Cultural Humility: Reflective Essay

All requires, sample essay and reading materials are in the attachment.

5 pages. Due 3 days

Purpose:  Reflection is the conscious exploration of one’s experiences.  A reflective essay is a form of writing that examines the development of the writer’s individual experience.  

This assignment is designed to be a practice in cultural humility (review readings by Hohman (2013) and Schuessler et al., (2012).  You will take part in an activity that challenges you to learn more about yourself and others who may have different social identities and experiences than your own.  For instance, some students have attended a service for a religion different than their, used a wheelchair at a grocery store, ate a meal at a social service agency that serves free meals, and volunteered at a food bank.   

The article you need to read: 

1. Cultural Humility: A lifelong Practice

https://socialwork.sdsu.edu/insitu/diversity/cultural-humility-a-lifelong-practice/

2. Reflective Journaling and development ( see the attachment )

Cultural Humility: Reflective Essay

Purpose: Reflection is the conscious exploration of one’s experiences. A reflective essay is a form of writing that examines the development of the writer’s individual experience.

Task: This assignment is designed to be a practice in cultural humility (review readings by Hohman (

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) and Schuessler et al., (2012). You will take part in an activity that challenges you to learn more about yourself and others who may have different social identities and experiences than your own. For instance, some students have attended a service for a religion different than their, used a wheelchair at a grocery store, ate a meal at a social service agency that serves free meals, and volunteered at a food bank.

Hohman (2013)

https://socialwork.sdsu.edu/insitu/diversity/cultural-humility-a-lifelong-practice/

You will reflect on your experience and apply the course concepts we have covered thus far (e.g., social identities, intersectionality, privilege, socialization, and cultural humility) in your reflection. Keep in mind that this is not a social experiment. Your intent is not to deceive others (e.g., wear certain clothing to “look poor”) or solely observe others. Your task is to learn about diverse groups of people and about yourself in the process.

Audience: Although your instructor and TA will read your paper, assume that the reader is not in the class and is unfamiliar with the course concepts. You must define course concepts in your own words and cite relevant readings. You are also expected to use the language you have learned in class in your essay (e.g., writing about privilege rather than “being lucky”). Demonstrate your understanding of course concepts and flesh your ideas out as much as possible for the reader. Provide rich detail about your affect (emotions), cognitions (thoughts), and behavior to help the reader obtain a rich understanding of your experience.

Length/format:

5

pages double-spaced (excluding title page and references), APA style (cover page, 12-point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced, headers, 1” margins.). Use the APA style template posted on Canvas to write your essay. You are allowed to use first person for this assignment (e.g., “I felt that…).
Do not include another person’s name or address in your paper, use a pseudonym when referring to someone else.

All activities must be approved by the professor before you participate in the activity.

Please address the following in your paper:

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Possible Points	Item	Points Earned
On time (-2 points for each day late)
									5	Description
3	What, Where, When, & How
2	Why did you choose this activity?
30	Reflection
How did your socialization affect your perceptions of people who may have different social identities and experiences in society than your own? (Provide specific examples)
How and to what extent did your intersectionality, privilege, and/or disadvantage impact your experience? (Provide specific examples)
What did you learn about your interactions with other people and their interactions with you? (Provide specific examples)
What were your feelings before, during, and after the experience?
How did this experience develop your cultural humility? (Provide specific examples)
How might this experience affect your perceptions about or behavior toward diverse groups of people you might work with in the future? (e.g., as a social worker, nutritionist, psychologist, occupational therapist, public defender, or other major). (Provide specific examples)
35	Writing
	5	Use of person-first and culturally-sensitive language
Defines and cites relevant course readings about intersectionality & privilege
	5	Defines and cites relevant course readings about socialization
Defines and cites relevant course readings about cultural humility
References page formatted in APA style
Uses in-text citations formatted in APA style
Grammar
5	Comment bubbles
(at least 2 comments or questions that come to mind during the writing process, inserted using the comment feature in Microsoft Word) See handout on comment bubbles posted on Canvas.
75	Total Points =

