Global Posts

Hi there! Welcome to my online portfolio! This is a part of my final assignment for my SOWK 412, Leadership & Professional Development Course at Longwood University. The purpose of this portfolio is to highlight who I am and some of my accomplishments thus far, along with who I am as a leader, and how I aspire to continue to evolve as one.

 ABOUT ME

My name is Aaliyah Cunningham. I am 23 years old and from Northern Virginia but currently reside in Farmville as I complete my final semester of undergraduate studies at Longwood University studying social work. I recently completed an internship within the university focusing on student academic success. I am preparing for my second internship within a nearby school district, in which I will be shadowing a school social worker. Upon graduating from Longwood, I would like to pursue my master’s degree in social work to become a school social worker myself. When not engaged in my studies, I enjoy doing nails and attending concerts. I also enjoy cooking and trying different restaurants, which I document on Instagram.

Below is a link to my [downloadable] updated resume, as of September 2021:

Aaliyah C. Cunningham Resume as of September 2021

I know that many of you are counting the days—and even the hours—until your Lancers are home for Thanksgiving.

But we still have them for a few days here on campus, so we’ll be getting a jump on serving the traditional feast: Longwood’s Thanksgiving dinner will be in Dorrill Dining Hall on Thursday, Nov. 18. On the menu are ham, turkey, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes and more, plus Longwood’s famous baked Alaska for dessert.

Before the holidays arrive, there is some planning and preparing your student needs to take care of if they live in Longwood-managed housing—whether they will be away from campus during the holidays or whether they are remaining on campus.

Longwood will be closed for the Thanksgiving holidays Nov. 24-26, and no classes will be held on those days. Unless your student is told otherwise by their professor, all classes on Tuesday, Nov. 23, including evening classes, will meet as scheduled.

University administrative offices also will be closed Nov. 24-26.

Anticipating your questions, here are a few answers I thought might be helpful.

When will Longwood-managed housing be closed for the holidays?
Longwood-managed housing will be closed from 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, through noon Sunday, Nov. 28. This means that ID card access to residence halls and apartments will not be available during this time UNLESS your student has filled out an online “intent to stay” form.

If I’m picking my student up from Johns Hall or Moss Hall, are there any special arrangements I should be aware of?
On Tuesday, Nov. 23, from noon to 6:30 p.m., residents and parents will be permitted to load vehicles on Spruce Street. Instructions about this special arrangement—which will be similar to the one-way traffic pattern used during August move-in—will be emailed to all residents assigned to Johns and Moss halls. This will prevent dangerous traffic congestion on the South Main Street side the high rises.

What does my student need to do if they’re leaving campus for the holidays?
Students who live in Longwood-managed housing and are leaving campus for the break need to complete the tasks below before they leave. Rooms and apartments will be inspected to make sure the steps below have been followed.
—Remove all trash, contraband and perishable food
—Thoroughly clean their assigned living area, including the bathroom and common spaces
—If applicable, adjust their room thermostat to a low/medium setting
—Take valuables and important items with them (medication, eyeglasses, wallet, etc.)
—Shut down and unplug all electronics, except personal refrigerators or apartment appliances
—Turn off all lights
—Close and lock all windows
—Lower all window blinds/shades
—Lock all doors

What must my student do to maintain access to their residence hall/apartment during the holidays?
Any student who needs access to their Longwood-managed housing—both residence halls and apartments—from 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23, through noon Sunday, Nov. 28, must submit an online “intent to stay” form through Longwood’s housing gateway.

When can they fill out the “intent to stay” form and what is the deadline?
The deadline to submit the “intent to stay” form is 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 22. The form is currently active.

What safety measures will be in place for students who stay on campus during the holidays?
Submitting the “intent to stay” form will provide your student with uninterrupted ID card access to their campus residence (where applicable) as well as notify Campus Police of their continued presence on campus as a safety measure. All students who remain on campus should be sure to carry their Longwood IDs with them at all times for identification purposes.

