Passion

Germany / Leader / Leadership / Passion / PLA / Speak up / Uncategorized — No Comments
03
Aug 14

“You’re so cute”

I was recently asked by the alumni coordinator of my high school to submit a photo of myself researching in my lab for the high school newsletter. I responded “Of course”; it was a simple enough job task; it also helped me to reflect back to my high school years, and I thought about my lack of confidence at the time and how much I have grown since then. While I have dreamed of becoming a neurologist for a long time, I would have never expected that I would be doing neuroscience research in Germany right now. In high school, I often felt not good enough, or not smart enough; I was constantly questioning myself on whether I was “cut out” for my own dream.  Because of this, a part of me hoped that this simple picture and note could positively influence present high schoolers, that I could serve as a role model of the unexpected, and provide them with one example of opportunities that are ahead.

I was instructed to send a picture with a caption, so I sent the lab picture featured below, and provided the caption, “Jenny Dobson working in a molecular neurobiology lab in Erlangen, Germany researching the role of sphingolipid enzymes in Multiple Sclerosis”lab photo

The response I got was,  “Aw, Jenny!! You’re so cute in the lab!! Thanks so much for this!!”

…I look “cute”?  It does not matter to me whether or not I look “cute” in lab. What matters to me is that I conduct reliable research that could progress the understanding of a disease.

Part of me felt ridiculous for being bothered, and I would try to tell myself she was just being nice. I should just accept the compliment and move on. I guess it is okay to look “cute” in lab. 

But as I continued to think, I realized that it was not a problem if I looked “cute” in lab, but it bothered me that being cute was even a focal point to begin with.  Why not say “Thanks Jenny, it looks like your research is going well.” or “Good luck on your progress”.

I want to be respected for my intelligence, not how I look.  Sometimes I feel when people focus on appearance rather than skill sets or accomplishments, especially in a setting such as a research lab, it undermines hard work.  I recognize this is not someone’s intention when one says any of these things but I think these subtle comments or compliments need to be challenged.

A Verizon commercial was released in early June which emphasized similar sentiments, and particularly focused in on the rhetoric we use with young females, and how that could influence their interests in academics and career choices, particularly in science.

I provide a link to the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP3cyRRAfX0 (please watch)

The commercial starts with a girl toddler outside, exploring, reaching for a flower and a mother asking endearingly, “Who’s my pretty girl?”. The commercial progresses showing the young toddler growing up, and routinely but lovingly and subtly, being told not do things. A young girl walking in a creek with her mom telling her “not to get her dress dirty”. A  female teen with power tools gets told to “hand it over to her brother”.  The commercial ends with the statistic from the National Science Foundation that “66% of 4th grade girls say they like science and math, but only 18% of all college engineering majors are female”, providing further indication that complimenting females with “You’re pretty” and “You’re cute” brings their attention to their physical appearance,  and takes the focus off of their intelligence and curiosity, ultimately potentially discouraging them from entering hard science fields.

While I am secure enough in my passion that the words “Aw Jenny!! You’re so cute!!”,  do not make me question my career path,  it does bother me that even after I have worked so hard and filled my brain, that my cuteness or lack there of is still a focus at all. I cannot imagine an administrator sending that same message to a male counterpart (especially at the age of 20) , “Aw Michael!! You are so cute in lab!!”  I just tried saying it outloud to myself and it sounded awkward and unprofessional. However,  it has become so commonplace to compliment females in this manner. I do not care if you think I am cute; I want to be smart and I want to be respected for that, and with over 3 million views on that verizon commercial I know I am not alone.

 Compliment female’s minds and inspire their brains. 

 

 

 

Germany / Leader / Passion / PLA — 1 Comment
30
Jun 14

I am motivated.

The resilience of the human body body is fascinating. I think it is imperative to reflect on the complexity of the detailed inner workings that keep me alive. It is grounding.
Having said that, what is arguably more remarkable than the human body itself, is the human spirit when the human body turns on itself.

My mother has endured relapse and remitting Multiple Sclerosis my entire life. Multiple Sclerosis is an auto-immune neurodegenerative disease which breaks down the myelin shielding the neurons of the central nervous system. In short, the immune system that is set up to protect one malfunctions and instead breaks down the function of one’s nerves. I have watched my mother’s own body break her down and build her back up. It is a painful cycle. At a young age this was difficult to watch and confusing for me, but my mother’s spirit resonated with hope. She would remind our family, even when she could not stand, that the progression of the disease is relatively slow and she hopes that research progress is faster. As I have gotten older, I have gotten better at dealing with the more difficult times and have honestly used science as a coping mechanism. It is so frustrating to see a disease break a loved one done, but it makes me feel better to understand the bio-mechanisms behind it.

