Building Community in TCK
Reported by: Ashleigh Scheuneman
Photographed by: Imogene Eagan
While the pandemic may have limited social interactions, George Fox University’s (GFU) Third Culture Kids club (TCK) is finding creative ways to build community.
TCK serves as a community for students who grew up in multiple different cultures to build connections and grow friendships.
“We were just trying to create a space where people can just come and rest and not have to be anything, do anything, or worry about social life, which can be stressful with COVID,” said Matt Burgi, president of the TCK club. “That was our goal and our focus last semester. I think we did a decent job.”
Matt Burgi photographed by Imogene Eagan
According to Burgi, they achieved this goal through activities like take-out dinners, distributing snacks before a Zoom meeting, and outdoor events. He also strove to make sure TCK members knew they had support by setting up individual meetings and providing them with ways to get involved.
“There are some freshmen here who are probably reeling from a lack of community, so we are trying to integrate some more discussion topics and we will be trying to figure out more activities,” said Burgi. “We just want to make sure people know that we are here and we care.”
The main sources of community building are food and conversation, two elements Burgi said are often key features of club activities.
TCK is welcome to any GFU students who would like to join. Zoom meetings will be announced and available through the Daily Bruin.
“We want to include anyone who feels like they have a mixture of cultures, really. We want to create a community around that,” Burgi said.
Burgi said that he thinks the TCK is important for some students to create a sense of belonging. “I think TCK is really important for club members because with any minority, whenever you feel like you don’t fit in with a group of people, it’s hard to relate with them fully, and it feels like often there’s a piece of yourself that you can’t share with other people,” he said. “Just being able to talk with other people without having to hold any part of yourself back is really important to being known.”
For Burgi, who joined the club when he was a freshman, the TCK Club is more than just a place of community and friendship.
“I think there’s lots of people who are interested in missions, at Fox, who want to hear about how their kids will be affected if they have kids while serving overseas,” said Burgi. “If they do end up having kids, their kids will be TCKs. I think that’s another reason this club is valuable.”