96 Nursing Education Perspectives

Reflective Journaling and Development
of C U LT U R A L H U M I L I T Y I N S T U D E N T S

JENNY B. SCHUESSLER, BARBARA WILDER, AND LINDA W. BYRD

ABSTRACT Cultural humility requires self-evaluation and the awareness that one’s own culture is not the only or best one. Teaching health

care providers to become culturally humble includes the development of critical thinking skills and the ability to reflect on practice. Journaling as

a teaching strategy helps students develop these skills. This article describes the use of reflective journaling as students progressed through four

semesters of a community clinical experience. This qualitative, descriptive study was based on the principles of naturalistic inquiry with person-

centered written reflections. Two hundred journal entries from 50 students were reviewed, and 11 themes were identified. Cultural humility can-

not be learned merely in the classroom with traditional teaching methods. Reflection on experiences over time leads to the development of cul-

tural humility.

ULTURAL HUMILITY, AND THE COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS

POWER IMBALANCES IN THE PATIENT-CLINICIAN

DYNAMIC, REQUIRES LIFELONG DEDICATION TO SELF-EVALUATION

AND CRITIQUE (Tervalon & Murray-Garcia, 1998). For faculty, the

challenge involves more than teaching concepts and their applica-

tion in the performance of clinical skills. It expands to include the

development of critical thinking skills, self-understanding, and the

ability to reflect on one’s own practice. Essentially, cultural humil-

ity requires embracing the belief that one’s own culture is not the

only or best culture.

For more than a decade, the Auburn University School of Nursing

(SON) in Auburn, Alabama, has been in partnership with the local

housing authority (AHA), a low-income public housing provider. This

partnership, described elsewhere (Hamner, Wilder, & Byrd, 2007),

includes a nursing care clinic staffed three days per week by the nurs-

ing outreach instructor and Auburn students. The SON has a commu-

nity-based curriculum, founded on the belief that nursing is not

bound by the four walls of a hospital and that nursing care is a uni-

versal need. Part of bringing this belief to life is the requirement that

students participate in the partnership as part of their clinical experi-

ences as they matriculate through the curriculum.

When this clinical experience was first introduced, students

perceived it as different and somewhat stressful. These students,

the vast majority of whom were young, upper-middle-class white

women, had little experience with people different from them-

selves. It also became apparent that learning took place affectively

and cognitively in ways that could not be assessed by traditional

clinical evaluation tools and formal evaluation of teaching presen-

tations. Faculty determined that reflective writing, a useful mecha-

nism for understanding and internalizing experiences, would be

helpful to students participating in these clinical experiences

(Craft, 2005). This article reports on a study based, in part, on the

principles of naturalistic inquiry (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, &

Allen, 1993). The primary question was, “What does reflective

journaling reveal about the experience of cultural humility in nurs-

ing students participating in the community partnership clinical?”

Why Reflective Journaling Journaling helps students

develop critical thinking, self-understanding, and reflection

(Billings, 2006; Craft, 2005; Daroszewski, Kinser, & Lloyd, 2004;

King & LaRocco, 2006). Pedro (2006) stated that writing is a good

tool for learning reflection that helps students solve problems and

learn about what they do. Journaling involves writing to learn, and

the journal becomes a permanent record of thoughts. When a

learner writes down a thought, the thought takes shape and form.

Journaling helps students engage in introspection and analyze sit-

uations critically. It should not be too structured, because students’

thoughts and reflections can become be constricted (Craft).

The practice of reflection, making meaning out of life experi-

ences, is inherent in journaling (Kerka, 2002). Diekelmann (2003)

described how reflection ultimately fosters thinking in action and

encourages students to have a critical eye and promote a safe envi-

ronment. Reflection fosters thinking that changes practice, and is

not merely a rote or routine expeience. When reflective thinking is

paired with journaling as a learning activity, students develop self-

analysis and an increased awareness of their environment.

Method The Internal Review Board for the Protection of Human

Subjects of Auburn University approved this study. For each of the

four semesters students had community partnership clinical expe-

C

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M a r c h / A p r i l Vol.33 No.2 97

riences at the AHA, semi-structured interview questions were

assigned. For the first semester experience, students were asked to

reflect on their expectations of what the clinical experience would

be like before they went and what the reality of the experience was.

