[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.8″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.4.8″]<\/p>\n
Every year, Winona State has a <\/span>University Theme<\/span><\/a> that promotes partnerships and conversations between faculty, staff, students, and community members about important issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For the 2020-21 academic year, the theme is \u201cMy Global Identity, Our Global Community.\u201d This year\u2019s theme is all about acknowledging, reflecting, and celebrating our rich global history and opportunities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy Global Identity, Our Global Community\u201d also builds awareness of the plurality of global identities through experiential learning opportunities in our community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In honor of this year\u2019s theme, WSU alumni are sharing their stories about how they discovered and defined who they were. Meet our second volunteer writer, Andrea Guerrero Leon:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/blogs.winona.edu\/improving-our-world\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2020\/09\/Andrea_Guerrero_Leon.jpg” title_text=”Andrea_Guerrero_Leon500″ align=”center” admin_label=”Andrea Headshot” _builder_version=”4.4.8″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Body & Conclusion” _builder_version=”4.4.8″]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I moved to Winona in 2014 after graduating high school from my home country Venezuela. I began my journey at WSU as an English Language Center (ELC) student. Although my English wasn\u2019t perfect, my professors, classmates and friends helped me become fluent through conversations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I had the opportunity to meet and build friendships with people from many different countries. We learned a lot from each other\u2019s cultures while also learning English.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After graduating from the ELC, I started my higher education journey as a nursing candidate. But even though I enjoyed taking science classes, I had a feeling the profession wasn\u2019t for me. So, I decided to change my major to <\/span>Mass Communication<\/span><\/a> out of my interest in visual communication.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n During my undergraduate studies, I developed a strong passion for social justice. I was confident this was the field I wanted to grow in as a professional.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In 2016, I volunteered as a mentor for <\/span>HOPE Academy<\/span><\/a>, a residential program for underrepresented high school students to experience college life. I mentored students from a variety of ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientation.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019m extremely grateful to have learned from their experiences as black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), as well as expand my own knowledge of social justice issues.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I also volunteered as an International Student Ambassador that same year. I connected with students with diverse cultures and languages I wasn\u2019t familiar with, while helping them navigate college life and a new culture.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My identity as a Latina has solidified through the years as I interacted and built relationships with members of the Latino community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Gaining a stronger sense of my identity has given me the strength to advocate not only for my community, but also for other underprivileged populations.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After graduating with my B.A in 2018, I decided that I wanted to pursue a master\u2019s degree in counseling. I was awarded a Graduate Assistantship position in the <\/span>Adult & Continuing Education<\/span><\/a> department to finance my studies, which I\u2019m still appreciative of to this day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n