I believe that my knowledge of multicultural competence has also led me to an even deeper area of knowledge that I believe is important to highlight: effectively communicating with diverse populations through advising and counseling techniques.  My semester-long courses in student development theory, and counseling culturally diverse populations, have given me knowledge of different counseling strategies that work for different types of students.  In the counseling course we read Introduction to Multicultural Counseling for Helping Professionals (Lee, Blando, Mizelle, & Orozco, 2007) which dedicated various chapters to different populations (the elderly, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, etc), and provided the reader with information on developmental theories, counseling strategies, and unique characteristics of these populations.  In my student development theory course we read Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice by Evans, Forney, Guido, Patton, and Renn (2010) which provides student affairs practitioners with an understanding of the developmental changes facing various college students.  This information helped me gain knowledge of the development of diverse student populations, and how to best work with these students 

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     Not only have I gained knowledge through reading about various populations, I work with a diverse population weekly at my internship site and have applied the knowledge I gained from  my coursework to students with whom I work.   In my courses I have also applied my knowledge of student development theory and counseling/advising various student populations through the Voice project, Immersion project, as well as a Cultural Immersion project.  With the help of these applications I explored specific student populations (nontraditional, transgender, displaced worker, students with disabilities, and a Muslim) and gained a deeper understanding of empathy and the experiences of others.  Using these reflections, I applied the theories, and techniques learned in class and engaged in critical reflection to learn empathy and gain an understanding of the experiences of someone different from myself. 
 

     Understanding the importance of being multiculturally competent and knowing how to continue growth is important in the area of student affairs.  However, I believe that being able to apply this knowledge to advising and counseling techniques shows a deeper understanding.  The knowledge I have gained through coursework, critical reflection, and my internship has prepared me to communicate with diverse populations.  Being able to do so will help make me an effective student affairs professional, counselor, and faculty member.