Community Arts Coordinator

Stephanie Sanchez

Community Arts Coordinator
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
Multilingual

Question & Answer

How is proficiency in another language useful or important in this field?

Having the ability to communicate with various groups and cultures allows an avenue to gain trust and confidence through verbal communication.

How is the ability to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds useful or important in this field?

It is important to be able to communicate and understand different cultures within our community and show that the communicator cares enough to learn and interact within the culture itself.

What are some other skills that are important for success in this field?

Like many jobs within the community engagement sector creativity, the ability to interact with many different cultures and ethnicities, having confidence in your own abilities but also having confidence that your work will enhance many lives. Leadership is an important quality to have along with organizational skills.

What did you do to prepare for this field? (For example: If you attended college, what did you study, apprenticeships, internships, work experience, etc.)

Besides living in Spain, being a world traveler and an artist has opened up many doors and opportunities to be able to interact within our various communities.

What languages do you speak? Did you have the opportunity to study abroad or spend time in a language-speaking country?

Stephanie speaks Spanish, Roma, and English.

Reflection

I interviewed Stephanie on September 13, 2024. My objective is to understand her position and how she is capable of bringing diverse groups of people into discussions and giving them a voice within their broader community.

I have had the opportunity to observe Stephanie in various social and working situations and have been impressed with her organizational skills and ability to mingle within many different types of cultures and social circles. Sometimes a person has a propensity to make themselves immediately noticeable. An ability to steal a room if you will.

To gain the trust of an audience or group takes a certain knowledge or skill that allows someone to be able to interact within different circles. Some people have an intangible gift which could be things such as a genuine liking and caring for people that people feel. I believe that this is one of Stephanie’s skills.

About the author

name: Mark Nelson

institution: Boise State University

Psychology/Spanish Majors