Yen, Communication Consultant

Yen, Communication Consultant

To become a consultant at the Speaking Center, you start off by taking a semester-long course called CST390. Some of my favorite SC memories thus far have been made throughout the course of this training. All of us classmates shared the goal of becoming a consultant and were all put through the same assignments and deadlines. Also included in training were shadow hours in the actual Speaking Center where we really got to be a part of everything. 

I remember one day I walked in and a few people seemed to be preoccupied with an upcoming consultation. I remember one of the SC directors also being involved in this conversation as well. I quickly figured out that this had to do with a Speaker who came in regularly. Due to her religious and cultural beliefs, she could not be in a room by herself with a male consultant. This was an issue last time she was in so this time we were prepared. We quickly made adjustments without putting her on the spot, and before her consultation even started, had her consultant switched to someone who identified as female. 

To me, this showed how much diversity and the Speakers themselves mean to the Center. This student was not put on the spot and everything was done in a respectful manner. Also, the fact that the director remembered and personally made sure this student was accommodated for showed that she genuinely cared for the students coming into this space.