The next week it was time to meet the youth from the IICONN center. I was extremely nervous, I usually don’t work well in new situations like this one. I am a “chatty” girl when I am in a comfortable setting but outside of that I get very nervous. So, this experience turned my stomach. That day we played a few games with the students, and then ate a meal in Barone, the campus-dining hall. While eating Dr. B asked two of the students that struggled with language communication if they had ever tried ice cream. Ice cream being one of my favorite desserts, I was excited when they had said they never tried it before.

Adrienne and I went and got them a few flavors to try. I could tell that they were puzzled by the consistency of the ice cream as well, that it was so cold. When they tried the ice cream I was over joyed that they liked it, or at least they told me they did.

This first class made me understand one of the readings that I did by Crandall entitled, Ubuntu. In his writing he discusses the roles that education plays on these refugees. He writes, “Education plays a critical role in preparing individuals and their communities to recover and rebuild after conflict or disaster. Education is an important tool to promote and ensure greater peace and rehabilitation following an emergency situation. With access to a quality education, individuals can better fulfill their own potential and fully contribute to the growth, strength and stability of their society” (Crandall). Thus, I was excited to engage in the mentoring which would not only help the students, but would change my education, making me engage in real life materials outside the classroom.