What campus dining options will be available during the Thanksgiving holidays?
Longwood meal plans do not include a charge for the Thanksgiving break/weekend. Food outlets will observe normal hours on Tuesday, Nov. 23, and will be closed on Wednesday, Nov. 24, through Saturday, Nov. 27. Moe’s will reopen at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, and Dorrill Dining Hall will reopen at 5 p.m. Sunday. All normal operations resume on Monday.

Will the FAB (Farmville Area Bus) be running during the days the university is closed?
Farmville Area Bus (FAB) service will end at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23.  Bus service is expected to resume at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 28.  No bus transportation is available to Lancer Park during university breaks.

I hope you and your family have a happy Thanksgiving full of fun, friends and good food. One of the things I’ll be thinking about on Nov. 25 is how thankful I am that you have entrusted your child’s college experience to Longwood.

—Sabrina Brown

Tis the season for pumpkin-carving contests, the annual Haunted House in the Fitness Center, giant spider webs sprouting in basements and a good, old-fashioned scary movie at Longwood’s High Street Theatre.

It’s plain to see all over campus that your Lancers are up to their eyeballs in Halloween spirit this year. Below are some examples of their talents in creating creepy, cute and creepily cute costumes—proof that you never get too old to dress up for Halloween.

—Sabrina Brown

On October 25, 2021, I had the honor of speaking with Samuel who was born in Barranquilla, Colombia and is currently a sophomore at Longwood University. Sam and I have been friends for a good amount of time now but I had never had the chance to talk to him about his background before. We were able to have a really fascinating conversation on the difference in formality in Colombia and the United States.

​​Sam moved to the United States in 2007 when he was only five years old. Even though he was so young when he moved, the idea of formality is such a big part of his culture he was able to speak heavily on the topic. The idea of formality is important for us to understand especially if you plan to ever visit Colombia. The United States is a very informal country compared to many other countries. If you were to visit a different country or culture you would want to show respect by understanding their level of formality. 

One of the first questions I asked Sam was related to how he would address someone of respect in Colombia. “In Colombia, we tend to address people that are significantly older than us with Señor or Señora, depending on if they are male/female. There is also a difference in the way we use “you”.In a formal setting we use “Usted” with elders or superiors. “Tu” can be used with anyone else.” While talking, I noticed how passionately Sam spoke on this topic.

In the U.S. we often will address adults or someone who holds a higher power of position in the workplace by their first name. This is incredibly uncommon in Colombia and is seen as being disrespectful. When addressing an elder in Colombia, it is important to always use their last name and formal title. 

I quickly became curious on how someone would address a friend in Colombia, “When addressing a friend, it is less formal, we would address them by their name or even a nickname they have and use no formal title”. This was interesting to me because it is very similar to how we address friends here in the United States. 

When finishing up the interview with Sam, I asked him if there were consequences for addressing someone using the wrong title in Colombia. “There are not crazy consequences other than how you are seen. If it is to your parents, you may get grounded or talked to about it. In a job, it may affect your reputation as a worker. In the military it could get you punished however”. When Sam spoke of the punishment from the military, I found that was also true for Americans.

The biggest take away I want to leave with you is the importance of how you address a stranger in Colombia. If you are going to visit Colombia, take the time to research the proper formal titles. You do not want to come off as a disrespectful tourist. You also do not want to come off as disrespecting Colombian culture.

I took the time to Interview my good friend Mark, about Italian culture. Mark’s family is Italian with mother and much of her extended family coming from southern Italy. He was born in New Jersey, however he has spent his whole life growing up within a community of Italian immigrants and Italian-Americans. His family who he grew up around consisted of both those from Italy and America. Nonetheless, his family has carried the cultural characteristics along with them.

