Heather Bingaman

Scott Harris
UNIV 392
August 8, 2016

This summer as a whole has been more rewarding, fulfilling and educational than
I initially believed it would be when I was hired back in the spring. I have developed
friendships with my coworkers and made connections that have helped me grow,
increased my confidence and that I believe I will have for years to come.
While I have thoroughly appreciated each orientation for the people Ive been
able to interact with and learn about, my coworkers have facilitated most of my growth.
Honestly, I realize now that prior to this summer, I was a naive and ignorant in many
respects regarding people, cultures, identities and beliefs that differ from mine. I like to
think that Im an open minded person, that Im understanding and well educated about
people different from myself, but it hasnt been until recently that Ive recognized how
little I actually understand what it means to come from those different backgrounds. Ive
moved 8 times in 20 years; Ive lived in Alaska, Connecticut, North Carolina, Kentucky,
California, Ohio and now Illinois and Ive visited every state in the US besides Hawaii. I
recognize how lucky I have been to experience such different areas of the country; with
acknowledging the difference in these places and the people who reside in each, I felt
(prior to this summer) very secure in my knowledge of religions, cultures, identities,
upbringings and general backgrounds different from my own because of my interactions
with each in my various hometowns. I realize now, after not only meeting, but also

becoming close friends with individuals who do not identify with the same things I do or
with ones I am familiar with (i.e. identifying as heterosexual, practicing the Christian
faith, identifying as a cis-gender female, coming from an upper middle class family,
being a part of a military family) that recognizing differences and understanding
differences are very different from each other.
I am grateful and humbled every day by the amazing 40 individuals I call
coworkers. I have learned many new words and ways of interacting with others that I
have never before given a thought to. For example, prior to training I wasnt aware of the
term cis-gender, which I suppose can be attributed to my privilege as an individual
identifying as cis-gender, but thats a topic for another day. Additionally, I have never
thought about pronouns since I learned them in grade school. With the increasing number
of individuals able to identify themselves as belonging to a different place on the
sexuality spectrum, it makes sense that I should be conscious about how I address
someone I have just met and make sure they are not uncomfortable.
Frankly, it is a little overwhelming to have become aware of the many, many,
many ways I can inadvertently offend someone over the span of two months, but I am
continually working on training my vocabulary to be more inclusive and continuing to
educate myself and listen to those I know who have a different story than I do. I believe
that beginning this understanding, not just recognition, of differences now is invaluable to
my future career as a nurse since my job will revolve around people meeting them
where they are at, building a trustworthy and professional relationship and then working
toward bettering whatever circumstance he/she/they are in. Beginning with a foundation

of acceptance and cultural competence will help develop that trust, which will allow me
to most efficiently and fully provide care.
I am grateful to have gotten this position as an Orientation Leader because it truly
has helped me transform in just two and a half short months. I have fine tuned my
problem solving skills and managed stressful situations in ways I am proud of; I have
learned that it really is okay for me (the type A, go getter, do it all herself so its done
right) to admit that sometimes I do need help, it is okay to delegate and that Im not
expected to take on everything by myself. I am also grateful for the relationships I have
been given the chance to foster, for I am confident that they will not only continue to be
sources of the support and fun memories of friendship in the future, but also of
knowledge and a continued education. I have not only a wonderful, fun summer to thank
these individuals for, but also for a broader understanding of the people and world around
me.