In retrospect...

       I walked into the SSS Peer Mentoring class with clear expectations. I knew that I would be keeping my own schedule and doing my utmost to help the mentees assigned to me. All in all I felt well prepared. However, there were many things that I didn't fully understand, most of which came to light during the Diversity Training.

       For example, my contact with LGBT groups has been very limited, and a great deal of my understanding about their lifestyle and the struggles that they face had come second hand. For the first time, through participating in the Diversity Training, I was able to learn first hand the wide diversity of groups that are classified as LGBTQA+, and gain new understanding about their perspective. What was particularly eye opening was the star exercise that we did near the beginning of the second half of the training. It helped me understand the complexities surrounding the coming-out process, and why it is so important to be sensitive about the issue if I am paired up with a mentee that hasn't come-out yet.

       The second thing I realized, and this came as a side-effect of the dissonance that arose during the Diversity Training, is just how quickly emotions can boil over if we aren't sensitive to the issues we are ignorant to. It is always important to ask questions, listen in an active manner, and to facilitate meaningful dialogue between groups with differing beliefs. These lessons are applicable to more than just the Peer Mentor programs; these are lessons that are applicable to life in general.