For the second and third semesters, students were asked to

describe and reflect on their clinical time at the AHA. For the

fourth and final semester, students were asked to reflect on their

thoughts about the entire experience and its impact on their profes-

sional development.

All students having experiences at the AHA participated in

reflective journaling as they progressed through the curriculum.

Course faculty who were not involved in reviewing the journals

documented participation. To promote reflection on personal expe-

riences, a major purpose of journaling (Daroszewski et al., 2004),

grades were not assigned and names were removed from the jour-

nals before the faculty began their review.

Three faculty reviewed the journal entries of 50 students over a

period of two years as they progressed through the curriculum. A

total of 200 journal entrees were reviewed. Eleven themes emerged

in response to the questions asked in the four clinical courses:

three from the first semester, four from the second and third semes-

ters, and four from the final semester.

Findings REFLECTIONS FROM THE FIRST SEMESTER

Students began to see the importance of nursing in the commu-

nity, but were more interested in practicing psychomotor skills,

such as injections typically performed in traditional hospital

settings. However, even in this first clinical experience, stu-

dents were beginning to develop cultural humility.

Analysis of journal entries revealed three broad themes as

students reflected on their expectations prior to the clinical at

the AHA and described the reality as it was experienced. Even

though their instructions for journaling did not mention the

practice of psychomotor skills, students often wrote of having

the chance to practice these skills; for example, “I learned how

to take a manual blood pressure” and “I got to do finger sticks”

were mentioned repeatedly.

The second broad theme that emerged was a beginning under-

standing of the importance of culture in the lives of clients.

“The open discussion regarding cultural differences helped a

lot. We, as nursing students, must be constantly aware that our

personal culture is not the only one. We must provide culturally

competent care not only to individuals of racial or ethnic minor-

ity groups, but also to individuals belonging to groups held

together by factors such as sexual orientation, socioe-conomic

status, and religion.”

“I noticed that the clinical was also a social gathering for

clients. A lot of them sat around talking to each other after

getting their assessments. Being there seemed to lift a lot of

their spirits and all asked when the next time the clinic

would be held.”

Finally, it was clear that this first semester experience taught

students to begin to understand and value community nursing. One

student put it clearly:

“When offering health care in this setting, big impacts can be

made. The client is more likely to participate in primary prevention

if they are close to the location of health care. The nurse in the

community cannot only do screenings and prevention, she can also

teach the clients about healthy lifestyle choices. The nurse sees the

environment the clients are living in and is able to adjust interven-

tions to the unique aspects of the clients’ lives. The community

nurse also understands and grasps a better picture of the commu-

nity as a whole unit and how to fix the health problem on a larger

scale.”

REFLECTIONS FROM THE SECOND AND THIRD SEMESTERS

As students progressed through the curriculum, their journals

revealed a maturity and self-understanding not seen in earlier writ-

ings. The majority of students at the SON come from socioeco-

nomic backgrounds where experience with lack of health insur-

ance or the inability to afford medicine and basic health care is

unlikely. Although students are exposed in class to the fact that

some people must literally choose between medicine and food, this

notion became a reality in the clinical experience and helped stu-

dents see the impact of health care disparities. Students showed

creativity in meeting the needs of the population they were teach-

ing. Clearly, students learned by doing that teaching benefits when

the culture of the audience is considered.

With the simple instruction to reflect on what they learned dur-

ing the clinical, students were free to express what they were think-

ing and feeling. Four themes became apparent. First, students

expressed an awareness of health disparities for those experiencing

poverty and a concern about the health care delivery system in the

United States. They frequently made comments such as these:

“I became more conscientious of the great need for accessible health

care for the elderly and poor. Two main factors which I found to inter-

fere with optimal health care for clients were the lack of transportation

to seek health care, and the inability to afford medications as needed.”

