PEN- International Day 2

We awaken early because our days are scheduled so full. We meet for breakfast every morning of the week to socialize and meet new people. The same is true for Lunch and dinner and even break times.

Today, the first workshop focuses on the life experiences of two Deaf Leaders, Alan and Vicki Hurwitz. They both discussed about their growing up, what activities and organizations they participated in. They also talked about their personal life; how they met, married, and had children. They also lectured about their leadership growth and development and how it is related to work. At the conclusion of their presentation, they gave us tips as future student leaders. Vicki stated “I believe that it is important, reading is very important for Deaf children."

In the afternoon, we had a workshop called "Effective Communication and Negotiation Skills." We learned about five different types of personalities which we may encounter during our experiences. These personalities are; Competition, Collaboration, Compromise, Avoidance, and Accommodation. We also discussed about how a person would behave in a situation using each one of the five personalities. We learned how to compromise the needs, interests, and positions of a situation and to figure out how to solve a problem. For example, is the location fair for you and the other person you have conflict with? Try to find a more suitable or neutral location, for BOTH of you. Then have patience with the person and discuss different ways which both of you can come to an agreement. Always try to follow up about the situation after you discussed to see if it was successful or not. This was a very worth while afternoon.

In the evening, we had a cultural night with all the other countries. We learned about their countries and were able to see things from their native places. For example, games, dances, music, videos, individual's life story, and shared treats. This experience was so interesting and amazing because I have never been to any of these countries. I was just aw struck by everything. It was great. Every place is so unique. You have to be there to experience and see what their culture is like. I cannot explain it in English word, it is just AMAZING!