Exhibit: Day of the Dead Project Benchmark: Teamwork/Communication Skills: TC101 Understand the Cultural Traditions of Others Understanding

g the cultural traditions of others is an absolutely essential part of living and coexisting in our society, and making a positive impact on it. The United States is comprised not of one ethnicity, religion, culture, tradition or belief system. Rather, our nation is comprised of many distinct cultural traditions and beliefs. In order to live life as an educated and valuable member of society, one should be able to coexist with people who are different. The best way to do so is to learn about their practices and traditions, which I did through completing the Day of the Dead project in Spanish class. During this project, we were tasked with making sugar skulls, which are widely made in Latin America during the Day of the Dead celebrations in order to pay homage to ancestors who have died. We studied both the symbolism behind these sugar skulls, and the celebrations that accompany their making. This project served to teach me about the cultural traditions of Latin Americans, and many with Latin American backgrounds, and helped me to understand some of what they believe and practice. This project was extremely vital to my understanding of the cultural traditions of others for a number of reasons. First, it helped to educate me about the some of the fundamentals of Latin American culture. It also helped to foster a greater understanding of the similarities and differences between our respective cultures which, in turn, helps to educate oneself and forge respect and understanding. For example, our cultures are similar in that we both respect the dead, and our ancestors specifically, but different in that we show respect in different ways. While they make sugar skulls and elaborate decorations in their memory, we take a more solemn approach to paying our respects. Finally, this project helped me to understand that, though our cultures may have differences, they also have certain similarities and that, above all, we are all human and deserve to be respected as such. Understanding cultural traditions will be essential in my career pathway as an elected official because I must be able to adequately represent all of my constituents. Obviously, my constituents will not all be of one singular cultural background, therefore I must be able to understand and respect varying cultural traditions. This quality is also an important one to have now, because, in order to expect understanding of my cultural traditions and beliefs, I must be able to return that respect and understanding.