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BA BIPOC Mentorship Program - Hello from Sara!

Scott Magelssen, here, the School of Drama Undergraduate Coordinator. 

I'm writing to introduce you to Sara Porkalob. Sara is an amazing Seattle-based artist/activist and longtime friend of the SoD. 

Sara has been working with the SoD on developing a mentorship program for BIPOC/global majority undergraduate students that connects them to professionals in the theatre community and helps them navigate the primarily white spaces of the industry and academia.

Sara will be hosting an upcoming series of online hangouts with BIPOC/global majority undergrads at the beginning of Spring term, so she can hear from YOU about your needs, hopes, and ideas.  These conversations will help shape a larger mentorship event for BIPOC/global majority students in the spring.
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Hello friends,

 
I am so excited to meet/interface with you all; as a WOC who graduated from a predominantly White BFA program with little to no BIPOC mentorship, I care deeply about this issue and am looking forward to building relationships with you in ways that feel meaningful and grounded rather than transactional and harmful. 

There has been a long history of racism and other types of oppression embedded in the SoD/UW culture and I know that there is mistrust, hesitation, and very little bandwidth to engage in programming like this. AND I also know that we can’t develop programming like this without you, we can’t change the culture without you. 

As Scott mentioned I am hosting a series of virtual hangouts AND am developing a group of Student Ambassadors ie. Students interested in engaging with me and this programming in a leadership, organizational, and curating capacity! What does it mean to be a Student Ambassador? WELL, peep:

Role looks like:

  • Accomplices interested in changing the White supremacist culture embedded in all predominantly white institutions, UW included. Your role as a Student Ambassador will be one of leadership and decision making power. 

Benefits include: 

  • Curating and developing the conversations, messaging, and programming of the Spring event and influencing the future of the SoD BIPOC Mentorship program. 

Responsibilities include: 

  • At this point, the responsibilities are flexible because the programming is flexible. At this point, the only ask that I and the SoD have of Student Ambassadors is to: message out to their friends/student groups/fellow UW homies regarding the Hangout Events. We want people to attend: more people, more feedback and more engagement. 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING A STUDENT AMBASSADOR:

  • Please email me with your name, pronouns, and any other info you’d like to share with me.

  • Once I have a list of folks who are interested, I will send you all an onboarding email so we can get on the same page/answer any questions. My hope is that we’d have a short virtual meeting to “meet” but I understand that everyone’s capacity to engage via Zoom is limited. 

Below are dates about the Virtual Hangouts for your perusal:

WHEN: 

  • March 31 at 1:30pm

  • April 1 at 4:30pm

  • April 6 at 4:30pm

WHERE: 

  • Zoom-Land!

WHY:

  • In the fall, the SoD announced that the school would produce a series of mentorship panels for BIPOC/global majority undergraduates this year. This quarter, I’ve been leading regular meetings with a group of faculty and staff to plan the panels. Through these conversations, we have recognized a need to engage more deeply with you in order to bring this program into alignment with our goal of building a relational culture in the school. SO, we will not hold a mentorship panel this quarter. Instead, I will host a series of small, social gatherings with BIPOC/global majority undergraduate students with the goals of building relationships and of better understanding your needs, hopes, and ideas for the program. Based on these conversations, I will work with you and the SoD to develop a panel, symposium, or other type of programming that is responsive to your needs. That program will take place during spring quarter

WHAT:

  • These events will be part introductions, interactive exercises, and symposium aka questions/responses/reflections focusing on mentorship and other relevant topics as they arise. 

  • You are welcome to attend multiple hangouts if you want to! 

xo, Sara

RSVP for the hangouts here

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