THE RESOURCE CENTER – Meera Nemali

I have been working at Wesleyan’s student Resource Center since the beginning of my sophomore year. The center is meant to support marginalized or underrepresented students on campus in any way possible. I applied right after my freshman year in the hopes of finding a community of people from all walks of life. My first year at Wesleyan was during the pandemic and the lack of events for students were minimal (i.e. on zoom) or nonexistent. I found it important, as a student of color, to be in communication and forge relationships with other students of color. I was extremely excited when I learned that I had been invited for an interview with the director of the center and another student, and the week after I found out I had been accepted for the position. I was elated!

After three years of my position as a Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality intern, I am able to look back and have gratitude to the people who hired me for this job. Through this position, I have been able to meet so many people from different sides of campus that I would have never interacted with. Along with a team of three other interns, we worked together to collaborate with the cultural student groups to aid them in any planning, materials, or funding for any events they desire to put on. Our work included coordinating meeting times with the leaders of these groups, or inviting them to our weekly meetings to ensure they have as much information they need. I have also been a part of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month planning committee for the last two years. Even though Wesleyan celebrates AAPI Month in April, we begin our meetings in December and continue until the end of heritage month for important logistical purposes, but also as a way to check in with each other and be with our community.

This job has allowed me to see so many different student (and faculty) experiences at Wesleyan that would be hard if I was not as immersed as I am today. I am very grateful for it!

Check out some of the events I have helped organize here!