 

Outcome 2: Demonstrate foreign language proficiency at an intermediate level

I completed the second outcome of goal four in a writing assignment in the Spanish II course (Span 102). In this assignment demonstrated at an intermediate skill in Spanish by completing a writing assignment where I discussed activities I completed in the past tense. I accomplished proficiency in this skill by receiving a grade of "A". 

Outcome 3: Collaborate actively with diverse local and global partners

I completed the third outcome of goal four through my service project in the Citizenship and Service course (395H). In this project, I volunteered with United Way, mostly helping with their Backpack Buddies program. While I was volunteering with United Way, I spent a significant amount of time working with their staff and periodically with other volunteers. This opportunity provided me with excellent experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures which will help me work with different types of people in my future career. The slides I used as my artifact for this outcome display the summary of the work I completed while working with United Way during my project. 

Outcome 4: Appraise issues from multiple viewpoints

I completed the fourth outcome of goal four through the ethical dilemma project and presentation in the Foundations of Leadership course (250H). In this project, students were tasked with choosing and analyzing an ethical dilemma through methods we had learned in class. I chose to analyze whether or not the United States government should spy on its citizens. I analyzed the issue from both the perspectives of the US government and the citizens and then created a solution that I believed would satisfy the needs of both parties. I believe appraising issues from multiple viewpoints is extremely important for removing any biases to formulate an effective solution. 

Conclusion

Being able to engage with diverse perspectives in order to cultivate cultural competence and an appreciation of differences is an extremely important skill to develop in order to enhance both personal and professional relationships. By developing this skill, individuals can help foster a more inclusive environment in their society and organization.