Hello everyone!
Happy Tuesday to you all.
Wanted to give a quick update of what's been going on in my world.
Last week was super busy, I had a ton of meetings and interviews for different things, which was all good but very exhausting. This week I have my second round of group interviews for this RA position for fall. The first round of interviews went really well, so this Thursday they have all the applicants doing group activities about problem solving. Should be interesting...
This week I've just been trying to recalibrate my daily schedule to alleviate stress. I've never taken so many credits at once, and they're all super reading intensive, so I think I'm going to do away with my smart phone the days I'm at school to reduce distraction. Now that the weather is improving I think it's time to go spend more time in the forest also.
My Ghanian drum and dance class is so much and I'm really glad I chose to take that because it's been a huge stress release for me. We're preparing for this performance we'll be doing on the 17th, so i'll see about taking a video to post up on here.
Last night I gave a presentation at a Latinx Social Hour that a friend of mine whose involved in locals politics hosts for Latinx leaders in the community. It was a great networking opportunity, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people that work in Washington Co. (suburb of Portland). My presentation went really well and people were very receptive to the material, so that's always exciting.
I was asked last minute to be a panelist speaker for this event called Race Talks here in Portland. Every month they host a different topic of discussion where people from the POC community can speak openly and honestly to white/non-POC allies who want to better understand a persons lived experience can come to listen to people's stories. I'll include a link to it because it's a cool project and worth checking out. I am a little on the fence about doing it because of the conversation I had earlier with the organizer, but I'm trying to keep an open-mind. I decided I'd sit on it for a few days and decide if I really want to put myself out there like that.
http://racetalkspdx.com/about-race-talks/
Outside of school I have worked as a consultant for about four years doing trainings with mainly healthcare/government agencies around 2SLGBTQ+ issues, and building stronger allyship. It has been a ton of fun and great way to give back to the community, but I've learned to be selective about who I do emotional labor for. As someone who is part of many marginalized communities I have learned that often dominate cultures want to take from you and rarely wish to compensate for the hard work.. This is kind of the inkling I got from the Race Talk thing, so I'm not talking bad about them, I just want to emphasize the importance of self-care and setting healthy boundaries.
Self-care is something I've really struggled to find balance with since transferring to LC. LC is a wonderful school and I love so many things about it, but the reality is that a lot of systems, institutions, and bureaucracies are not well equipped to support people who come from diverse backgrounds. Part of going to college is figuring out what works for you and finding a work/life balance. For some students it is really easy to do well, but for others who come from low-income families, are non-traditional (like myself), maybe don't have a lot of outside support, etc.. college can be very difficult. I am really lucky to have a wonderful support network both in and outside of LC, which has been a lifesaver, but in all honesty transferring to LC has been one of the most challenging things I've had to deal with in years and it's really put a lot into question for me.
The point I am trying to make is that often times we can have the best intentions for our plans, but then life happens and sometimes you have to readjust how you do things. I realized that I am getting BURNT OUT from all I have to do, so I decided I need to cut extra stuff outta my life and focus on me. That way I can get through the semester in one piece. It feels weird talking about this stuff in the blog, but honestly this shit is real, and I would be doing anyone whose reading this a disservice by saying college is just peaches and cream. It isn't. It's awesome a lot of the time, and it's also super depressing and isolating at times. So when shit hits the fan (excuse my language) how are you going to respond to the stress in your life? I choose to be proactive, utilize the resources that are there for me, and ask for help. It's hard as a young man to feel like I can't do it all on my own, but ya know, it's important to reach out when you need it.
Even reaching out for help often times it still feels like my world is crumbling underneath me. My commitment to myself is to start saying "no" when people ask me to do extra stuff. I'm gonna spend more time in nature, and I'm gonna get back in the gym. Hopefully things will improve and I get back to some type of balance.
Cheers!
Lukas
lukasmsoto@lclark.edu
Happy Tuesday to you all.
Wanted to give a quick update of what's been going on in my world.
Last week was super busy, I had a ton of meetings and interviews for different things, which was all good but very exhausting. This week I have my second round of group interviews for this RA position for fall. The first round of interviews went really well, so this Thursday they have all the applicants doing group activities about problem solving. Should be interesting...
This week I've just been trying to recalibrate my daily schedule to alleviate stress. I've never taken so many credits at once, and they're all super reading intensive, so I think I'm going to do away with my smart phone the days I'm at school to reduce distraction. Now that the weather is improving I think it's time to go spend more time in the forest also.
My Ghanian drum and dance class is so much and I'm really glad I chose to take that because it's been a huge stress release for me. We're preparing for this performance we'll be doing on the 17th, so i'll see about taking a video to post up on here.
Last night I gave a presentation at a Latinx Social Hour that a friend of mine whose involved in locals politics hosts for Latinx leaders in the community. It was a great networking opportunity, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people that work in Washington Co. (suburb of Portland). My presentation went really well and people were very receptive to the material, so that's always exciting.
I was asked last minute to be a panelist speaker for this event called Race Talks here in Portland. Every month they host a different topic of discussion where people from the POC community can speak openly and honestly to white/non-POC allies who want to better understand a persons lived experience can come to listen to people's stories. I'll include a link to it because it's a cool project and worth checking out. I am a little on the fence about doing it because of the conversation I had earlier with the organizer, but I'm trying to keep an open-mind. I decided I'd sit on it for a few days and decide if I really want to put myself out there like that.
http://racetalkspdx.com/about-race-talks/
Outside of school I have worked as a consultant for about four years doing trainings with mainly healthcare/government agencies around 2SLGBTQ+ issues, and building stronger allyship. It has been a ton of fun and great way to give back to the community, but I've learned to be selective about who I do emotional labor for. As someone who is part of many marginalized communities I have learned that often dominate cultures want to take from you and rarely wish to compensate for the hard work.. This is kind of the inkling I got from the Race Talk thing, so I'm not talking bad about them, I just want to emphasize the importance of self-care and setting healthy boundaries.
Self-care is something I've really struggled to find balance with since transferring to LC. LC is a wonderful school and I love so many things about it, but the reality is that a lot of systems, institutions, and bureaucracies are not well equipped to support people who come from diverse backgrounds. Part of going to college is figuring out what works for you and finding a work/life balance. For some students it is really easy to do well, but for others who come from low-income families, are non-traditional (like myself), maybe don't have a lot of outside support, etc.. college can be very difficult. I am really lucky to have a wonderful support network both in and outside of LC, which has been a lifesaver, but in all honesty transferring to LC has been one of the most challenging things I've had to deal with in years and it's really put a lot into question for me.
The point I am trying to make is that often times we can have the best intentions for our plans, but then life happens and sometimes you have to readjust how you do things. I realized that I am getting BURNT OUT from all I have to do, so I decided I need to cut extra stuff outta my life and focus on me. That way I can get through the semester in one piece. It feels weird talking about this stuff in the blog, but honestly this shit is real, and I would be doing anyone whose reading this a disservice by saying college is just peaches and cream. It isn't. It's awesome a lot of the time, and it's also super depressing and isolating at times. So when shit hits the fan (excuse my language) how are you going to respond to the stress in your life? I choose to be proactive, utilize the resources that are there for me, and ask for help. It's hard as a young man to feel like I can't do it all on my own, but ya know, it's important to reach out when you need it.
Even reaching out for help often times it still feels like my world is crumbling underneath me. My commitment to myself is to start saying "no" when people ask me to do extra stuff. I'm gonna spend more time in nature, and I'm gonna get back in the gym. Hopefully things will improve and I get back to some type of balance.
Cheers!
Lukas
lukasmsoto@lclark.edu