This winter, Bellevue College’s Multicultural Services (MCS) continued to foster student belonging, leadership, and cultural celebration across our signature programs: Puente, Umoja, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and our team of Student Affinity Coordinators representing Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, API, International and Veteran students. Through impactful programming, community engagement, and holistic support, MCS strengthened its role as a hub for cultural learning and empowerment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Honoring Legacy and Leadership: MLK Celebration with Ijeoma Oluo<\/strong> Ijeoma Oluo delivered a thought-provoking keynote on racial justice, accountability, and collective responsibility, followed by a book signing and lunch catered by Island Soul. Ijeoma participated in a student-only breakout session that allowed for intimate, candid dialogue. Attendees described the event as energizing and transformational.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Umoja Scholars Program<\/strong> Notable winter programming included \u201cRetro Rewind: A Journey to Congo Back in the ’90s,\u201d co-hosted with the Congolese Student Success Association. Umoja also co-hosted a maternal health equity workshop during Women\u2019s History Month, featuring the documentary Birthing Justice<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Black Male Academic Achievement Conference offered students inspiration, motivation, and networking opportunities. Umoja Peer Educator Theophile Theba was honored with the Jose Gutierrez Scholarship during this event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The winter quarter concluded with a deeply impactful HBCU Tour. Twenty-five Umoja students traveled to Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia to visit Howard University, Coppin State, Virginia State, and Morgan State. The trip exposed students to HBCU campus life, academic programs, admissions processes, and financial aid resources. Beyond academics, students explored national landmarks including the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and the U.S. Capitol. One student remarked, \u201cNot only did I connect with new friends, but I also gained a deeper understanding of Black culture and American history through your thoughtful planning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Monthly dance pop-ups and peer mentoring helped round out the program\u2019s commitment to student engagement and wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puente Program & Latinx Affinity Coordinator<\/strong> The Latinx Affinity Coordinator also hosted a campus-wide celebration of Dia de la Candelaria, emphasizing tradition, tamales, and togetherness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n LGBTQ+ Resource Center<\/strong> Among the most impactful was the Pride in the Pow<\/em> ski and snowboard trip to Crystal Mountain. Sixteen students and four staff participated in this LGBTQ+ Pride celebration in the outdoors, which included skiing lessons, Pride-themed activities, and a chance for students to connect beyond campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other events included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With student daily visits, and strong digital engagement (over 130 Instagram followers and 96 students on the email list), the Center continues to be a vital space for visibility, wellness, and connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Student Affinity Coordinators<\/strong> The Black Affinity Coordinator helped organize a Black History Month conversation with YMCA CEO Loria Yeadon, a talk with Ezell\u2019s founder Lewis Rudd, and a Women\u2019s History Month empowerment session featuring Veronica Very. The API Affinity Coordinator partnered with student cultural groups to host a popular community game night, while multiple coordinators collaborated on film screenings and wellness events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MCS also hosted the Sankofa Impact workshop Fog Beyond the Mountains<\/em>, spotlighting the often-overlooked history of African Americans in the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, Women\u2019s History Month featured Sisterhood Unleashed: The Transformative Power of Solidarity<\/em>, a workshop on the power of shared advocacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As we look towards the end of the academic year, Multicultural Services remains committed to uplifting student voices, honoring cultural heritage, and building spaces of connection and growth. From national conferences and heritage month celebrations to transformative campus events and everyday moments of support, our programs continue to reflect the power of community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This winter, Bellevue College's Multicultural Services (MCS) continued to foster student belonging, leadership, and cultural celebration across our signature programs: Puente, Umoja, the LGBTQ+ Resource Center, and our team of Student Affinity Coordinators representing Black, Latinx, LGBTQ+, API, International and Veteran students. Through impactful programming, community engagement, and holistic support, MCS strengthened its role as ...more about Winter 2025 Recap: Multicultural Services at Bellevue College<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3287,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[23],"class_list":["post-5190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-multicultural-services"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3287"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5190"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5190\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5191,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5190\/revisions\/5191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bellevuecollege.edu\/mcs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
The quarter began with a powerful and unifying event: Bellevue College\u2019s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. This year\u2019s program featured bestselling author and social critic Ijeoma Oluo as keynote speaker. Centered on the theme \u201cWhere Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?\u201d<\/em>, the event welcomed a large audience of faculty, staff, and community members both in person and virtually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Umoja welcomed 14 new scholars this quarter and celebrated 62 students for academic excellence from Fall 2024. The program\u2019s strength lies in its culturally grounded curriculum, mentorship, and community events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In collaboration with the Latinx Affinity Coordinator, Puente brought 20 Latinx students to the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) Conference. Students from five Latin American countries participated in workshops and keynote sessions with national leaders and changemakers. Many described the conference as life-changing and affirming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The LGBTQ+ Resource Center expanded its community presence through regular drop-in hours, Weekly Study Sessions, Weekly Tea gatherings, and five well-attended events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Affinity Coordinators created and co-led a variety of events aimed at centering student voice and cross-cultural celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n