“It was upsetting to me that some of the residents’ blood pressure was

so high. When I asked if they were taking their blood pressure medicine,

they replied they were not because they couldn’t afford it. That was the

only part of the day that I did not like. It seems so unfair and cruel not

to provide adequate health care and medications at a reasonable price.”

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98 Nursing Education Perspectives

A major assignment at the clinics was designing and imple-

menting health promotion teaching projects. Students described

how they critically examined their teaching and learning to tailor

their teaching to the audience. Comments included:

“These clients could not afford a gym membership and many did

not have transportation to it. We taught them how easy it is to apply

exercise techniques in their lives, you don’t have to go to a gym to do

it. We gave examples of easy ways to get your heart rate up such as

walking, playing with grandchildren, or doing housework. We also

gave the example of lifting a can of beans or bags of flour if they

wanted to work their arm muscles.”

“Our group went to Wal-Mart and picked out some items that

would make a nutritious, low calorie, but extremely inexpensive

meal. This was to demonstrate that if you plan ahead, you can eat

a good meal for very little money.”

Another theme that emerged revolved around identifying trust

as an important component of community health nursing.

“As a nurse, you have to be able to form a trusting relationship

with clients. This is not done through taking vital signs and doing

procedures. This is done through talking and listening to the con-

cerns of our patients. There will be many times in our career that we

won’t be able to physically do something for our patients to make

them better, but I can always give of my heart, time, and knowledge

and understanding to help someone, whether it is at the bedside of a

hospital unit or in the community. This is what the clinics…have

helped me learn to do.”

Students reflected on the importance of encouragement, support,

and being nonjudgmental when working with clients. They wrote:

“One client is currently trying to lose weight and is also attend-

ing classes at the community college. She confided that several of her

friends and family have been telling her that she is too old and too

heavy to do these things. I talked to her about dealing with discour-

agement and then tried to encourage her by helping her to focusing

on how far she had come from where she started.”

“One way we could improve our presentation would be to go back

and take out the negative connotations. For instance, one of the

things we said was that tobacco users can be stinky. We should have

said something like, some people believe that tobacco product users

tend to carry the smoky smell with them even if they are not actively

using at that point. Next time, when we are presenting as a group,

we must remain as nonjudgmental as possible.”

Reflections from the Fourth Semester At this time in

their education, students’ writings suggested an ability to reflect on

their own practice. They now understood that nursing was not just

about doing something to the patient, such as taking a blood pres-

sure, but nursing is about interacting with patients in the way that

meets the patient’s needs. As part of this final experience, senior

students mentored juniors. By doing this, they were able to see how

far they had progressed. Students not only began to reflect on how

people are alike, but also on how differences in culture are inter-

esting and special.

Three themes emerged. First, it was obvious students gained con-

fidence in themselves as they matriculated through the curriculum.

“Out of all of my clinic experiences, this one was the most reward-

ing. During my first year, I was eager to talk to residents, but I was

scared at the same time. I did not have the same comfort level ask-

ing them about their health as I do now. I felt as though I was fol-

lowing a list of criteria that I had to meet. Now, it was just part of

our conversation. I was just being the nurse.”

“One of the junior students was satisfied when she asked a patient

what day it was and he replied, ‘It’s Wednesday.’ She had charted

that he was oriented to time, but I was able to show her that just

because he knew what day it was, didn’t mean that he was oriented

to time at all. Upon further assessment, we found that he didn’t know

the season, the month, the year, or even who was the current presi-

dent (interestingly enough, he said Coolidge). Through more thor-

ough assessment, I was able to show the junior nursing students how

important it is to ask several questions and not just settle with the

first answer that they get from patients.”

Another theme expressed in the fourth semester writings was an

understanding of the importance of health promotion and disease

prevention.

“I have learned a lot about the importance of early intervention.

I have seen with my own two eyes how patients have benefited from

heath promotion.”

“Many of the residents that came into the clinic expressed lifestyle

changes that they are currently involved in such as exercising more

and making better food choices. By making these choices, positive

results are bound to happen.”

The fourth-semester journal entries reflected how students had

changed their thinking and feelings about people from a different

culture. Students wrote:

“When I first started going to the housing authority, I had nega-

tive thoughts about violence and so on as being a part of living there.