As I have matured and gotten more in depth into my studies, this coping mechanism has been transformed into a passion. I have further molded things that used to sadden me, to now motivate me. I have worked in many different research labs since my junior year of high school to the present, 3 of which have been focused on Multiple Sclerosis. I am currently working on a research project that focuses on the role of sphingolipid enzymes in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. This research paves the way for a faster diagnostic test for potential MS patients. Overall, seeing the triumphs and tragedies my mother has gone through has made me delve deeper into the science world. MS is a disease without a clear cause and no cure. The world needs people who are willing to dedicate their lives to uncovering the dynamics of these auto-immune diseases. I am motivated.

 

Germany / Passion / PLA — 1 Comment
22
May 14

The adventure begins- a glimpse at German culture and the human spirit

After a few days of adjusting to the time zone and way of life, I am starting to feel that taking this opportunity to spend my summer is Germany is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am not only growing more independent but I am learning every day, sometimes even just within the interactions I am having with people that are so different than myself. Even after a few days I have been challenged to accept the diversity among human, both in country to country and in just personality to personality. However within this diversity I am still noticing a common thread within the human spirit which brings us together in a common understanding of what it means to be alive. I have had so many conversations the past few days where no language was even spoken. This communication is uncomfortable yet beautiful because I would not have expected it to be possible. Having said that, I still hope to continue to improve on my language skills. I do believe that in order to get a glimpse at a culture, one must talk to the people and the language barrier is limiting some depth in my understanding.

Leader / Leadership / Passion / PLA — No Comments
07
Apr 14

The Power of Perspective

This Saturday I spent my day in Gettysburg with about 10 other classmates studying the role of leadership in the Battle of Gettysburg and extrapolating life lessons from the strategy of War. One of this lessons fell within the realm of the power of perspective. Having a different vantage point can save you, and quite literally in the battle of Gettysburg perspective can the Union the advantage.

While we were walking on the battle fields our tour guide pointed up to “Little Round Top” and I thought basically just that, “It looks pretty little. The north got the advantage from there?”. I did not fully comprehend how a hill would have altered a war. However, when we eventually got to the top, I understood. unnamed

You could see the entire battle field. While this is relatively obvious physical shift in perspective, it sent me a powerful message to question my intuition and challenge myself to find new view points. Not only can new perspective give you an advantage over a challenge, but it can also help you become a more adaptable and relatable being.

Linked with perspective is vision. Throughout the day we discussed the power a vision can have over any team or coordinate of people. It is imperative as a leader to not only maintain one’s ability to view the larger picture but also to remind the people around him or her to also see that dream. People lose motivation if they forget what they are working towards. I imagine this is particularly pertinent in times of war, but for any mission, the people involved sometimes need a shift in perspective from the tiny details into the larger scheme.

In the last month of writing our policy papers, this lesson is incredibly pressing. I will admit that reading source after source and the endless excel sheets can be draining. It is possible to get lost and frustrated. However when I think about the potential of overturning a swayed system and creating an environment of equal opportunity within primary education, I get re-inspired. I truly believe this policy will have sound suggestions and evidence to make an impact on the policy makers and knowing that keeps me grounded to keep working hard with my team.

Leadership / Passion / PLA / Speak up — No Comments
24
Dec 13

A letter

Dear ambitious leaders, pressing activists, passionate persons,

How do we fight the pessimism? How we counter the perspective that “the world has always been this way and therefore will always be this way”? How do we show the non-believers that we can dream of a better tomorrow?

How do protect ourselves from getting infected from the negative attitudes? How do remind ourselves in the pool of global problems that we can work towards solution?

Sincerely,

Troubled, confused, potential leader

Passion — 2 Comments
23
Apr 13

Penn State Citizen of the Week: Olivia Pecora

 

“In my opinion someone can be a good citizen in many different ways…” -Olivia Pecora

BINGO. Our citizen of the week managed to describe the entire point of these blogs in her first response. YES, good citizens can come in a variety of forms. There is no perfect formula for good citizenship, but as Olivia will explain further, it is the motivation and willingness to try to be a good citizen that sets “good citizens “apart:

“..the most important characteristic that makes someone a good citizen is their willingness to aid others in any capacity without expecting anything in return. These actions are for the good of the general population and the actions can range from something as small as picking up trash in a park to something as involved as creating a documentary to raise awareness about a cause”.

Fitting her own definition of citizenship, there is not one thing that simply makes her a “good citizen”. Instead, it is a combination of her daily actions, dedicated involvement and world ambitions that help to shape her into an inspiring young woman.

