Communicating productively in a diverse environment

Communication

During both my undergraduate and graduate years, I have been active in advocacy on campus. I was president of the campus NAACP chapter and cofounded the Southern Poverty Law Center on Campus chapter to advocate for greater diversity and inclusion at Auburn. The importance of workforce diversity has been reinforced through my experiences in the MPA program at Auburn. I have learned that not only is diversity in the workplace important for insuring economic gains are distributed justly, diverse working groups are more creative and effective than those that are not diverse. My education has also emphasized how important communication is, and the importance of being able to communicate across cultural barriers. Many of my classmates come from different countries. I have worked with students from India, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and China on group work. My classes have emphasized the usefulness of understanding experiences from locations outside of the United States in developing solutions to problems.

Communication includes both written and verbal. Included on my page are the both my report and presentation on the Water Crisis in Mexico City I prepared for my Global Cities class. This paper required student’s to first identify a major challenge in city planning within the developing world, and then prepare a report on the issue. These assignments demonstrate these competencies:

• An appreciation for techniques that do not evolve out of traditional Western contexts such as Chinampa agriculture and indigenous flood control systems in the Valley of Mexico as possible components of sustainable environments in the United States

• An ability to relay complex information in a simple manner both orally and through writing

• An appreciation of some of the challenges and evolving trends outside the context of the United States

• A capability for competent and engaging public speaking without reliance on notes or written aid