It is through the exploration of ourselves and others that true learning takes place. This exploration involves critical thinking, connecting with other people, and the challenge to go beyond our own experiences. For me, it is about collaboration and learning through difference – it is about learning about and how to connect with people who are different from you…education not only prepares you for your profession, it prepares you for life.I have always been interested in seeing the other side of things and understanding other people’s experiences. I think an educator’s role is two-pronged: 1) Helping students have an accessible and informative experience, so they can create their own paths 2) Helping individuals and the entire college community have difficult conversations, especially when they don’t want to.My advising, teaching, administration, and program management background has prepared me to do this work. Philosophy:My role is about giving insight but letting the student, parents/guardians, teachers, and/or other community members take the lead. It is important to answer the questions “Who should care about this work and why is it important?” It may also involve negotiation among all involved. However, celebration also comes into play by recognizing the students taking action on what their needs are and how their community can be a part of their mutual care. My role may also be about giving the student(s) and communities structures or direction/clarity. However, the community member(s) involvement will give an inside view and stray away from "Look what we did for you!" Rather, the conversation is about "let's look at this together." And since we are doing this together, we can work towards seeing each other’s perspectives and what makes us human as individuals, and together – it can be about the exploration of learning through difference. I do not see it as being easy for people to be co-conspirators, but for it to have meaning – we have to strive towards that direction.