35030_4064575191000_1458677270_n_(1)

Olivia Pecora (pictured above), freshman in the Schreyer Honors College, has her dedication to better community by fully immersing herself in her first year on campus. She describes her activities,

“I am involved involved with Triota which is the women’s studies honors society. I was a moraler for THON 2013. I am a dedicated and deeply involved member of the special interest org Springfield.”

But that is not it…

“Finally, I am starting my own club on campus called One Team International as a club we will host advocacy events and fundraisers to raise awareness about girls’ rights and using sports as a means to empower girls (especially in developing countries). With the money that we raise we will donate it to a program in India that supports girls joining sports teams! An example of a fundraiser event might be getting a group of people together to cheer at a women’s field hockey game or as a fundraiser we could have a field day! The goal of this club is to harness the enthusiasm that Penn State students have for sports and use it to enact positive social change.”

Olivia knows who she wants to help, and has found a creative way to do so. Her club creates an environment that welcomes a wide audience to participate in global change. (I encourage anyone interested to join; I know I will be an involved member). Not surprisingly considering Olivia’s passions when asked if she could change one thing in this world what would it be, she responded,

“…it would be the status of women in society. With gender equality I believe that as a global community will be more productive, safer, happier, and healthier. Even though education is a human right millions of girs are denied this basic right forcing them to remain in an inferior position to men. I would start by ensuring that each individual has equal access to education because I am a strong believer in the idea that education is the key in creating and maintaining equality.”

So cheers to yet another incredible human who will without a doubt make a positive impact in this world. Remember, it is the everyday citizens who dedicate themselves to making a difference, who end up doing exactly that. You have the power to make a difference. Look at the people around you. Feel inspired and then go out there, and use your passions for good.

As always, continue being kind.

CI / Passion / RCL / Uncategorized — 1 Comment
10
Apr 13

Penn State Citizen of the Week: Eric Stoltz

Have you ever heard of plumpy-nut?

Plumpy'nut-1

It might save the world from malnutrition, and our Penn State Citizen of the Week, Eric Stoltz is leading the cause.

12148_10200280597800720_1810623081_n

Sophomore Eric Stoltz (pictured above) is  president of the Food for Thought here at Penn State, and is well deserving of the title Citizen of the week. He was nominated on account of his global citizenship and incredible dedication towards ensuring basic needs for all human beings. His civic personality is illustrated when he shares his goals for Food for Thought,

“Our mission is to serve children around the world who are denied basic needs such as food, nutrition, education. We also work to empower persons of all ages to become active in their local and global communities”

One way they accomplish this is by gaining funds to send plumpy-nut to children in need. Plumpy-nut  is a peanut-based paste and has all the nutrients a child would need. Better yet,  it is only a dollar.

Eric has led multiple fundraisers this year to ensure that these young mouths get fed. Most recently, he and his fellow club members hosted a Food for Thought date auction. Althought he admitted he did not auction himself off (maybe next year), but  he did instead host and entertain the crowd playing his guitar. They managed to raised $1000.69 after auctioning off only 12 people (including the new UPUA president and multiple volleyball and basketball players). Overall the fundraiser was  an incredible success.

Looking forward they are currently planning a walk for plumpy-nut so be on the look out (I know I will be there). Also they will be hosting another Hunger Banquet next year; A hunger banquet randomly splits participants into income groups based on world percentages. Each income level receives a corresponding meal– filling and nutritious or sparse and simple. When the meal is done people people are called to share their thoughts and take action. It simulates what people are dealing with daily.

When asking Eric how he defines a “good citizen” he described,

” It is someone who is passionate. It doesn’t have to be one cause, but they have to have something who drives them to better the community. A good citizen has a drive to help or inspire others.”

I think Eric fully captures his own essence of good citizenship with a clear drive and passion to do good. Curious to understand who Eric looks up to for guidance, I asked him who his role model was,

“My sister, Elizabeth Stoltz, is my role model. She has always done such good, ALWAYS driven, and she is always trying to improve herself. She has molded me into the person I am today.”

After talking with Eric further I found out that his sister actually created the Food for Thought non-profit. Maybe good citizenship is in the blood?

I left Eric with a final question, “If you had the power to change one thing in this world, what would it be?” Eric responded geniunely,

” I wish people could respect other’s opinions and live happily together. Basically I want people to live life how they want. You know, Kumbaya”

Kumbaya everyone and continue being kind.

 

CI / Passion / RCL / Uncategorized — 2 Comments
10
Apr 13

Advocacy: a step towards change

Advocacy is an initiative for change. It can be the first step or the final push. It is a  a way of convincing others to care but also a means of giving people a voice to those who can’t stand up for themselves.  For this reason, when we got this “advocacy project”, I know I wanted to give a voice to some fraction of the silenced women around the world.

