In celebration of successfully completing our first virtual EDUC 2610 sessions last week, we’d like to highlight another one of our co-facilitator pairs that help make everything we do possible! This week’s #HumansofIDP features co-facilitators Chuka Anyene '20 and Jeannie Yamazaki ‘21. Here's what these two have to say about IDP and each other:
Why IDP?
Chuka:
IDP was a breath of fresh air in a life that I wasn’t content with living. Around the time I took the class, I was unsure of how I saw myself in relation to the communities I inhabited at Cornell and also in regards to my relationships with family/friends. Taking IDP and continuing as a facilitator allowed me to explore systems of power and my own socialization within them, and not only acknowledge them, but begin the difficult work of dismantling them. Now, I am still unsure of my place in my life, but in a good way. I’m not sure where I’m heading, but I definitely know I’m growing, and that’s all thanks to IDP.
Jeannie:
At this point, IDP is woven into the story of who I am and who I want to be. The way I process the world, the way I communicate with others, the way I carry myself–my capacity and my confidence in doing these things have been shaped by my time with IDP. In the past 2 years I have grown in ways that I never would have imagined, and I am so proud and thankful to have (seemingly) stumbled into this program. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this program and myself with it.
What is your favorite thing about your co-facilitator?
Chuka:
It’s hard to pinpoint one favorite thing about Jeannie. She’s patient, compassionate, funny, energetic and much more all stuffed into a single human. My favorite thing about Jeannie however, is her spirit when in the IDP space and beyond. When I’m having rough days, it’s so easy to just feed off of Jeannie because I can tell she really loves what she does with IDP, and it motivates me to match her level of engagement. Ultimately, it brightens my mood and turns any day into a fun time with her. Even when times are hard on her end, this spirit doesn’t wane. She always gives everything she’s got, even if some days it may not be as much as she wants to give. It’s admirable to say the least, and definitely something I hope has rubbed off on me!
Jeannie:
I love how Chuka expresses himself! His personality and passion come through in everything he does. From his fashion to his facilitation style, I’m always being inspired by Chuka and his ability to be his authentic self. In such a short time, I’ve grown in my capacity to bring more of myself into everything I do, and a lot of that is from being around Chuka. I also want to acknowledge how amazing he is with students–he’s so thoughtful and perceptive of our student’s needs.
