“When I was in undergrad, we had what we called convocation. All of the black students were invited to a dinner, and we wore our Sunday best. A professor talked to us about being a good college student… It was where you got to meet other black students… everybody had a table and that was our chance to just feel welcome.”
–Erica Rousseau, MA, UNE Director of Intercultural Student Engagement
Breathing exercise during Scholars of Color Breakfast
Prioritizing COMmunities of Color
by Marly Solebello, MEd
Part of the mission of the SNMA is to increase the number of students of color completing medical school, and since UNE COM is the only osteopathic medical school within Region VII of the SNMA, this was the perfect opportunity to expose current UNE students to the osteopathic principles, and what differentiates DOs from MDs. Erica recalls there were 70 or so undergraduate students at the event as well as faculty and staff whom she had invited to attend. “Because we don't have as much diversity when it comes to color here,” Erica says, “you need to know that even though someone may not look like you, they are still supportive of you.”
The event brought Arabella Perez, Professor of Social Work at UNE, as the keynote speaker. “She talked about breathing techniques,” Erica explains, “how to ground ourselves because we know as people of color we're going to feel marginalized… not a part of sometimes. So we talked about breathing techniques and how to become connected and form community.” There was a moment during one of the exercises, when everyone in the room had their eyes closed and their fingers on their noses, that spoke to the success of the program. “People that age, they don't want to look silly,” Erica explains. “When I looked around, they were committed… they were doing it and I was so happy that they were invested, and that there were really good connections made.” According to Student Doctor Elamparo, “[Professor Perez] initially asked the audience about how they feel when someone insults them in a way that relates to them being a person of color… an experience most everyone in the audience could identify with - the increased heart rate, nausea, and anger. I could almost tangibly feel this point unifying the room.” The overall objectives of the program were met, but more than that, people came away from it feeling a sense of connection and community that hadn’t existed on the same level in years past. “I thought it was immensely powerful,” Student Doctor Elamparo shares, “to create a space to be able to talk about issues that specifically affect students of color and what we can do to manage these concerns when they do come up in a place like Southern Maine.”
The success of the event launched the beginning of a mentoring program between COM and undergraduate students of color. Both Erica Rousseau and Student Doctor Elamparo worked with Vincent Buonocore,