Italians are a close contact culture. This means they are generally more comfortable with touch and have less distance between them in social situations. Talking with Mark about this made things more clear. He said that his family is very extroverted and will approach anyone getting right up in their personal space without a care. “If they don’t know you, they’re coming right up to you, Mark said.” In U.S. culture this isn’t so common, as Americans we tend to have a greater distance preference. We have a personal space bubble that is larger to that of a culture like the Italians. He said that in his time in Italy this was really evident as well. In Southern Italy strangers really don’t have a problem getting very close

Southern Italians are a very family oriented culture. Everything centers back around to family in some way or another. When asked about formality, the first thing mark said was that the elders of the family are always to be treated with respect, even if they are always giving you a hard time, which they will. He says despite this they are always still very welcoming and guests get treated like family in gatherings such as family dinners.

Southern Italians are a very warm and welcoming group of people. They are very family oriented and if you treat them with respect, they will always welcome you in as part of them. They are very extroverted people and will have no problem asking you all kinds of questions. One should best engage with this culture by being as friendly and open to conversation as possible. Be aware of their cultural extroversion and meet them with a similar level of extroversion while at the same time being respectful. If not, you might come off as being somewhat cold and rough around the edges.

As a teenager right out of grade school, Dr. Viktoria Basham was looking forward to an adventure. She set her sights on attending Washington and Lee University, a relatively small school nestled in the mountains of western Virginia. While the majority of American high school graduates would consider going to college an adventure, it wouldn’t quite equal up to Basham’s unique experience.

You see, Dr. Basham was born in Bulgaria and lived most of her teenage life there. She hadn’t stepped foot out of the country until it was time to come to the United States to study at Washington and Lee University. To put it simply, Dr. Basham was an international student heading straight into unknown territory; a thought that might frighten anyone inexperienced in international travel and lacking knowledge of American culture. 

Frightened or not, Dr. Basham packed one suitcase filled to the brim with clothing, school supplies, and other personal belongings, and started her journey to America, leaving all she was familiar with behind. It was not until I sat down with Viktoria and heard her story that I truly began to understand the gravity of her situation and what transpired after she arrived at Washington and Lee University.

After arriving, she said that she stayed closed up in her dorm room for the first two weeks of classes, stating she did not feel like she was able to connect with anyone. From our conversation, I gathered that the lack of connection was not from not sharing commonalities with others, but rather the cultural disconnect/differences between Bulgaria and the United States of America.

One difference is the way one uses formal communication to connect with elders and/or people in positions of power. Another noticeable difference would be that American’s, typically, are more individualistic, as in they are encouraged to pursue their own personality. Whereas Bulgarians, historically, have typically stuck together as a family unit, similar to collectivism, just on a smaller family scale (Hofstede Insights). The last difference I cover is power distance, the internal acceptance that people in power will stay in power, and the people at the bottom of society will remain at the bottom due to lack of representation and/or say in the decision-making process (Bjørge). Learning about and understanding the differences in cultures are two totally different concepts, that I now realize and value the importance of. By talking and sharing stories with one another, we are able to connect in a way that doesn’t threaten our opinions and allows us to see life from a different perspective (Baum, Beyond Labels). I hope to share this newfound understanding of cultural differences by studying and comparing real-life experiences/examples provided by Dr. Viktoria Basham and myself.

Formality, as stated above, is a communication style that shows large amounts of respect towards people in positions of power. I asked Dr. Basham for her opinion on how formality plays a role in communication in Bulgaria, and how it may differ from that of the United States of America. She said, “people from my generation are kinda moving away from that super formal mode of communication.” Dr. Basham also commented that when she has taught cultural communication in the past, she has shown that there are many ways one can show respect or disrespect nowadays.

“Whether you start an email with Dr. Basham or Vicki, I’m not gonna take that as a sign of disrespect, but again I come from a generation where we’ve moved away from a lot of that stuff,” she commented. I asked Vicki how her parents or grandparents would react to being addressed in a less formal manner.  She responded by saying that the way you address your elders directly correlates with the amount of respect one has for an elder and that “that’s a big thing, that’s a sign of respect.”

