Office embraces ethnicity
Regina McCabe
Contributing Writer
Several MCC students are promoting a program
that they claim has helped them grab a foothold on their education.
The Office of Multicultural Activities and Services offers more
than just support and services, it creates a comfortable learning
environment for the students, said Alfred Todechine, 23, a Navajo
student from Page.
The MAS is a resources and liaison service office for students of
under-represented minority and first-generation college students.
Todechine said he considers himself somewhat lucky because he became
aware of MAS through an older sister who had previously attended
MCC.She introduced Todechine to the MAS office.
“A bunch of kids don’t know about it,” Todechine
said. You just get thrown into it and some of the students don’t
have anyone to help them.”
Todechine gave financial aid as an example of one area that Navajo
students struggle with.
“Many times they are told by the Navajo scholarship office
in Window Rock to go back to their respective agency on the reservation
to submit missing documents,” Todechine said. “What
the tribal office doesn’t know is: Some students don’t
have gas money or time during the week to go back.”
“That is why I want to get the word out to others to take
advantage of the services offered by the American Indian Center,”
Todechine said. “They work with the tribal offices and make
it somewhat easier to handle financial aid issues.”
The American Indian Center (ALS), one of several programs within
the MAS, helps native students transition from their home area to
a college environment by offering tools so that they may become
active participants in their educational planning.
The AIS and other support services within the MAS are similarly
structured, but don’t share the same viewpoint, said the director
of MCC’s American Indian Center.
“We focus on Native American students, but ultimately we advise
all ethnic races,” said Charles Colbert, director of the American
Indian Center. “Because Native American Indians primarily
define themselves as their own tribal individual rather than Indian,
we have to approach it differently.”
The program advisers for the Hispanic and Asian communities agreed
that each of the ethnic groups offer different challenges.
“Working with students is the easiest part,” said adviser
Jo Ann Lopez Martincz, who has been at MCCa little over a year.
“It’s leanring the system, the protocol, steps and paperwork
that’s challenging.”
Martinez said that eventually she wants to create and promote more
diversity programs for the students, so students can reach their
goals.
She encouraged students to see them in person and on a regular basis.
“The biggest challenge is diversity within diversity itself,”
said adviser WenderaPhung.
Phung described the two types of student populations he serves:
the international students or those with English as a second language
and the American-born or who have lived in the U.S. for a long time.
Both groups still have their cultural roots and family values regardless
of which Asian countries they are from, Phung said.
“It is very easy for them to be together,” Phung said.
“It’s almost a perfect definition of an Asian melting
pot.
“But when you combine them, you could really see diversity
within diversity,” Phung said. “The real challenge is
to melt them all together.” Phung gave the homecoming weekend
as an example.
He said he noticed the Asian students were off to one side helping
with the balloons, minding their own business.
“As I remember, there was not so much conversation or dialogues
between the Asians and American students,” Phung said.
“It is very difficult for both groups with totally different
cultures to socialize,” Phung said. “I could see the
cultural barrier and uneasiness among the two groups.”
Phung said he would like both Asian groups to be comfortable and
accept each other.
A 21-year-old native of South Korea said she overcame some personal
barriers as a result of advisement given by Phung.
“You get introduced to a lot of other Asian students,”
said Ju-Yeon Park, 21, an MCC student and a member of the Asian-Pacific
Islander Coalition. “You’re not alone.“The adviser
makes us all feel very comfortable,” Park said. “This
is important to me because I’m a foreigner.”
Another student said she appreciates the respect of the staff
“I don’t feel odd, which is why I keep coming back,”
said Jenita Barrett, 19, an African-American student and a native
of Georgia.
Barrett said with the help of Martinez, she changed her major from
child development to one that she likes and enjoys, which is applied
science.
“So far, everyone I’ve seen come through here has been
satisfied,” said Barrett, who works part-time at the MAS office.
“But I’ve only seen one African American student come
in ... there’s more American Indian, Asian and Hispanic students.”
Barrett said she hopes to see more African American students take
advantage of the services offered by the MAS.
Todechine agreed that all students should find out about the diversity
program.
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