Guess what, Bears? There is a returning event coming to Bridgewater State University that I think you will want to hear about!

The popular storytelling event, Dear World, will be making its way over to our BSU community this week. 

Dear World “helps organizations build cultures of authenticity, inclusivity, and purpose,” states the website. Dear World “sees a future where people who embrace their authentic stories will find purpose and thrive.” 

According to the official Dear World College Tour website, Dear World spreads people’s stories through the use of portrait photography.

The university event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 18 at the ballroom level of Rondileau Student Union (RSU) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“To me, Dear World is an opportunity for the BSU community to get to know one another on a deeper level, to connect through shared stories and experiences, and to understand someone else’s perspective,” said Kaitlyn Dyleski, Assistant Director for Operations at BSU. 

According to Dyleski, Dear World is an important staple for our BSU community.

“We had Dear World on campus five years ago in 2016, and it was such a powerful experience for our community at a time when we really needed it,” she said. “I am hoping that by having this event again, after experiencing the last 20 months, it will have a similar effect of bringing people together.”

Dyleski was present for this event over the years and experienced firsthand the unbelievable power and effect it had on people.

“During my experience with the event five years ago, I saw the phrase ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ come to life,” she said. “I was privileged to have faculty, staff, and students share their personal stories with me, sometimes sharing them out loud for the very first time. 

“These were people I had never met before that day. I was overwhelmed by the power of sharing human experiences with one another and the bond that could create between people who may otherwise have nothing in common,” she said.

According to Dyleski, BSU isn’t the first university that Dear World has visited.

“Dear World has visited many other colleges and universities over the years,” she said. “They have also visited countries and cities where they believed there was a story to be told such as Boston after the Marathon bombing or New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.”

According to the Dear World website, “DearWorld.com donates a portion of our annual profits to fund the production of stories about people at the center of historically significant events or cultural movements.”

All are welcome to stop by the event! Share your story and bring a friend too!

For further information on this event, please visit Dear World’s websites: dearworld.com, ct.dearworld.com/, or check it out on the BSU Involvement Network.

Take the chance on this awesome university event to know the great community you are in every day.