Blog 2

Prompt 1: After listening to Shiza Shahid’s ted talk I took the time to reflect on the three life lessons she has learned in her life and compared it to my own. The life lesson that I can resonate the most with is, “Knowledge is best acquired though human connection”. The reason why I can resonate with this life lesson so much is because through the span of my life I have met people who have made me feel so grateful for what I have and they have taught me that I should always give back. Growing up I always thought that education was not a right but an obligation. Being raised in an upper middle class family I was taught from a very young age that education is not an option. I have always had to succeed and standout since I was a very young along with my brothers. Growing up I didn’t think much of it, I wasn’t really grateful for the opportunities I had been given by my parents. However, it wasn’t until I got to college that I realized I was truly blessed. When I started working I began meeting a lot of people, getting to know them in a very personal level. As I grew closer to many of my coworkers I learned that some of them were illegal immigrants, or DACA students. As the years went by I learned about certain situations that made me feel so grateful. I learned about young parents being scared that their kids wouldn’t be able to complete their education and receive a good career because they were illegal. I learned about my own friends who had to stop going to school and start working more hours because their DACA scholarship was no longer funded and there was no way they could pay for tuitions. As I grew older I realized that I should be more grateful for what has been given to me by my parents. Since then I have learned to work harder both in school and at work, never take my opportunities for granted and always stay true to myself and my culture. But most importantly I learned that I should always try helping others find ways to encourage them to uplift them and to become better. I can resonate with this life lesson the most because if it weren’t for these amazing people I met through work, I would not be the woman I am today. 

Prompt 2: Two things that I can reflect on from Julie Feng’s article would be: 1. When you do stay silent, signal boost the voices of others and 2. Call out people out in your own community. I first want to reflect on the first strategy…As a growing activist I like to inform myself to see and understand what other people have to say about the topics that matter to me, and most importantly learn from my pears. With that being said it is important to use other platforms such as social media to uplift the voices of other activists especially when one does not know how to properly promote a particular cause. Personally, when I was younger I found it difficult to voice my opinion on important topics such as immigration, and feminism. However now I constantly retweet or repost things said by activists that  are related to a specific topic that is significant to me. I truly believe that this is important because by reposting what others have to preach about a topic I am signaling for them to voice their knowledge and continue preaching in order to inform those who are still learning.  The next strategy that I want to reflect on is calling people out in my community. Before I informed myself on topics such as LGBTQ+, feminist and even immigration I would often hear people make comments about these specific groups but I never had the courage to stand up for them, to voice my opinion. Such things occurred specifically because I was not informed enough myself to call these people out. However, now that I have done my research about certain topics I constantly call out my friends and family for things that they say and hold them accountable. Living in the world we live in I think it is crucial to inform others of how to treat peers with respect and compassion. Reflecting on this specific strategy has made me realize that sometimes people in our lives often say homophobic or racist jokes because its so “normal” but as human beings we should constantly keep people accountable for their words and their actions and begin to redefine “normal”. 

Prompt 3: Stem for Her is a non profit organization that works to create awareness and opportunities for young women to pursue a career in STEM related fields. STEM for Her was originally founded in 2003 by Women in Technology. Mario Morino and late John Sigdmore helped fund the organization accepting the idea that there was a huge divide between women and men pursing careers in the STEM field. STEM for Her constantly tries to create a bridge between the gender gap to give women an opportunity to create globally competitive workforces. The approach this foundation uses is prioritizing educational opportunities. Specifically, this organization provides scholarships, guest speakers, and supports schools and community programs. Through STEM in Her the organization funds field trips and programs that cultivate young girls interest in STEM related careers. This organization has specifically helped young girls in the metropolitan D.C area. STEM in Her helps young girls visualize themselves in STEM related jobs and tries to inform them and help them understand that young girls also have the qualities they need to be successful in these STEM careers. STEM in her has had many important achievements such as having 1,600 young girls participating in programs developed by STEM for Her. This organization has also awarded $5,000 in scholarships as of 2018 and has funded $48,000 in scholarships since 2013.  It is so important that organizations like STEM in Her continue to help young girls pursue careers in STEM related fields and continue to bridge that gender gap that exists in this field.