Competency #1: Communication

The Competency in Communication at UAS requires that students be good communicators within their communities. This means that we must be able to interact with the community and to set a good example within the community.

I think that being competent in communication is a very important and often difficult skill to master. Our community is very diverse and you have to learn to be able to communicate effectively with all people regardless of culture or background.

• One way that I think I have shown my competency in communication was by doing a year of foreign exchange. I spent one academic year in Dunedin, New Zealand studying at the University of Otago. In Dunedin I practiced my skills at understanding another culture and learning to communicate within that culture. I also had many opportunities for sharing my knowledge and experience of SE Alaska culture and history.

I think that my success abroad shows that I am ready and willing to communicate across cultures within my community.