When I started interacting with clients I was able to see how alike we

all are. I think about how they feel when they are judged by people

every day just like I used to do. This experience has taught me to be

more accepting of people and cultures different than mine.”

“In thinking back to my times at the clinic, I remember one very

interesting client who believed in some kind of metaphysical reli-

gion and did some sort of prayer meditation with arm motions

R E F L E C T I V E J O U R N A L I N G / N U R S I N G E D U C AT I O N R E S E A R C H

before I pricked his finger. At the time it freaked me out, but now I

am able to understand and accept a client’s culture that is differ-

ent from mine.”

“I couldn’t believe what I put in my first journal entry. I was so

judgmental. I talked about people wearing old clothes that needed to

retire and said their appearance looked a little diminished compared

to persons of a higher socioeconomic status. After working there all

this time, I now know that some of the best people I will ever meet live

at the housing authority. You surely can’t judge a book by its cover.”

Discussion What reflective journaling reveals about the

experience of cultural humility in nursing students participat-

ing in the community partnership clinical was the broad ques-

tion guiding this study. Cultural humility development begins

in the first semester as students practice thinking and self-

reflection in their journals and begin to recognize the impor-

tance of culture. These students are new to interaction with

clients, and interaction with clients of a different culture has

a tremendous impact on them. For the first time, they have

conversations with people different from themselves about the

meaning and experience of being from a certain culture.

Beginning to understand that their culture it not the only one

is an eye-opening experience.

Enhancement of cultural humility continued in the second

and third semesters. Students were no longer novices to nursing

and the environment of the nursing care clinics. Two concepts

grasped by students promoted cultural humility. First, students

saw firsthand that poverty creates health care disparities. They

left these clinical experiences fully aware of the imbalance in

power in the patient-health care provider relationship brought

about by lack of resources. Second, the health promotion teach-

ing projects they undertook drove home the fact that culture

must be considered when teaching clients.

Although the development of cultural humility is a lifelong

process, cultural humility appeared well developed in students

during the fourth semester. Students saw the beauty of differ-

ences as well as how all human beings are alike. They began to

understand that health care is best delivered through a respect-

ful partnership with the patient. Students realized that judg-

mental attitudes, based on stereotypes, are faced almost daily

by housing authority residents. They were determined to fight

judgmental thinking and behavior in themselves.

In summary, reflective journaling helps students progressively

develop their critical thinking, self-reflection skills, and cultural

humility. Cultural humility cannot be learned solely in the class-

room with traditional teaching methods. Rather, it requires reflec-

tion on experiences over time. Attentiveness to cultural issues and

applying self-awareness and reflection in the care of patients helps

students understand and address health care disparities.

About the Author The authors are faculty at Auburn University

School of Nursing, Auburn, Alabama. Jenny B. Schuessler, DNS,

RN, is associate dean and professor. Barbara Wilder, DNS, CRNP, is

coordinator of the nurse practitioner program and professor. Lynda

W. Byrd, PhD, CRNP, is a clinical assistant professor. For more

information, contact Dr. Schuessler at JBS0016@auburn.edu.

Key Words Cultural Humility – Reflective Journaling – Cultural

Competence – Diversity – Clinical Nursing Education

References

Billings, D. (2006). Journaling: A strategy for developing reflective practition-

ers. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 37, 104-105.

Craft M. (2005). Reflective writing and nursing education. Journal of Nursing

Education, 44, 53-57.

Daroszewski, E. B., Kinser, A. G., & Lloyd, S. L. (2004). Online directed jour-

naling in community health advanced practice nursing clinical education.

Journal of Nursing Education, 43, 175-180.

Diekelmann, N. (2003). Thinking-in-action journals: From self-evaluation to

multiperspectival thinking. Journal of Nursing Education, 42(11), 482-484.

Erlandson, D. A., Harris, E. L., Skipper, B. L., & Allen, S. D. (1993). Doing natura-

listic inquiry: A guide to methods. London: Sage Publications.

