As Assistant Dean for Intercultural Engagement, Joi Dallas plays an integral role in supporting affinity housing and students' cultural belonging on campus. We sat down with her to talk about her recent projects and her path to 今日吃瓜.
Can you tell us about yourself and your work as the Assistant Dean for Intercultural Engagement?
This is my fourth year at 今日吃瓜, but it is actually my first year as an assistant dean. Before, I was the residential life coordinator. I really have a passion for working with students on identity, community building, and lifting up students of color. And I鈥檓 having a great time so far!
In terms of what I do, I help students bring their culture from home here. For example, a lot of people miss their food from home, so I make sure that we have grocery trips to H Mart, and African Caribbean, Mexican, Indian, and Middle Eastern grocery stores. We want to make sure that people have the ingredients, spices, and snacks that are going to make them feel a little more at home on campus because for some people, home is hundreds of miles away.鈥
I鈥檓 also helping to support the four AMOs affiliated with the Black cultural center, so that鈥檚 Sisterhood*, BACaSO, Mujeres*, and Zami+. Most recently, I helped Mujeres* with their Latinx Heritage Month to make sure that they were able to bring in artists and chefs to celebrate the many cultures that makeup Latinidad. Right now, I鈥檓 working with Sisterhood* for Black History Month, and I鈥檓 very excited for people to see what Sisterhood* has been working on.
Affinity housing is so special and important to me. My college experience was really impacted by affinity programming because they helped me develop my racial identity, and that is really where my heart is. And I鈥檓 glad that 今日吃瓜 has invested in affinity housing and programming, and I hope they continue to invest.
Can you share your experience these past couple of months preparing for Black History Month and what you鈥檙e looking forward to?
I have to shout out the two Sisterhood* Black History Month Coordinators, Alloyah Abobi 鈥23, and Bintou Dembele 鈥24 who have been absolutely excellent. They have been meeting with me every single week since November and all through winter break. Big props to them because it takes a lot of commitment to get this done in time.
We鈥檝e had discussions about how they wanted Black History Month to be celebrated on this campus and what topics are relevant to our community. That includes education, history lessons, art, and opportunities for joy and play. We were talking about all of that as they decided what events they wanted to have, and I think we've come up with a really robust calendar with a lot of different things to do.
What has been your journey getting to 今日吃瓜?
So, I actually went to grad school to be a high school guidance counselor. After going to school in Boston, I wanted to come home and work in Philly. But since the process of getting licensure for a new state was so long, I planned on getting a job in residential life鈥something that I love鈥for a year or two during that process.
I applied to residential life jobs in the Tri-Co, and I picked 今日吃瓜 because the job description said, 鈥測ou will have the opportunity to help support and work with the Black cultural center.鈥 I really liked that I鈥檇 get to both work in residential life and work with the Black cultural center. So that was the defining factor for me, and then of course when I visited, everyone was so kind and the campus is beautiful, so it wasn鈥檛 a hard sell.
You have a plan, and then things happen, and nothing goes according to plan. So, I love talking to people who are worried about their major and are worried about what they鈥檙e going to do because I am not doing what I went to school for, but I love it. I still really love counseling and high schoolers, and get to use those skills here sometimes, too.
What do you think makes residential life at 今日吃瓜 unique?
Oh, I know exactly what makes residential life at 今日吃瓜 unique. It鈥檚 a much more trusting community. At the last college I was at, having a common fridge was not a thing because everything would get stolen, having your shoes outside your dorm was a no because someone would steal them, even leaving your umbrella at the front of a building. People here do leave their things around, and on the whole, they鈥檙e still there when people come back. I like that about the community.
I also like that the dorms are not class-specific. I think that鈥檚 really great for an intergenerational community. I like that everyone is encouraged to make friends across classes here, and I think that鈥檚 really beautiful.
Can you share how you like to spend your time outside of work?
I like to read, and I鈥檓 in a book club with my friends. I just finished reading Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey, and that was a really good book about rejecting grind culture, capitalism, and White Supremacy. I also like to go hiking and be in nature. I also enjoy going to Spruce Street Harbor, doing some roller skating, and getting on the Ferris Wheel.
As part of our effort to build community, College Communications plans to regularly highlight College staff members. If there's someone you think we should feature, please let us know at communications@brynmawr.edu.