I have a serious love for the bridges in Paris..

or any bridge for that matter. However, that is not the only reason why I call it Unique Bridge Consulting. I believe that unique culture and experiences make up each person. I love watching people come together by learning more about themselves and others. When we approach those that are different then us, whether that is by age, gender, ethnic background, with an open mind ready to learn, we are able to build bridges. When we know more about ourselves and our unique make up, we are better able to embrace others’ uniqueness.

I love the study of people and culture and pursued this study in university and graduate school. I have an MA in Intercultural Studies, having studied in Jerusalem pursuing Middle East Culture and Religions as my emphasis. It was this experience that showed me first hand that we can either build up walls or build bridges with those that we don’t understand.

I have traveled to over 30 countries, and have lived on four continents, calling France, the Middle East, Ecuador and Thailand my home for different amounts of time. I always say living in a place is very different than visiting and much more when it’s a different country. My time spent in these places has given me a first-hand perspective to cultural adjustment, learning languages, and communicating cross-culturally. This perspective was heightened as I spent time coaching interns and volunteers through their cultural experiences, helping them learn more about themselves and the culture they lived in.

As I’ve lived overseas and now currently live in the beautiful state of Colorado, it’s obvious that we don’t have to travel to another country to find ourselves at odds with different culture around us.  We encounter people who are different than us everyday. as we bring our unique culture into our workspace, our coffeshops, and our schools. Learning our culture and how it interacts with others is equally important no matter where you find yourself living.

Sarah Schepens is a certified Cultural Intellegance Trainer (Level 1 &2) and Unconscious Bias trainer from the Cultural Intelligence Center. She has a BA and MA in Intercultural Studies. She has taught English to adults for over 10 years, has worked with a micro-business empowering women, has trained and spoken to various audiences, has worked with an organization that specializes in generational culture, and now currently works in enrollment and advising in higher education.