As we continue throughout Women’s History Month, the AAUW Penn State World Campus would like to start a new Q&A series which features the clubs members.
Q. What degree are you pursuing?
A. I am a first semester junior in the Organizational and Professional Communications major. I’m also pursuing an English minor because I can’t get enough writing!
Q. What is your current job/career path?
A. I am fortunate enough to work full time in the video game industry. I love the work I do – I serve an organization of over 600 technologists with personal learning and development needs while keeping the department leadership updated on the state of the organization’s effectiveness. It’s sort of a human resources and program management type role, and it involves a lot of business communications skills. In the future, I hope to be an instructional designer in the game industry, or perhaps start my own business!
Q. Where are you from/where do you live now?
A. I am from Seattle, Washington, but have spent the past five years living in Los Angeles, California, for work. Your next question might be about whether I’m glad I moved to California – let’s just leave it at this: I’m glad I don’t have to think about winter weather.
Q. When will you graduate?
A. I am completing my degree part-time while I work full time. I probably won’t finish my degree until Spring 2021.
Q. How did you hear about AAUW World Campus or why did you decide to join AAUW?
A. I learned about AAUW through an event for newly admitted World Campus students, sort of like a campus clubs fair. AAUW stood out to me because I am passionate about improving access to resources for women and was grateful to see a group centralized around such topics.
Q. What does activism mean to you?
A. I think the most important aspect of activism is being willing to speak up in the face of adversity. It’s not always about telling someone they’re wrong. Sometimes, our own loved ones might be confused or uninformed about a topic we’re passionate about. We should lend them a nonjudgmental explanation and promote discussion if they’d like. It also means taking actions to move the needle – the “act” in activism! Knowing how to vote, contact your local representatives, and organize effectively are important aspects of activism that we can all use to “act”! Finally, I believe activism is about educating yourself. We don’t know every aspect of subjects for which we have passion, so in our pursuit for change, we must continuously inform ourselves and search for deeper understanding as we carry out our actions for change.
Q. What are some ways that you are active in your community/country?
A. In the workplace, I recently helped develop a company-wide Interviewer Training which aims to not only ensure folks know how to interview effectively, but that they mind themselves in other aspects too, such as organizing a diverse panel of interviewers, creating inclusive environments and assessments, and avoiding questions which disproportionately alienate underrepresented minorities. Together with other facilitators, we have trained more than 1000 people to think more intentionally about how the interviewing process affects the hiring process, the representation of diversity within the company at large, and so on. I also participate in the Penn State Reads book club, in which we are currently reading Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson. I felt it would be important to commit to reading this book and participating in weekly discussions for my own benefit of having a deeper understanding of the justice system, as much of my sociopolitical focus is on gender equality.
Q. Tell me what an average day looks like for you?
A. I wake up and take my labrador for a walk and feed my cats. Within 45 minutes, I’m out the door and battling LA traffic for about an hour. I work from 10 am to 7 pm on one of the coolest work campuses I’ve ever seen – lush foliage, free food and coffee – and sometimes stay late to play games with coworkers. My husband and I commute together and eventually make our way back home together once both our schedules are clear for the day. We walk the dog again and make dinner. I only have a couple of hours on work nights to chip away at school, so taking two classes at a time is a great way for me to keep busy but also get some free time every other day. Regardless of my homework load, I always finish my day with pleasure reading, mindfulness meditation, listening to calming music, and hang out with my cats. My weekends range anywhere from full relaxation mode to extreme planning and execution – my favorite weekend activities are home improvements, foodie events around LA, and teaming up with my best friend to do “productivity sprints”, where we carve out time to be individually productive together in the same space, so that we can encourage each other and hold one another accountable.
Q. What are you passionate about involving women’s issues?
A. I am most passionate about the wage gap and family role expectations. I also care deeply about reproductive health, access to safe and simple sanitary products, and sex education.
Q. What course has been your favorite, so far, at Penn State World Campus?
A. I am in my first semester at Penn State. My favorite class of the two I am taking is ASTRO 7N, Artistic Universe, in which I get to play through a video game the professor created in order to discover the solar system and universe. We also have to do a couple of art projects throughout the semester which draw from what we’ve learned – my current project involves using my basic colored pencil skills to create what I think a planet’s surface might look like, having learned about all the planets and moons in the solar system thus far. It’s a fascinating class and so much fun! I love the unique presentation of material.
Q. Do you have any advice for women/girls pursuing their college degrees?
A. My biggest piece of advice: Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s not worth it! Anything you set out to do to grow and improve your own circumstances will pay you back time and time again. Even if you’re told that a profession or industry isn’t “made for women”, push back. Prove to yourself that you can be the person YOU want to be! Sometimes the road has bumps and curves that we don’t anticipate, and we may not wind up facing the direction we started in, but the journey is always worth it.
Q. Do you have any advice for anyone just starting at Penn State World Campus?
A. Getting involved in communities and clubs such as AAUW really helps to feel connected to the college experience. Dip your toes into a few different clubs and see what really grabs you!