Speaker and author Juana Bordas will be on campus on Monday, Oct. 4, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, inviting students to celebrate their own personal heritage, and “join the dance of our global community” by embracing other cultural traditions. Bordas will present “The Power of ‘We’” during convocation at 10 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 4 in the church-chapel and also lead a discussion that night at 7:30 p.m. in the church-chapel fellowship hall.
As a young adult, Bordas volunteered in Chile with the Peace Corps. Her experience in Chile resulted in a life-long commitment to multicultural community enrichment, which has given her 25 years experience managing, and in some cases founding organizations such as the National Hispana Leadership Institute, Mi Casa Women’s Center in Denver and Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership.
In Borda’s recent book, “Salsa, Soul and Spirit: Leadership for our Multicultural Future,” she calls leaders to embrace the diverse traditions and cultures to create “inclusive, collective, and people-centered environments.”
"Multicultural leadership encourages an inclusive and adaptable style that cultivates the ability to bring out the best in our diverse workforce and to fashion a sense of community with people from many parts of the globe," said Bordas.
Odelet Nance, director of multicultural affairs, hopes that Goshen College students will have a better understanding of multicultural leadership that highlights being “people centered, community focused, and advocacy oriented.” A spirit of activism and servant leadership are also characteristics that students can learn from Bordas, said Nance.
Student Life, CITL, the enrollment team and even the President's Council have studied “Salsa, Soul and Spirit.” Academic departments such as English, Communication, and Education are also engaging students with Bordas’ work.
Bordas' events are sponsored by CITL.
