Diversity Resource Center supporting students

With strong support of the Associated Student Government, the Diversity Resource Center has now brought eight months of service to the Mt. Hood campus and the greater Gresham community.

“In under a year, the Diversity Resource Center has helped create an opportunity for students to feel included and heard, while helping to create an inclusive culture across our institution,” said Melinda Bullen, DRC  coordinator.

In these first eight months, the center hosted 16 events, welcoming over 600 participants. These events include The Hispanic/Latino Cultural event, Arab Heritage Celebration event, and the Vanport exhibit with a visiting survivor, Ed Washington. The center also hosts the Lunch and Learn conversations by the Oregon Humanities Conversation Project (which addresses topics of race, gender, and politics) and the Freedom Fighters three-day exhibit, all of which are open to MHCC and the larger community.

Students have been constantly involved in the creation of a Diversity Resource Center. Since its establishment last fall, ASG and SAB student leaders have put money into their own projects as well as the DRC’s. Bullen has put in immense effort establishing partnerships with off-campus groups with the ability to offer services and events, as well as keeping aware of scholarship opportunities and how to secure them. One such scholarship, the MLK Day Mini-Grant provided by Oregon Campus Compact, supplied the DRC with $1,000, which went toward supporting volunteers serving on MLK Day. Community members and organizations have also donated their cultural books and artifacts to help support the center.

According to Bullen, the center’s success isn’t quantified with numbers.

“Measuring the success of the Diversity Resource Center with this kind of data can be misleading since the success of the center thus far has been through a series of triumphs that are not necessarily quantifiable,” she said. Bullen explained that the center was transformed from the former Lake Room into a comfortable area for students to hold meetings, relax, meditate and study. This, along with multi-cultural service, has been the real success of the DRC, she said.

In the Diversity Resource Center, students can pick up cultural books, films, and other resources that are in greater supply than in the MHCC library. Mac laptops are available for student use. The center also can provide help with students’ academic work. Prayer and meditation is welcome in the center, with a quiet, private space available for students. Student clubs and organizations affiliated with culture often hold their meetings in the center.

“I am personally rewarded by finding new ways to support students and their needs. We all come from both a personal culture as well as a community culture. Honoring and understanding this about ourselves and each other will only help us be more successful in both intercultural training work and life,” said Bullen.

Bullen’s job as a DRC coordinator involves a variety of roles, from advising and supporting students to project management and college administration. She doesn’t do any counseling, but gives intercultural training to those who request it. So far, Bullen has put together six workshops that touched on topics such as “The Definition of Diversity,” “Identity,” and “Conflict Resolution.”

“Some of these programs support the cultural heritage of our diverse campus, while other programs have been designed to support the academic progress and critical thinking skills of our student body,” said Bullen.

Diana Ramirez, SAB Multicultural Coordinator, said that the Diversity Resource Center helps students of various backgrounds with scholarship opportunities. Bullen will help students find scholarships that best fit them.