Finding their very own means: RCCC ambassadors study a bit about themselves within the course of
Published 12:05 am Sunday, November 6, 2022
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Fernando Alcaide Luevanos
SALISBURY — Ambassadors at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College assist college students navigate campus life in numerous methods, however this system can also be serving to these very ambassadors navigate their very own lives.
“I was super proud of hosting the ‘sit and chill,’ a mental health awareness event, where we folded up a little area for people to sit down and talk about mental health,” mentioned Jennifer Pleitez, an envoy for the 2022-23 faculty 12 months.
Pleitez grew up in Salisbury. She’s solely 17 however has been taking faculty programs by way of the early-college program supplied by RCCC.
The ambassador group compiled statistics from RCCC college students which revealed that, like many college-aged adults, that they had skilled private struggles with such psychological well being points as nervousness. That is why Pleitez and her fellow ambassadors needed to host the sit-and-chill occasion, to create an atmosphere the place these subjects might be mentioned and the place college students would really feel snug speaking about them.
For considered one of Pleitez’s fellow ambassadors, Malachi Printup, 20, the mission was private.
“I have had a lot of my own personal battles and know plenty of people my age and older, including my family, who dealt with mental health problems,” Printup mentioned.
Printup indicated that whereas the psychological well being component has propelled him to wish to be an efficient ambassador, different character traits have typically made it tough.
“It has been tough for me, but not for mental health reasons,” Printup mentioned. “I am not great with speaking in public despite taking a public speaking course. The program has helped a lot with that by getting me out of my comfort zone. Being with my fellow ambassadors has helped my mental health a lot. I feel better and happier being around them and doing events with them.”
For the 17-year-old Pleitez, the newfound duty has felt extra like a welcomed problem.
“This is probably the biggest commitment I have made,” Pleitez mentioned. “It is a big leadership role. I have been in other clubs here and there, but this is big leadership, dedication and time commitment. I don’t see it as a challenge as much as I see it as an opportunity.”
Fernando Alcaide Luevanos is a bit older than his fellow ambassadors. He’s 24. He was born in Acapulco, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. at a younger age. Thanks to the ambassador program, he has cast some surprising friendships.
“I never thought I would be friends with a 17-year-old living in Salisbury or a 20-year-old from New York (Printup), but it’s been a tremendous experience,” Luevanos mentioned.
Luevanos talked about that he’s grateful for a bubbly character however acknowledged {that a} one-size-fits-all strategy doesn’t at all times work.
“If I see a group of people and see that they are kind of distant, I don’t mind if I have to push my way in and ask how they’re doing because it’s about getting them to understand we are all part of the same group,” Luevanos mentioned. “On the other hand, there are very reserved people, and you have to respect that. You can’t bring the whole personality at once. Once they get comfortable with you they may open up. I’ve brought a lot of people out of their comfort zone that way.”
In the identical means that the ambassador group has positioned Luevanos in positions to assist individuals shed their shells, it helped Pleitez unfold her wings.
“Being part of the early college is another reason I wanted to get involved,” Pleitez mentioned. “I felt disconnected from my college side. I was always just involved with my high school side doing clubs and things like that there. I never really felt connected with college students. So I took the opportunity to learn more about my college and teach others about my college.”
The ambassador will serve for one 12 months after which assist groom their successors. In the meantime, they hope to unfold as a lot information as they will and the occasional smile for his or her fellow RCCC college students.
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