Photo By Tech. Sgt. Samuel Burns | Granite Oaks Middle School students celebrated the schools first Culture Celebration...... read more read more
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Team Beale and the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West joined efforts to support Granite Oaks Middle School with their first ever Culture Celebration Week, May 22-26.
The cultural celebration was created through the eyes of an 8th grade student and military dependent from Beale Air Force Base, Darielis Vega Roman. Vega Roman wanted to enlighten the other students and make a difference by constructing a celebration of cultures.
“I wanted to bring [cultural] awareness to all the students at Granite Oaks,” Vega Roman said. “We have a lot of cultures here ranging from Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands, Canada, Native American, and this week we were able to get together and learn from each other.”
Throughout the week, the middle school students explored the culture activities during their lunch break. They bounced from booth to booth to learn about the different cultures within the school and from Beale’s heritage organizations. They were able to take home cultural bracelets, engage with Beale’s service members and gain insights into future career options.
“The biggest achievement came from day one, the students were engaged, learning about different cultures and asked a lot of one-on-one questions,” said Vega Roman. “This gave us validation and that’s what we were going for.”
Members from the 9th Physiological Support Squadron, Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Inspector General, and heritage councils supported the school’s cultural celebration by showcasing diversity and the various career opportunities available within the Air Force. This partnership also aligns with Air Combat Command’s Diversity and Inclusion initiative called Project Quesada.
“Project Quesada is a new program that offers a way to showcase the diversity of the Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Eric Antonietti, Project Quesada lead and 9th Reconnaissance Wing chief of community engagement. “We wanted the students to see that we have male and female Airmen, Hispanic Airmen, African American Airmen, Native American Airmen, and we all work together to get the mission done.”
The weeklong celebration ended with performances from the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West as they provided the students with entertainment and esprit de corps. The band played various box office hits to excite the crowd and give them encouragement as they close out the school year.
“As Airmen musicians, we love performing for students, and to show them positivity, professionalism, and tell them about their possibilities in the Air Force,” said Master Sgt. Kennedy, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West NCO in charge. “Representing the Air Force for Granite Oaks Middle School’s culture week was an honor. We’re happy to show students what you can achieve through hard work, and that you can bring your culture with you, and make us a greater Air Force.”
Supporting the community with events like this creates a unique bond and unforgettable bond between service members and community members, no matter what age.
“I grew up in the military and my dad worked at Beale,” said Miranda Lema, Culture Club Advisor, Art Teacher, Placer County Teacher of the Year. “Having personnel from Beale and the band from Travis support us during this weeklong event, united me with my childhood and shows great partnership.”
The event was a huge success and also created an opportunity for Team Beale to showcase how diversity plays an important role in the success of the Air Force.
“We wanted to give people an opportunity to share their cultures with one another,” said Lema. “There’s not an ‘other’ at this school, we are all in this together and this was more than I hoped for.”
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.04.2023 22:31 |
| Story ID: | 446191 |
| Location: | ROCKLIN , CA, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Spreading Culture through Diversity Initiatives, by MSgt Nancy Falcon, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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