Hamner J. B., Wilder B., & Byrd, L. (2007). Lessons learned: Integrating a ser-

vice learning community-based partnership into the curriculum. Nursing

Outlook, 55, 106-110.

Kerka, S. (2002). Journal writing as an adult learning tool. Retrieved from

www.calpro-online.org/eric/docs/pab00031

King F. B., & LaRocco D. J. (2006, February). E-journaling: A strategy to sup-

port student reflection and understanding. Current Issues in Education, 9(4).

Retrieved from http://cie.ed.asu.edu/volume9/number4/

Pedro, J. (2006). Taking reflection into the real world of teaching. Kappa Delta

Pi Record, 42(2), 129-136.

Tervalon, M., & Murray-Garcia, J. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural

competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in

multicultural education. Journal of Health Care of the Poor and Underserved,

9(2), 117

M a r c h / A p r i l Vol.33 No.2 99

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Running head: EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 1

NOTE THAT THE STUDENT FORGOT TO INSERT COMMENT BUBBLES IN THE ESSAY!

ALSO, STUDENTS LAST SEMESTER WERE NOT REQUIRED TO USE THE TEMPLATE WITH PROPER

PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE!

Educational Experiences at Mizzou

STUDENT NAME

SW/PS 2000

2 October 2017

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 2

Educational Experiences at Mizzou

Receiving a readily available and quality education has been a privilege that I have received my

entire life. Feeling comfortable and included at school has also been a privilege. The privileges I receive

are the resources and opportunities given to me based on my race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and other

statuses. In America, I have a geographical privilege that gives me the opportunity to receive an American

education with minimal barriers. For International students, receiving an American education is a much

more difficult process. I attended the Mizzou student-run Multicultural Hour, a resource for international

and study abroad students to discuss their education, meet people from all over the world, and ask

questions about settling into life at Mizzou. The Multicultural Hour is run by students and faculty from

the Asian Affairs Center and supported by the International Center. Anyone can attend the Multicultural

Hour and while there, I noticed a good mix of international, study-abroad, and American student. The

Multicultural hour is easily accessible on Mizzou’s campus in the Memorial Union building close to the

Student Center. It is held once a week on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and often hosts culturally

celebrative activities. The Multicultural Hour aims to provide a culturally dynamic atmosphere to provide

education, appreciation, and resources to those who need it. I decided to attend the Multicultural Hour for

my cultural humility activity to further step out of my comfort zone and hear from international students

the various barriers of receiving an education in America. For me, American education has been an

assumption and an over-looked privilege. For many of the students I talked with, receiving an American

education can be a difficult and strenuous struggle to receive and maintain.

According to Harro (2004), socialization is the way of which we learn rules, roles, and

assumptions of people through education, media, family, friends, and other influences. Growing up in

America, I have been socialized with certain traditions, actions, stereotypes, and assumptions that have

pioneered my social interactions. For international and study-abroad students, adapting to a new society

where the majority of the population has been socialized in a similar, if not the same, way is a difficult

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 3

aspect of their educational experience to navigate. Becoming familiar with certain Holidays, celebrations,

food customs, social customs, and American culture can be a large barrier for them to feel comfortable

and accepted during their education. According to the Counseling Center of Mizzou (2016), many

international students experience culture shock, which is the initial shock someone has when becoming

immersed in a culture much different than their own. From culture shock, international students often

experience extreme homesickness, stress, changes in appetite, intense loyalty to home culture, depression,

and many others. When talking with some of the students, they told me that adapting to American society

was a rather difficult thing to do, ranging from language barriers to religious barriers to cultural ones. For

example, a student I talked to told me he’d never heard of tailgating before arriving at Mizzou and for the

first few months felt intimidated and left out of the festivities. Social events at Mizzou and in Columbia

are a large part of the educational experience and is something I have been privileged to take part in

without considering why it was so easy for me to feel like I fit in. However, international and study-

abroad students can often miss out on these activities either because they don’t know they’re happening or

because they aren’t invited. Being introduced to a new society can be overwhelming and difficult. Many

students I talked to said it was difficult to meet people outside of Mizzou sponsored events and classes.

