Memphis, Tenn. (TN Tribune) – Storytelling is one of the earliest human art forms, and it still packs a punch even in our high-tech culture.
The power of storytelling will be on full display at the inaugural Kaleidoscope Story Slam at 6:00 p.m., March 24, in the Schreier Auditorium of the Student-Alumni Center, 800 Madison. Hosted by the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s College of Nursing, the event is free and open to all. It is funded through a Diversity and Inclusion Mini-Grant sponsored by the UTHSC Office of Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity. Josh Campbell, creative director of Spillit Memphis, will emcee the event.
Participants will share their true, personal, six-minute stories related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in nursing. “Through this event, we hope to harness the power of storytelling in an authentic yet fun way that creates genuine engagement, helps us appreciate each other’s unique experiences, and fosters dialogue on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Assistant Professor Christie Manasco, PhD, RN.
Speakers include Professor Kate Fouquier, CNM, PhD, FACNM, coordinator of the Midwifery Concentration in the College of Nursing’s Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program; Assistant Professor Lisa Beasley, DNP, APRN, NP-C, RN; Amal Haji Assa, MSN, RN, a PhD student in Nursing Science; Melanie Fant, RN, a PhD student in Nursing Science; Kristin Fitchpatric, DNP, RN, an alumna of the college; Brandon May, RN, a DNP student in the college; Charlie Folsom Jr., MS, admissions manager for the college; Sean Mosley and Eunice Buffington, both community participants from Spillit Memphis.
Assa, a native of Saudi Arabia, said she wanted to participate in the Story Slam because “I always get empowered by observing peoples’ lives and listening to their stories. I find lessons and inspiration from their successes and failures. This year could be the last year of my PhD journey, and I thought sharing my story might inspire others who desire to pursue their education.”
Folsom decided to participate in the Story Slam because he believes in the power of storytelling. “I believe that a carefully crafted story can help engage an audience like no other medium. I hope that through this activity, my participation will bring to life experiences that are nursing adjacent and show how the field truly impacts us in so many ways.”
As Tennessee’s only public, statewide, academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health through education, research, clinical care, and public service, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region. The main campus in Memphis includes six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC also educates and trains medicine, pharmacy, and/or health professions students, as well as medical residents and fellows, at major sites in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/uthsc, on Twitter: twitter.com/uthsc and on Instagram: instagram.com/uthsc.
