Spotlight On...
Prejudice Reduction Workshop
Facilitators-in-Training
Our facilitators go through 36 hours of training before they are certified to present Prejudice Reduction Workshops. We'd like to introduce you to the five members of our current class.
Alla
Tageldin: Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Alla's roots stretch
all the way back to the Bedouins of the Arabian Peninsula, though her
family comes from North Sudan. Alla was in 7th grade when the atrocities
of 9/11 occurred. Although she didn't "look" Muslim at the
time, she felt shame in being associated with Islam and wanted to become
invisible. As a junior in high school, Alla became more religious, and
when she began to look and act like a Muslim, she began to experience
stares and insults, fear and prejudice from those around her. This painful
experience gave her a strong sense of identity, and today she is a proud
Muslim and a proud American.
Maka
Boeve. Macarena was named after a saint in Seville, Spain, but
with the popularization of an "obnoxious dance" and "risque
lyrics," she chose to use her grandfather's nickname for her. Born
in New York City, Maka had a vagabond childhood, living in her mother's
homeland of Chile, on a cattle farm in Tennessee, and near the beach
in Florida. Today she has been married nearly twenty years and has an
intelligent and spunky 14-year-old daughter and an athletic and compassionate
12-year-old son. As a teacher, Maka's mantra is to learn something new
every day.
Razan
Gaafarelkhalifa. Another woman with roots in North Sudan, Razan
was born and raised in the country of Oman on the Arabian Peninsula.
Immigrants in Oman were not permitted to become citizens or own land,
and they faced a great deal of discrimination in finding work. Although
she had never lived anywhere else, Razan could never feel at home in
Oman. On arriving in America and learning that anyone could become a
citizen, she felt instantly at home. Although she faced some difficulties
as a minority at Mayo High School, Razan worked hard and quickly rose
to take honors classes. Today she defines herself as a one-woman melting
pot, embracing her Muslim Sudanese heritage, her Omani upbringing, and
her American future.
Marie
Walch. Marie defines herself as a searcher and a seeker. Growing
up in rural Minnesota, she was not aware of cultural differences, or
the outside world. Her small world began to expand when she entered treatment
for alcohol and drug addiction. Abandoned by her family, she began to
reach out to people around her and found a new family in the larger community.
Today she is grateful for the difficulties that opened up the world to
her and hopes to use her life in service to others.
Molly
Seavers. Born and raised in Rochester, Molly is a graduate of
Mayo High School, where she was homecoming queen. She was actively involved
in Mayo’s sports programs and later played pro football in Washington
State. Along the way she obtained a degree in social work. Molly has
recently returned to her Rochester roots, and she currently works at
the United Way, where she coordinated this fall’s annual school
supply drive.