Dubuque Community School District Experience

Nerves radiate through me as I walk into the familiar smell of the stuffy, sweaty

elementary school. I see my own awkwardness reflected in the tight shoulders and outward lean

of my student as I introduce myself for the first time. As the weeks have passed, these initial

reactions have been transformed into anticipation and smiles as our weekly time together

commences. In volunteering with the Dubuque Community School District, I was able to

encounter a student who shared with me a bit of his experience, culture and time.

Fr. Vu, chaplain at Loras College, notes that “God speaks in many different places,

cultures and people.” Fr. Martin adds that we “may be asked to do just that, so as to invite [us]

into the experience of finding God in that unexpected place” (Martin 2). It was this mindset that I

approached my community-based learning assignment. I came into this experience with an open

mind, hoping to learn more about the experience of another. My student had a simple transition

to the States, as he was young. He speaks the language perfectly and has a group of friends he

fits in with at school. However, upon arriving some days at the school only to find my student

absent, I asked the teacher more about his home life. His teacher informed me that sometimes my

student had to skip school because his parents could not transport him there. Additionally, over

breaks from school, my student had to go along to work at the movie theater or McDonald’s with

his parents. My heart was softened upon hearing this. I never would have guessed these things

about my student based on his simple, childlike exterior and the dominant culture narrative I

had been continually exposed to in my own experience. In my own dominant culture experience,

my family has been blessed not to struggle with deciding whether or not it is better to drive the

kids to school for the day or prioritize work. It has always been a given in my own life that my
education was essential. I realize now that this stems from the ability of my parents to make that

a priority because they had the resources to obtain good jobs and childcare to transport the kids

from school to daycare. While I have heard about some of these struggles for immigrant families,

it hits harder when these things happen to someone you personally encounter.

This knowledge tied into my strength of hardiness. According to the Intercultural

Effectiveness Scale, being hardy means that I have the “ability to effectively manage [my]

thoughts and emotions in intercultural and diverse situations.” I can remain open-minded,

moving on from setbacks quickly. I am able to manage my own emotions with resilience in order

to focus my energy on developing healthy relationships. This is precisely the kind of persona I

brought forward with my student. Instead of letting this knowledge cloud my view of him or

foster any stereotype, I was able to continue my relationship with normalcy, not treating him

differently due to his circumstances. Holding onto any stereotype of the immigrant experience in

my heart would have given me an oversimplified idea of my student, when in reality, he is a

unique individual with his own distinct experience. My focus remained on him and spending

quality time with him. I worked to match my energy level to his, so as to make him more

comfortable throughout our time together. This control over my own emotions allowed me to

continue to see him as a person with the same dignity as me, not over empathizing or under

recognizing his situation.

A large part of intercultural competence is simply taking the time to invest in a culture

different from one’s own. Time is the single greatest investment in another. This gift of time

from my student to me and me to my student provided an opportunity for this shared experience

and understanding of one another. These encounters are likely what I will be experiencing as a

missionary as well: investing in a close relationship with another. Doing mundane tasks in which
I can see the competitive spirit of my student playing Uno or view his creativity in coming up

with new games, allows for opportunities to encounter. We love to be simply delighted in. This

is the kind of love and intentionality in which I desire to approach those who I will walk with in

mission.

What began as an awkward meeting with a stranger evolved into a joyful shared

experience. Overall, I have learned that intercultural competence is principally about

opportunities to encounter another. This is precisely what I got to do during this experience.

During this time, my heart was softened to the experience and culture of my student as we

developed a relationship with one another.

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