This social barrier can skew the educational experience for an international or study-abroad student.

Because I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, I have a large group of friends that attend Mizzou. It is also

very easy for me to meet people outside of class because we can connect on common cultural similarities.

I have been privileged to receive a comfortable social life during my education from the beginning. For

international and study-abroad students, enjoying a social life during their education initially might have

many barriers.

One of the greatest difficulties for many international and study-abroad students and their

educational experience at Mizzou is a language barrier. Since Mizzou’s international students come from

over a hundred different countries, there is a diversity of languages spoken, but since English is

America’s official language, most of campus and Mizzou courses are taught in English. On Mizzou’s

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 4

website, they offer information about admissions in Arabic, Bahasa, Portuguese, Thai, and Vietnamese,

(2017). However, this barely covers the diversity of languages spoken from international students.

Understanding the process to apply to Mizzou is difficult to begin with, but can be even more so for

international students who don’t speak one of the languages offered. According to the Mizzou

Admissions (2017), international students are expected “to know English well enough to comprehend

lectures, participate in discussions, read textbooks, and write effectively,” in order to attend Mizzou. In

addition, every international student is required to take one of two tests; the Test of English as a Foreign

Language, the International English Language Testing System exam, or complete the International

General Certificate of Secondary Education. If international students do not pass the test, they are

required to enroll in English Language Support Program courses. If they enroll in these courses, they

must take a reduced load of academic courses. A reduced course load could result in falling behind track

on a four-year degree. If a student does not want to reduce their course load, they have the option to enroll

in CELL, the Center for English Language Learning. However, according to CELL (2017), this course

costs an extra $5,600 per semester, which is a large economic barrier for many international students.

Language barriers make it incredibly difficult for an international student to feel comfortable in a new

society. Making friends, understanding class content, finishing homework, and navigating around the

campus and city can all be difficult to do for international students who don’t speak English as their first

language. A Korean student I talked to told me how difficult it was for him to learn English because many

students who spoke English as a first language didn’t talk to him. He found community with other

students that spoke Korean, but found it difficult to branch out. As an American student, English is my

first language. I am able to navigate Columbia, Missouri and Mizzou’s campus without a second thought,

I am able to understand my courses and finish my coursework without difficulty, and meet new people

without the stress of a language barrier. These are all examples of my privilege as an English-speaking

student in America.

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 5

According to the Mizzou International Center (2017), the estimated costs of one year at Mizzou

for an undergraduate international student is $38,948 which includes tuition, living expenses, and health

insurance. This does not include the cost of a flight to the U.S. or the transportation to Columbia

Missouri. An international student applying to Mizzou must show proof of having the financial resources

to pay for the full year. Some of the students I talked to said the financial barrier was one of the more

difficult barriers to overcome. While Mizzou offers a few financial aid options for international students,

on the International Center website, they state that “Financial aid resources for international students are

somewhat limited and highly competitive,” (2017). A student from Brazil said her family had to receive a

large amount of loans to be able to send her to Mizzou, which makes living conditions difficult for her

family back home. She said her family considers the expenses necessary for her education and will do

what it takes to pay for her American education. According to Mizzou’s Student Financial Aid website

(2017), the estimated cost for an in-state undergraduate student is $27,964 including tuition, housing,

books, and transportation expenses. The website also offers a multitude of financial aid options for in-

state students. Living in St. Louis Missouri, I am privileged to attend Mizzou at in-state tuition prices and

also receive both Mizzou sponsored financial aid and beneficial aid from the government. This has been a

large help for my parents and grants me an accessible education. Attending Mizzou with the help of

financial aid does not burden my family and I can receive this education at in-state prices without

worrying about financial difficulties.

