For the Loyola Marymount University students in the Intercultural Facilitator Program (IF), conversations about identity, justice, and difference aren’t just topics for the classroom, they’re a way of life. Rooted in a passion for social justice and community-building, the Intercultural Facilitator Program was developed to enhance intercultural awareness, appreciation, and understanding. The highly trained LMU student facilitators lead discussions, workshops, and events that center on race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, class, and other critical social issues on campus and in the community.
When asked why they chose to become Intercultural Facilitators (IFs), many spoke of a personal calling. They connected their journey to the Student EXP pillars of Practicing Ignatian Values and Committing to Service and Justice. “I think the facilitations relate to the idea of being people with and for others, and to being committed to being a part of a community,” said Alexis Burenstine, ’25. For these students, it’s about living out our values.
Part of that commitment brings the LMU facilitators into spaces with students from local high schools as part of their final exam. This year, Culver City and Venice high school students joined LMU student facilitators for a powerful workshop experience at LMU.
The workshops weren’t lectures or presentations: They were roundtable conversations that were sometimes challenging but always rooted in honesty and vulnerability. The facilitators encouraged students to explore difficult topics, from race and identity to bias and societal expectations, while emphasizing the importance of listening, learning, and allowing space for discomfort. Julien Herard ’27 described the challenge of creating space for such conversations, saying, “I think it was learning to just ask questions and not answer them for them. I’m supposed to be facilitating and not be the active person who’s discussing.”
Throughout the day, students shared personal stories, listened to perspectives different from their own, and discovered that while everyone’s experiences are unique, no one is truly alone in the challenges they face. “It’s OK to be wrong,” an IF reflected to the larger group. “As long as you’re willing to learn.”
“Everyone has different experiences,” a high school student from one of the discussion groups shared. “But even in our differences, we all found common ground.” A guiding theme of the day was radical love, the kind that requires courage, openness, and a willingness to be vulnerable. It’s a love that sometimes feels uncomfortable but ultimately creates space for real connection and understanding.
During the closing remarks, the participating students were asked to come up to the front of the room, share what they had learned and what they believe their groups’ IFs deserves for a grade on a scale from A to F. Every student facilitator earned high praise from students for creating an environment that felt safe, welcoming, and real. Each IF was given an A from their group’s students.
One high school student shared that the space created felt more like talking to a best friend versus talking to adults or people who are in positions of power. Another student was even moved to tears, calling the experience “magical” and deeply meaningful. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” they said. “Everyone should get to do something like this.”
As the day came to a close, LMU facilitators and high school students reflected on what comes next: continuing these conversations, challenging their own perspectives, and taking what they learned back into their schools, relationships, and communities. The workshops are eye-opening, but what really drives change is how the students apply the lessons learned in their conversations to everyday life. It is easy to fall back into routine, but it only takes one person to ignite change in their community.
When asked what she hoped students took away, Burenstine said, “I think that a lot of them are probably a lot more similar than they think they are.” Herard summed up the experience in one word, “Intimate.”
The general sense of the day was that community is a special thing; keep building relationships with each other; keep challenging your thinking; keep spreading this kind of love wherever you go. At its core, the Intercultural Facilitator Program is more than having difficult conversations, it’s about building a world that’s a little more open-hearted, understanding, and more connected.
