The Tri-College Multicultural Leadership Institute
The faculty, staff, and Student Resource People (SRPs) for the Tri-College Multicultural Leadership Institute at Haverford are eagerly awaiting the start of this year’s institute, which will run from Thursday, August 23 through Tuesday, August 28. Twenty students from the incoming class of 2016 will join with peers from Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore for a series of intensive workshops on multivalent identities and cultural differences, intercultural understanding and communication, class, religion, power, and privilege. Tri-Co MLI is a flagship program for the Rufus Jones Leadership Institute and the Office of Multicultural Affairs; participants draw from their experiences and insights as well as from contemporary critical theories and practices as a means of forging connections and collaborations with community members of many different backgrounds – a key part of the collective project of fostering a vital and diverse community.
So just who are these SRPs? Where in the world are they from? What are their favorite haunts on campus? And if you want to get on their good side, what would you feed them? Read on...
Vic Goldsmith '15: Vic is a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. He grew up in the southern Midwest USA, with home currently being Fargo, Oklahoma. When not in the CS lab or geeking out in the library with the Digital Scholarship team, he pursues a strange mix of interests including science and technology, gaming, listening to music, and consuming as much information as possible through Wikipedia. Vic is one of the co-heads of the Sexuality and Gender Alliance for the 2012-13 year, and is known to be very invested in LGBTQ+ issues. He is easily spotted from a crowd because of his odd choice in hairstyle. Don't be afraid to say hi!
Wilson Guaraca '13: Wilson is a senior Economics major and Anthropology minor from New York City. He was born and raised in Ecuador and moved to the Big Apple when he was 5. When not in Magill library, Wilson spends most of his time in the GIAC looking for some pick-up basketball games. He is also interested in learning about new emerging technologies that can impact our education system in a positive way.
Jesus Hernandez '15: Jesus is currently a sophomore from Los Angeles, California. He is considering becoming a mathematics teacher serving students of low income backgrounds in Los Angeles. He has not yet decided what he will major in but is set on an Education minor. This school year, Jesus will be continuing his role as a coordinator for the Amigos Tutoring Program here at Haverford. He will also be one of the coordinators for the Multicultural Scholars Program. Outside the classroom, he enjoys playing sports as well as random outings to Philadelphia and Norristown in search of Mexican food.
Toan Nguyen '14: Originally born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Toan currently lives in Tampa, Florida. He is a junior majoring in Chemistry with a concentration in biochemistry and plans to study abroad in London during the spring semester of 2013. On campus he is the Co-head of 8D's Haverford AIDS Service Network. An avid foodie, you can usually find him in a kitchen cooking from recipes found on Foodgawker or out in Philly restaurant hopping (ask him later about what that is). Recently scuba certified, he hopes to continue his newfound passion by diving throughout the upcoming academic school year.
Aigner Picou '14: Aigner is a junior from Brooklyn, New York. She is majoring in Chemistry and minoring in German. As her family is originally from the Caribbean, she loves the beach and climbing trees for fruit. In addition she tends to spend long amounts of time freezing things with liquid nitrogen, baking cupcakes, reading Sedaris and dancing to Beyonce's Love on Top. She cannot live without steak, which she has at least once a week, as it is very dear to her. She also greatly appreciates a good comic book or graphic novel.