In the United States, I feel that the younger generations are also using formality in communication less and less. A study was conducted by Anne Kari Bjørge that attempted to determine if students from high power distance cultures were more likely to choose a formal greeting than those from low power distance cultures. Bjørge’s results found that Bulgaria, and seven other countries, ranked number one in the likely hood that a student would send a formal greeting to their professors. In contrast, the United States ranked thirteenth. This goes to show that formality is a much larger part of Bulgarian culture and communication than the United States. 

American’s pride themselves in their individualistic personalities. I asked Dr. Basham, in Bulgaria, do people take pride and show off their personalities or are they more reserved? She commented that Bulgaria “is much less individual-focused,” than America. Considering that Bulgarians are not as individualistic as Americans, I asked if she would consider the culture to side more with collectivism (the idea of moving as a unit, your self-worth is directly related to the family’s reputation and/or outward appearance). “We’re not looking at a utopian socialist idea,” she commented. “It’s more about, especially on the family level, the family stays as a family pretty much from day one until the end.” I was confused by this response, so I asked if she could clarify her answer. She then provided the example that sometimes, there will be multiple generations living under the same roof. Each member of the family helps and contributes to the rest of the family’s success. This example helped me better understand the family dynamics of Bulgarian culture by showing me a different family structure than my own. 

Hofstede Insights offers a country comparison tool that allows one to select different cultures and compare the similarities and differences. When comparing Bulgaria and America, the individualism rankings couldn’t be more drastic. At the higher end of the scale, America ranks at 91%, while Bulgaria ranks at 30%. In the United States, family dynamics differ depending on the family. However, American’s value individualism, which makes each of us different in some regard. While some homes are similar to Bulgaria, as in they have multiple generations living under one roof, not all are the same. It’s a common practice in America to leave the home at eighteen and start to develop an identity apart and away from one’s family. This is where the two cultures differ. By listening to Dr. Basham’s stories, I was able to better understand individualism and collectivism and the roles they play in the different cultures.

This last difference plays a huge role in the dynamics of a country and a people. Power distance, as described above, is the internal acceptance that people in power will stay in power, and the people at the bottom of society will remain at the bottom due to lack of representation and/or say in the decision-making process of a country or culture. Dr. Basham mentioned that, in Bulgaria, it is very common for people who have little money and power to stay poor and powerless. “That’s pretty much how it’s going to keep going, that power distance is not going to change,” she said. I asked her why she felt that way and she responded, “because all the younger people are leaving the country.” She said that it isn’t like when an American starts with nothing and makes their way to the top. “It’s not about how much effort you put into your work or job, or whatever,” she said. “It’s not about how hard you keep pushing, you’ll always be working in that giant distance between you and those in power,” she concluded. As Dr. Basham stated, in the United States, one has the chance to start with nothing and make their way to success. Though, it isn’t the same in Bulgaria, which I would have never known previously without hearing Vicki’s story.

Whether or not we are similar or different, we are all human. No matter how hard we fight it, or study it, or try and change it, we will always be related through that connection. We may not address one another with the same amount of respect, or formality. We may choose to project and/or represent ourselves differently depending on our geographical location. There may even be a massive difference in how we govern and/or view our political leaders. However, at the core of it all, we are all the same in the ways that truly matter. However, to be able to see this for yourself, one must be able to put their opinions and prejudices aside and listen to what others have to say. Noa Baum once participated in a Ted Talk where she talked about the importance of listening to other people’s stories. “When we open up to the story or experiences of another, things begin to shift,” Baum stated. We all possess the ability to feel compassion, empathy, and remorse. All it takes is time, a place, and someone’s stories to listen to. Open your ears and you may be surprised by what you hear.

Andrew S. Larsen

Department of Counselor Education, Longwood University

COUN 503: Introduction to the Counseling Profession

Dr. Rutledge

November 23, 2021