On Sept. 2, the M.O.S.A.I.C LGBTQ+ Resource Center hosted their first ever Multicultural Matters Retreat. The retreat, open to all students, was from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Cybersecurity Center and included breakfast, lunch and dinner for all attendees.
M.O.S.A.I.C Retreat Coordinator Orion Capela described the retreat as multifunctional. “It’s about connecting students with one another, but it’s also letting students gain leadership experience,” Capela said. “It’s a broader opportunity to network with the Colorado Springs community.”
The retreat included four breakout session blocks, each ranging from an hour to an hour and a half. Upon registration, students were asked to list their session preferences, and were then provided with a personalized schedule including the sessions they were assigned to.
Each block had several sessions to choose from, all aligning with a common theme. The themes for each session were “Wellness and Wellbeing,” “The Academic Journey,” “Healthcare” and “Know Your Rights.”
“We wanted to think about what matters to a leader,” Capela said. “It’s not just being able to tell people what to do; it’s taking care of yourself, it’s figuring out your career path, how to … connect with other people who are doing the same thing as you.”
The session speakers included a range of faculty, alumni and community members.
I attended a “Students of Color Support Group” session hosted by Wellness Center Clinician, Lateka Salley, which provided participants with information on Wellness Center resources and allowed students a safe space to talk about mental health.
I also attended a career panel featuring community members such as Department of Human Services Chief EDI Officer Sandy Ho and local brewery owner Richard Fierro. Each of the panelists had different careers, and different paths to finding their careers, which was intended to help students envision their job search after graduation.
To wrap up the sessions, UCCS Director of DEI Education and Outreach Sloan Gonzales gave a presentation on Authentic Leadership, followed by a dinner and after party.
MOSAIC will also host a Queer Restoration retreat on Saturday, October 7. According to Capela, the retreats have different focuses.
“This is a leadership retreat, but the [Queer Restoration] is a healing retreat,” Capela said.
Registration for the Queer Restoration Retreat opens on Sept. 7 and closes Oct. 1. Students interested in registering for the retreat can visit Mountain Lion Connect.
Anyone with questions regarding the upcoming retreat or seeking information on the Resource Center can email [email protected] or call (719) 255-3040.
Photo courtesy of mlc.uccs.edu.