The Importance of Immersing Myself in the Community as a UNCSA Student

Author: Corina Matos Aguilera

Last fall I served as the production manager for an event for Artists of Color, our largest student organization here at UNCSA, for Hispanic Heritage month. I knew from our first meeting that I wanted to support and advertise our local Hispanic-owned businesses at the festival, so I drove just 5 minutes away from campus and found that there was an incredible community of people with Latin American roots closer to me than I could have imagined. As a Venezuelan, I'd been aching to speak Spanish with someone or get a taste of plantains, beans, and rice, and it was mind-boggling that those things were right around the corner. UNCSA can feel like a bubble sometimes, but after my first trip to these bakeries and bodegas, I knew it would be a huge loss not to immerse myself in the Winston-Salem community. There is so much passion and culture here, and I'm thrilled to be a new member of ArtistCorps, where I will be able to work with kids in the community.

I just finished my first week with the Wolf Method, where I will be helping young kids with learning English sounds. I am so excited to pass on the help I wish I had when I was learning this language myself. I know first-hand how hard it can be, but being on the other side of it now, I understand how valuable the work is that's being done through ArtistCorps. Last week I filmed my first videos in English and Spanish, and I also met with the arts integration team I will be working with. I just feel so lucky to be merging my passions of the arts, education, linguistics, and community service this year, and I can't wait to keep going.