S-Stem Scholar Kathleen Corfman's Blog

 Hello! I learned lots of things about networking this semester, especially about the benefits. It is crazy to me that most jobs do not even post their openings, and instead leave positions open for referrals. I have also heard a few times about people who were not picked for a position because the other candidate was a referral. I had research that I was presenting at the NCUIRE research symposium, and it was a good experience. However, I feel like I didn't get much networking done despite being a presenter. The attendees were primarily students, teachers, or the judges. I think what I least like about networking is trying to be confident and hoping that I know what I am talking about. The gentleman I have been speaking to on LinkedIn is an expert in his field, and that is a bit intimidating to me. How do I know what I am talking about when this person knows already knows everything I know, plus more? To be blunt, how do I not make an ass of myself, and have an intelligent convers...

 Hello! Today's blog is about cultural intelligence and responsiveness. I think cultural intelligence is basically being culturally aware. To me, it is acknowledging that other people have different experiences, views, and values based on their culture, and being able to respect those differences.  Cultural responsiveness to me is more about putting cultural intelligence into actions. Some actions include showing curiosity about other cultures in order to learn more, being an activist for a more inclusive society, and inviting a variety of different people to the decision making table. Showing curiosity about other cultures in order to learn more is very helpful for current and future interactions. The more you learn about another culture, the easier it is to communicate with people from that culture in future interactions. It can also help you understand how unique each person is, which in turn can fight stereotypes. When you think of being an activist, it is easy to immediat...