Kristyn Thielbar

 I had very little knowledge regarding Intercultural Engagement before the Honors Program. The lack of knowledge is due to the small environment in which I grew up. In the small town of Randolph, MN, everyone celebrated the same holidays and traditions, and I did not get the same experience as some of my college classmates, especially when it came to engaging with other cultures and practices. Even though there are many important aspects within the competency of Intercultural Engagement, I believe there are three aspects that helped me understand the importance of Intercultural Engagement. These three aspects include religion, language, and culture (I focus on this last section in the workplace).

 

When I started my college experience, I met my roommate (2020), who is originally from the Gambia. The first time I talked about religion with my roommate was early in the school year (2020), and I loved how we had open conversations regarding our religions (Christianity and Islam). Our conversations included topics such as comparing our religions, what our school was like (did it have any religion classes), the traditions of our religions, and what we thought about these differences. We compared both similarities and differences between our cultures to comprehend how we believe in something bigger than ourselves. In our discussions, we also agreed that no matter what you believe in, the main takeaway of religion is the way it opens your heart to care for others and how your behaviors should be humble and kind to others. In Honors 201, I wrote a paper about these interactions, which helped me understand religion more in-depth. 

 

When it comes to intercultural engagement, I believe language is a significant aspect of communication. This is the first way a person interacts with another culture, and it is a way to connect with other people. In elementary and high school, I took Spanish as an elective, and when I did PSEO, I took two additional years of Spanish at Inver Hills Community College. To appreciate the Spanish-speaking culture more, I attended the Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) celebration in Old Town Mankato in October. I learned about this celebration in high school, where we learned about the significance of the yellow flowers (the marigolds) and how this holiday is a day of remembrance of your ancestors (just like the Disney movie Coco reminds viewers about). This experience reminds me of the importance of celebrating cultures that are different from our own. In my high school Spanish class, my teacher taught us specifically about the alters they would make and the photographs that were used for the alter. The importance to not only the adults but also the children was very unique and special. The Day of the Dead Celebration (Día De Los Muertos) celebration in Old Town Mankato was beautiful, and the event had so many people supporting the culture. This experience helps me understand the differences in language and culture in society.

 

Another experience I had was taking an internship course through the College of Business here at MSU-Mankato. During this experience, I learned about culture in the workplace, and I met different people, including coworkers, clients, and diverse members of the Mankato community. Intercultural interactions are essential in business due to the reliance on communication and professionalism in the workplace. During my internship at the Mayo Clinic Event Center, where I interconnect with an assortment of clients dependent on the hosted event. I talk through issues within technology and ensure the event is running smoothly. When communicating with the families or the company, it is essential to communicate professionally with them, but it is much more important to be more professional with the company representatives than a wedding reception consisting of family. I believe weddings are surrounded by family members because it is a significant moment in this young couple's life. The celebration of a new life together in marriage is a significant step toward their future family. I also think that there is some truth to businesses having more professional meetings than family wedding receptions due to the money aspect of the event. Businessmen and women are there for work and to learn information about their careers while family members are there to have a good time with their families and spend the night eating, drinking, and dancing. These experiences are similar to my experience at the golf course. For example, you talk to members a lot more casually than a new person coming to the golf course for the first time. The variety of events hosted at the event center is meaningful because I am learning how to become well-rounded with the different groups of people at each event/show attracts. 

 

These diverse experiences have shaped me to be more knowledgeable and open to new cultures that differ from mine. After these experiences, I am now more aware while coaching, in the final years of my college experience, and throughout my professional career. I look forward to further developing intercultural engagement skills with the interactions of current and future experiences.