Mariska Andringa

Prep 1300

Nathan Wilson

Learning Journal 3

                    In week 11, we discussed the value and understanding of cultures. Over the years,

our society is becoming more aware that diversity and cultural awareness are beneficial for

ourselves, businesses, and institutions. Different attributes within every person can broaden

perspectives and develop new ideas, such as background, race, sexual orientation, languages,

travel experience, and many more. Knowing your people and the cultures surrounding us is

necessary if we want to grow and expand ourselves and one another. I was pleased to see cultural

awareness as a topic of discussion in Prep 1300 and Biology. This content is valuable to

everyone, and it is a step in creating a more inclusive environment in every part of our lives. I

work for lululemon, and I am grateful to work for a company that invests a lot of time creating

resources and offering sessions for their employees to learn and reflect on diversity and

inclusion. We have a mandatory staff meeting every month, and an hour of that time is spent

reflecting and discussing how we can increase diverse representation within the brand and its

employees. With broad movements like Black Lives Matter and Me Too, more awareness has

been brought to the importance of cultural knowledge, and the adversity people have

encountered.

There is a lot to learn about cultures, history, and one another. It is important to listen and value

each other’s opinions, accept differences, and be open to new ideas and feedback. If we make

small shifts and are mindful of these behaviours, we can collectively create more diverse and
harmonious relationships and workplaces. My favourite way to learn about cultures is to

experience them first-hand. I have been privileged enough to travel to many countries. I love to

immerse myself in the culture and learn about the ways of living, religious beliefs, and cultural

differences. Even though I have had the privilege of learning about cultures through the lens of a

tourist, I know there is still a lot for me to learn. I am committed to taking part in the inclusion

and diversity workshops that are offered weekly through my work, reading and learning about

the history of different cultures, being an active listener, valuing everyone’s opinions and

feedback, and using my voice to educate and create more awareness. If we all work on educating

ourselves and each other on culture and diversity and become aware of our own unconscious

biases, companies, workplaces, and institutions will be more successful. 

Learning Journal 4

As we are nearing the end of the first semester, I am reflecting on my overall well-being

throughout the term. In week twelve, we focused on acknowledging and managing stress,

mindfulness, and maintaining balance in life. As an advocate for healthy living, I quickly

recognized times when I allowed stress to take over my state of being. I felt stress when I tried to

balance work and school, as well as leading up to more extensive tests and evaluations. When I

feel stressed, I tend to feel scattered, unable to focus, emotional and have trouble sleeping. I also

realized I was spending all day doing schoolwork, then rushing off to work without eating a
healthy meal. I let my yoga and meditation practice subside, as I wasn’t taking any breaks

between school and work. Throughout the first part of the semester, I took a reading week to

reflect on how I was feeling and what actions I could take to relieve some stress and set myself

up in the second part of the term with a fresh mindset. Before week seven, I worked as a full-

time supervisor at lululemon and three days a week at Town Brewery. Working seven days a

week and managing school was causing me stress and wearing me down. I decided to drop down

to part-time at both my workplaces and establish boundaries with my managers of when I was

available to work. I also subscribed for a food subscription with Good Food. Having this

guarantees that I will have healthy meals accessible to me and ensure that I am getting the proper

nutrients. I downloaded the Peloton app, which offers a wide variety of yoga and fitness classes

ranging from twenty minutes to an hour. I am also a certified yoga teacher, and even though I am

not teaching right now, I need to focus on the practice and continue to learn. I set up a yoga and

meditation area in my spare room, so I have a quiet place where I can relax. In the summary of

Week 12, something that stood out to me was “resilient students have the personal development

and drive necessary to succeed.” When I compare my college experience this year to previous

experiences and how I felt going into this program, I feel confident in myself as a student. I have

shifted my fear of failure mindset to believing that I can achieve my goals. This mindset shift is

reflected in my marks and success this semester. Although I still experience stress, I am

reflective of it and make adjustments to ensure I feel balanced, healthy and happy.