Why did you become a facilitator?

I became a facilitator after discovering a passion for social justice in Psych 223. Never had I felt such a deep emotional connection to class material as I did in that class.  It caused me to rethink everything I had learned how I learned it. I wanted to explore more as a facilitator.

What does dialogue mean to/do for you?

While dialogue might not be the only way to attack the systems of injustice that plague society, I have found it to be the most productive. Because of the depth of dialogue, I see the world differently. When people ask to me explain “what is dialogue” I almost laugh because it is not something you canb describe. It shakes the foundations of what it truly means to be human. I cant ask people to see it, nor can I tell them how it feels. All I can say is “I hope you get to have an experience like I had.” It is so unique to each person, I cannot categorize its effects except to say that it will stick with me forever.

Mary Senyonga

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major: Psychology 2012

Why did you become a facilitator?

I became a facilitator because the dialogue program enriched my thinking and challenged my beliefs in a way that no other experience has. I wanted to help other people through the experience of confronting their prejudices, privileges, and beliefs. The IGD program is a great forum for tackling issues of oppression in an honest and critical fashion. Dialogue allows me to hone my skills in fighting oppression. From interrupting microaggressions that I encounter day-to-day to finding ways to take action against oppressive acts on a greater scale, dialogue has been an important facet of my time here at Oxy. Dialogue named the pain I experienced from oppression as well as validated my frustration. Without this program, I would’ve had a difficult time truly dissecting systems of power and privilege.

Andrea Rodriguez-Scheel

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Major: Psychology 2006, M.A.T. 2010
Currently:  Doctoral Student UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

Why did you become a facilitator?

I work with dialogue because it gives me a purpose in life and I because see it as an effective way of making a difference.  Dialogue’s unique approach to multiculturalism (validating self-reflection, learning through listening to others, embracing emotion, and understanding and addressing how our social identities are affected by personal, institutional, and structural inequalities head on) can benefit everyone by giving participants a set of “tools” from which we can enact change. Too often issues of diversity are dismissed and labeled “minority issues” or “women’s issues,” but in reality, they affect us all. Dialogue is one program that offers people interested in learning about and bridging difference a safe space to think, talk, and deal proactively with diversity. I also appreciate that dialogue is recognized as a life long process. As a facilitator, by engaging with participants, co-facilitators, and others, I continue to learn. I’ve learned so much from the work of others who have been dialoguing for years – before I even knew what a dialogue was — and hope to continue their work as part of creating a more just and inclusive society.