Bridging Cultures: My Summer at the Center for Student Diversity, Empowerment, and Community (DEC)

This summer, I worked as a Program Assistant in the Center for Student Diversity, Empowerment, and Community (DEC) at my university, which serves as a resource for international students, first-generation students, and students of color. Part of my job was to plan programs and activities for this population and include my perspective as an international student. I enjoyed working with my colleagues who were also from diverse backgrounds, and I represented Algeria through food, music, and history.

On July 5th, I organized a celebration of the Algerian Independence Day. We watched The Battle of Algiers and then I talked about the Algerian resistance and the fight for independence. I wore traditional Kabyle attire while my colleagues coordinated the Algerian flag colors!

On another day, we also had a cultural potluck with food from Mexico, Nepal, Mali, and Algeria. I prepared some traditional Algerian sweets and desserts, like tomina and baghrir.

Another fun moment was when we went strawberry picking at one of Vermont’s beautiful farms. This experience was a first for me.

I also participated in a women’s soccer tournament for a migrant justice fundraiser and played with a lot of women from Central America and Mexico!

Working at the Diversity, Empowerment, and Community (DEC) Center was a rewarding opportunity, and I am glad I got the chance to experience all of this in my first year and summer here.

Chayma is a Fulbright Student from Algeria. She is pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Saint Michael’s College.