By: Annie Beg, ICAD Intern
Before starting in my position as an ICAD intern, I anticipated growing and honing my skills of facilitation in this capacity. Now that this semester is coming to a close, I can confidently say I am leaving ICAD much different than I anticipated. While reflecting on this semester, I now realize that I looked at this opportunity as a way to serve myself: how I can be better, how I can bolster my resume, and so on. Now, I look at this opportunity in a whole different light.
From a community standpoint, ICAD is a way to not only serve others, but to connect with others. We strive to bring people of diverse ideologies together to share stories, opinions, and our own personal realities. While the richness of our conversations is rooted in our differences, the beautiful thing about this process is that there will always be some kind of common ground to be found among people. We truly are more similar than we are different. Through facilitation, I have seen first hand that when we listen, really listen, to the ideologically different, we build empathy. Empathy for the other is what connects us all at the end of the day.
In reflecting on how ICAD has changed me on a day to day basis, I realize I have noticeably become more curious. When you commit to the time required to create dialogue on topics you would never deeply dive into otherwise, you acquire a deeper sense of what you don’t know. After engaging in stimulating dialogue, I consistently walked away with a richer understanding and a new lens through which to view the world around me. This made me more inquisitive and curious, which showed through the deeper and more intentional conversations I am having with my friends and family. The core of a facilitated session is seeing individuals that possess a unique set of knowledge and experiences come together and exchange them, with all parties leaving more intellectually and emotionally equipped. I think the same rings true to our daily connections in our strong relationships. There is strong potential for mutually beneficial growth within our relationships, and ICAD helps give us skills to work towards that.