Interview with Katherine (Kate) Small

Interview with Katherine Small

by Dylan Shafer

Kathrine Small is a student attending JMU for one year before returning back to England to finish her degree. She was born West Sussex to Methodist parents. During her childhood she gained an idea that every person should be able to try new things, leading her going to university after finishing school. Her job back in the UK working at a summer camp for kids during the summer.

Though she has been here for a short time, she has already viewed the city of Harrisonburg in a good light, remarking that it is friendly and

 

00:00:10
Speaker 1: Hello this is. My name is Dylan Shafer and I am with

00:00:12

Speaker 2: My name’s Catherine small. I’m 20 years old and I’m an exchange student from the UK.

00:00:22
Speaker 1: Where is your family from in the UK?

00:00:27
Speaker 2: Both my parents are Scottish and then they moved on to England with me and my brother were both born.

00:00:39
Speaker 1: Is there anything you want to talk about from your childhood or any experiences.

00:00:46
Speaker 2: I have a good childhood. Yeah, I went to a primary school in my village.

00:00:54
Speaker 2: I was in school all the way through to 18.

00:00:57
Speaker 2: I went to university in the UK to study history.

00:01:08
Speaker 1: Are you religious?

00:01:10

Speaker 2: Yes I was christened when I was a baby and I’m still Christian. I believe in Christianity.

00:01:20
Speaker 2: I’m part of the Methodist association

00:01:23

Speaker 1: I’m a Methodist too. How did you come to America? You came as an exchange student?

00:01:30
Speaker 2: Yes. So, this is my first time here. I came by myself. No one else in my family has been to the US before. So yeah, I’m here studying for a year as part of my university degree.

00:01:46
Speaker 1: Um do you want to explain more a little bit more about your town here.

00:01:53
Speaker 2: So, I’m from the county of West Sussex.

00:01:57
Speaker 2: It’s in the south of England. The various outfits on the English Channel which borders funds got near Plymouth.

00:02:09
Speaker 2: Yeah. Well or somewhere. Well it’s Portsmouth. Yeah, it’s the others. Yeah.

00:02:15
Speaker 2: It’s the other side. Yeah, it’s really nice mm. What was your first impression of Harrisonburg?

00:02:28
Speaker 2: It feels very like communal right. There seems to me like in a strong sense of community here and I felt safe pretty much straight away which was a concern of mine because it’s such obviously America’s so big that I and I come from an area which is really small that I was concerned about but not instantly felt welcomed and safe.

00:02:59
Speaker 1: And have you seen any changes in the short time you’ve been here in Harrisonburg.

00:03:08
Speaker 2: Not really. Like I guess that when I came here I everyone was really friendly, and I immediately felt welcomed and that hasn’t really changed.

00:03:17
Speaker2: Like I haven’t noticed any difference

00:03:20

Speaker 1: I think I already know the answer to this one, but have you even met a significant other.

00:03:27
Speaker 2: No.

00:03:33
Speaker 1: Do you have a job here.

00:03:35
Speaker 2: No, I’m not allowed based on my student visa.

00:03:39
Speaker 1: Do you work back in the UK.

00:03:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, I work in the summer holidays like kids summer camp. Yeah.

00:03:48
Speaker 2: Okay.

00:03:50
Speaker 1: And do you have like a business or organization you’re involved with here on campus or in Harrisonburg.

00:04:01
Speaker 2: Not really. I’m involved in sort of being an ambassador for my university about Come here. If that makes sense so trying to get students to do a semester abroad at my university in.

00:04:18
Speaker 1: And so what are your future plans.

00:04:26
Speaker 2: Finish their share and go home. I’ll do my final year and then hopefully go into politics in some way either through journalism or work and so in office.

00:04:45

Speaker 1: What changes do you think you would like to see in Harrisonburg and we are going to save the world, in terms of foreign nationals.

00:04:53
Speaker 2: I think in terms of the world I think people should become a lot more tolerant of those that are foreign coming into that country. I know being from the UK it’s also a contentious issue that I personally think everyone should be welcomed everywhere. Yeah I just I think I’d like to see people become more tolerant unless scene phobic.

00:05:35
Speaker 2: Yeah yeah yeah.

00:05:40
Speaker 1: What do you think of the rhetoric used in immigration both here and abroad.

00:05:47
Speaker 2: I think it’s one to try and make people scared and to try and make people fear. People coming into the country and make them see them as a threat as opposed to someone that could help in which the culture already. I think it’s a shame. I think it should be the other way around.

00:06:11
Speaker 1: But what what do you think students should learn about immigration and foreign nationals having.

00:06:36
Speaker 2: During my youth but now I personally think it’s something that if possible every student should try and do. It’s been a really enriching experience for me in terms of learning about a new culture and sort of learning to embrace as much as possible and I think it’s something lots of students would benefit from if they could make it.

00:07:04
Speaker 1: That’s all I got so that’s going to be and be the end of the interview.

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New Bridges Immigrant Resource Center

In Downtown Harrisonburg, one block away from court square, is the New Bridges Immigrant Resource Center.

Founded from a group of Mennonite Churches concerned about the increasing cultural diversity of the valley, the center has been a center of immigrant culture and engagement, helping them find their way here in the valley since being founded in 2000. They work to help immigrants in a variety of ways, ranging from providing services and resources in a wide variety of languages to cultural events that help global engagement.

For all the work they provide, all their services are completely free. They are entirely dependent on donations and volunteers to keep the center going and to help host events that the center hosts.
The events they host are both for the general welfare of the immigrants in the valley and for the continuation of the center. Their main fundraiser is the Taste of the World, a fundraising event that invites various local businesses and community members to come participate in a global engagement event. They also are the one of the main organizers of the Harrisonburg International Festival, an event held in the fall to celebrate the cultural diversity in the valley.

They provide a wide variety of services ranging from Immigration documentation to financial support to education. These services help them getting settled into their new lives here in the valley. In addition to their services, they also have many resources available, including an interactive map of Harrisonburg and links to Virginia Immigrant resources and Healthcare directories. These resources provide additional information for the services and provide context to things mentioned in the services, with the map helping them navigate around the city.

Their resources come in two languages: English and Spanish. They also have a flyer explaining the center in Arabic

A full list of their services, resources, and events can be found on their website, along with a donation link if you would like to donate to help the center.

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