I am studying International Studies here at Mizzou and before attending the event, my knowledge

of international students and their experience was limited. It was only after I discussed the differences

between our education with international students that I realized the privilege I have in my invisible

knapsack, a metaphorical representation of the multitude of privileges I carry around with me. (McIntosh

1998). I really enjoyed talking with international students not only about our educational experiences, but

about their home countries and cultures. What I took away from attending the multicultural hour is that I

can help international students and their educational experience with simple actions like engaging

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 6

discussion and being informative and inclusive. According to Man of Multiple Identities: Complex

Individuality and Identity Intersectionality Among College Men, Intersectionality is made of the multiple

social identities we have that intersect and shape us. These social identities include race, ethnicity,

religion, gender, age, and ability, (Harper, Wardell, McGuire, 2011). I am a twenty year-old, white,

American, able woman and my intersectionality has been a leading indicator of my privilege in American

education. As an American student, I receive financial benefits from the government and in-state tuition

prices, I am able to navigate American culture and social events, can easily participate in courses with

English as my first language, and do not have to balance the effects of culture shock with my educational

experience. These are all parts of my educational experience that I have taken for granted without

realizing or considering they might be barriers for other students.

This experience has opened me up to new resources and experiences while also calling me to

partake in cultural humility; the life-long practice of reflecting on my own biases, stereotypes and

perceptions of those I work with, study with, and live with, (Hohman 2013). The Multicultural Hour does

a fantastic job of providing an opportunity for conversation between people from diverse cultural

backgrounds. This conversation allowed me to hear from other students exactly what their experiences

where, how they differed from mine, and also helped me surface my own privilege. With my major in

International Studies, I plan to find a job that will require me to consider cultural differences and develop

a further sense of cultural humility. I believe the Multicultural Hour is a beneficial student-run activity

that helps develop cultural and social awareness and humility. I believe the best way to develop cultural

humility is through conversation, listening, and reflection, and I am glad to have had the opportunity on

campus to partake in all three.

EDUCATION AT MIZZOU 7

References

Curators of the University of Missouri (2017). Center for English Language Learning. Retrieved

from University of Missouri website: https://cellmu.missouri.edu/about/dates-and-costs/

Curators of the University of Missouri (2017). International Center, Funding your Education.

Retrieved from University of Missouri website: https://international.missouri.edu/come-

to-mu/students/funding-your-education/index.php

Curators of the University of Missouri (2017). Mizzou Admissions, Information for International

Students. Retrieved from University of Missouri website:

https://admissions.missouri.edu/international-students/

Curators of the University of Missouri (2017). Student Financial Aid. Retrieved from University

of Missouri website: http://financialaid.missouri.edu/cost-of-

attendance/undergraduate.php

Harper, R. Shaun, Wardell, C. Cameron, McGuire, M. Keon (2011). Man of Multiple Identities:

Complex Individuality and Identity Intersectionality among College Men, 82-95.

Harro, Bobbie (2004). The Cycle of Socialization, The Cycle of Socialization, 45-52.

Hohman, Melinda (2013). Cultural Humility: A Lifelong Practice.

McIntosh, P. (1998). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.

https://cellmu.missouri.edu/about/dates-and-costs/

https://international.missouri.edu/come-to-mu/students/funding-your-education/index.php

https://international.missouri.edu/come-to-mu/students/funding-your-education/index.php

https://admissions.missouri.edu/international-students/

http://financialaid.missouri.edu/cost-of-attendance/undergraduate.php

http://financialaid.missouri.edu/cost-of-attendance/undergraduate.php

Running head: CULTURAL HUMILITY 1

CULTURAL HUMILITY 3

INSTRUCTIONS: USE THIS TEMPLATE TO WRITE YOUR CULTURAL HUMILITY ESSAY. DO NOT DELETE THE TEXT IN READ, SUBMIT THE ESSAY WITH THE RED TEXT. EVERY PARAGRAPH IN YOUR ESSAY SHOULD CONTAIN A TOPIC SENTENCE, SUPPORTING SENTENCES, AND CONCLUDING SENTENCE.

Cultural Humility Reflective Essay

Your name goes here

SW/PS 2000, section #

Date

Cultural Humility Reflective Essay

Description

TOPIC SENTENCE:

SUPPORTING SENTENCES:

CONCLUDING SENTENCE:

Reflection

TOPIC SENTENCE:

SUPPORTING SENTENCES:

CONCLUDING SENTENCE:

References

References should be listed in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name in APA-format.