Students learn to build strong relationships

Student Engagement and Leadership Team (SELD) at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) hosted a discussion as part of their Student Knowledge in Life Leadership Series on Oct. 13.

The event “Building Strong Relationships: How We Earn Peoples Trust” was moderated by Dan Burfiend, Coordinator of Student Organizations, Leadership Development and Assessment for SELD, and Camille Mendoza, a student coordinator for SELD.

Opening with a discussion about what people think of when they hear the word “trust,” Burfiend said he commonly hears trust and lying brought up together. When talking about trust with his small children at home, Burfiend says honesty is often brought up in relation.

“Lying is the easiest way to break trust,” Burfiend said.

“Girls trust girls,” Mendoza said. Talking about how she noticed girls subconsciously tend to trust each other, this led into a discussion about trusting people based on similarities. Being relatable, showing you are human or looking similar to someone tends to build trust quickly, according to Burfiend and Mendoza. 

The discussion demonstrated other examples. Yelp reviews, references and referrals are all common examples of trusting others. Burfiend brought up tribalism, and asked participants if they would trust a Californian more than a Texan based on their home state.

As the event wound down, Burfiend noted there is more to be covered regarding trust and relationships. 

“This would make a good class,” Burfiend said. 

The next event in the Student Knowledge in Life Leadership Series will be Hard Conversations: The Importance Of Finding Common Ground on Nov. 9.

Leave a Reply

Recent Articles

May horoscopes

Aries (March 21 - April 19) After dealing with your own important responsibilities, Aries, you may still find yourself feeling energetic. You may find yourself...

Letter from the editor

Dear Otters,  I would like to start off by saying thank you to all of our readers for your continued support of volume 6 of...

Otters ready for NCAA West Regionals after another successful season

Following a 13-9 win against California State San Bernardino (CSUSB) in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championship Tournament conference title game, just hours...

Entrepreneur and 2023 graduate starting non-profit art gallery

When Libbie Jameson noticed a lack of recognition for California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students’ creativity, she came up with a business plan...

Related Articles