For our advocacy project, our goal was to break down gender norms in order to promote women empowerment and gender equality. Our first step to doing this was making people aware of the United Nations Girl Up Campaign, and asking fellow peers “How do you Girl Up?”. The term girl up is a play off the conventional phrase “man up”. By reversing it, we are asking people to question gender norms and also to question what the base of empowerment is. We had everyone who came write how they girl up on a post it and place it a big board.  We were also asking people if they wanted to donate on account of their own empowerment and as a result empower other young girls around the world. It only costs $13 to pay for a girl’s school supplies for the year. We ended up gaining over $200: more than 15 girls will have what she needs to go to school.

Although I have happy with the turn out, I think a big part of advocacy is sustainability. Advocacy requires dedication and the goals involved should be long term. For this reason Olivia Pecora and I with about 8 others so far are in the midst of creating an empowerment club for women internationally. The club will focus on empowerment, fundraising, and advocacy for women and girls’ rights through physical activity and sports. We are going to team up with a girl’s program in Delhi, India, which I will hopefully get a chance to visit this summer. This club will be officially starting next fall but we actually have our first meeting tonight if anyone is interested. The tentative name is “One Team International”. In this light, I hope my definition of advocacy shines through: it is continuous initiative to create a change for the better.

Passion / Uncategorized — 3 Comments
20
Mar 13

Citizen of the Week: Mike the Mailman

Hopefully most of you have probably encountered Mike at least once this year– and if you haven’t gotten the chance, I highly recommend it. His warm demeanor, constant smile and overall appreciation for life is motivation for all of to become better people. If you are rushing to class and expecting to mail something quickly in between– think again. A five minute stop into the post office will easily transform in to a 20 minute stop.  Mike reminds us to slow down, appreciate and experience the people that surround us. He pays close attention to everyone he meets. For this reason, I thought Mike deserved Citizen of the Week to the possibility the a good citizen may be as simple defined as a consistently kind human.

 

To find out more of what he thinks “good citizenship” is, I payed him a visit today. He is currently in the midst  of responding to some questions on citizenship and I will share his responses once I have them. Be on the look out!

Until then, continue being kind.

600074_10200676912987512_496877179_nFeatured above is Mike, yours truly and my roommate Colleen all enjoying the hectic floor during mail call of THON.

 

Passion / Uncategorized — 3 Comments
13
Mar 13

Penn State Citizen of the Week: Jonathan Reich

As student leaders and potential future leaders it is our duty to talk about the complex issues going on in the world . However in the midst of of chaotic schedules  it seems that taking the time to deeply think about these conflicts often gets pushed aside.  For this reason,  Jonathan Reich and a few other students wanted to started a round table discussion to gather students talk about important issues and remind them that is their job to educate others on this issues around the world. Can you get more civic than that? 

So far Jonathan and his peers have held a roundtable discussion to talk about the various conflicts in the Middle East. One of his goals of this discussion is that students form their own opinions instead allowing other’s and the media to decide for them .

They will he holding another round table discussion in the mid-April. I know I will in attendance; who else is with me?

Jonathan Reich, our featured Penn State Citizen of the Week is pictured below.212

Jonathan, only a sophomore, seems to already exhibit a perspective of a global leader. When asked whether he had any big goals for the future he explained,

“After I graduate, I would like to be actively involved in politics and foreign affairs, possibly overseas as a United States Diplomat or in the State Department in Washington, D.C.  “

Furthermore his definition of a good citizen further cements the principles behind his civic actions, “A good citizen is a person who appreciates the little things in life and helps anybody anyway they can. It’s the person that gives a dollar to the man on the street or helps an old lady with her groceries. ” So even while trying to create big things like create a campus discussion on world conflicts, Jonathan  remembers that small acts of kindness are just as important.  One would naturally wonder how Jonathan learned to have this incredible attitude;to this he described the role his grandfather has played in his life.

“My role model is my grandfather, a Holocaust survivor. He taught me to be tolerant and understanding of everybody. He would tell me that there will be times when people will make you angry or frustrated, but if you become angry too then that accomplishes nothing”

I personally believe that is an outlook we can all gain from: don’t let others keep you from accomplishing your goals.  Finally if Jonathan could change on thing in this world, he explained,

“I would make everybody more tolerant and accepting of other races and ethnicities. Day by day we hear and see stories on the news about conflicts overseas with neighboring countries over the smallest reasons. Whether the dispute is over land, oil, or wealth, there are too many people in today’s world that can find a reason to grow resentful towards others. “

Tolerance could arguably is best implemented with understanding. Understanding can only come about with knowledge. Therefore  Jonathan and his peers, whether they realize it or not, are in a way taking steps to promote tolerance globally by starting right here one campus holding events like these round table discussions.

← Older Entries
Skip to toolbar