Hello future Race and Oral History students! I hope you’re excited to take this course, one of the most dynamic, hands-on courses you will take in UCSD. Coming into this course, I did not know what to expect- and that’s the best part, I came with no expectations and left with a fulfilling experience.

The most rewarding part of course was the community partnership. This year I was selected to work with the Barrio Logan College Institute (BLCI), which is an after-school program for students in the Barrio Logan community to gain leadership skill and prepare for higher education. BLCI’s mission resonates with my personal interest because of my excitement to work with youth so to be partnered with an organization that does just that made it even more fulfilling. My advice is to select a community partner that you gravitate towards or would like to explore; even in this organization I learned an incredible amount that I would not have if not choosing them. This is a course that allows you to delve into your interests and support dynamic San Diego partners that do great work in the community. You’ll be part of that!

In terms of the workload, make sure you stay on top of it! Conducting oral histories will be an awkward and difficult endeavor, but do not let the daunting portion of the project disconnect you from the powerful work you are producing. Think about it: you are producing knowledge that academics, researchers, and ordinary people want to listen to and study in future years! That’s amazing. Don’t discredit the grand gestures you are partaking in.