For my “This I Believe” podcast, I want to discuss my experiences volunteering with children, and how they shaped my outlook on service. I volunteered at a local elementary school during high school, and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I mentored young students in an after-school program, helping them with homework and STEM-related projects. Initially, I was intimidated by the students’ chaotic behavior, but I soon realized that they were only acting out for attention. However, because of their behavior, it seemed like people held lower expectations for these students compared to their better-behaved peers as if they were not good enough. However, I can assure you that this is far from the truth. In my experience, these students were some of the most confident and fearless individuals I have ever encountered. They were never afraid to be curious or silly, and they were proud of who they were. Anyone who took the time to listen to them would see just how remarkably they truly were. And when given the chance, these children shone brightly.
I remember I was working with these two fourth graders, and boy, did they hate doing their homework. In fact, rather than doing their long division, they found much joy in making fun of me and my chipped nails. However, after some time, they began to show me their creative sides. I will never forget the sense of pride in their eyes when they successfully built the tallest tower. This experience taught me how important it is to volunteer with children, as it can make a tremendous difference in their lives.
Another topic I was interested in exploring was women pursuing careers that previously remained in male-dominated fields. As a girl myself, I have my own share of stories when it comes to my STEM classes. The lack of diversity can be disheartening, so I would hope to emphasize the importance of breaking those barriers and making room for women in these spaces.
For my Personal is Political blog, I think it would be interesting to discuss the stories of my grandparents. My grandfather was from Mexico, but at an early age, he moved here to a boarding school to get a better education. I would like to learn more about his story and relate it to immigration policies. Another idea that I have, which is sort of down a different route is more so related to women’s rights and feminism. I think it would be interesting to compare my experiences as a young woman, compared to my mothers, and even my grandmothers. I understand my grandma grew up in a very different time, so I would like to learn how feminism has evolved since then.
For my Civic Issues blog, I think it would be interesting to discuss sustainability. I have always taken an interest in protecting the environment, so I think it would be impactful to discuss. Another idea I was also interested in was related to education. I feel like there are a lot of different routes I could go with this, including mental health in schools, school sports, sustainability in schools, standardized testing, and so much more.
I love the idea of discussing women in STEM, as I think a lot of women will be able to relate to this topic, even if they are not in STEM courses or a STEM major. As a Civil Engineering major, this is the first time in my life that I have noticed that when working in a group of other guys, I am expected to do the receptionist-type tasks like taking notes. I, however, wanted to be part of the discussion and brainstorming. Sometimes standing up for yourself in that sense and saying, “No I don’t want to just take notes” is hard, and I definitely look forward to the day that no woman has to tell her group that she wants to be treated as an equal.
I think that these are really interesting ideas. I myself have worked extensively with children and I definitely learned a lot from it. I also think it would be really cool to talk to your grandfather about his experiences moving from Mexico to the United States. I am sure there is a lot you could write about with that. I also think your other topic interviewing women from different generations could be fascinating. I am sure there will be a lot of differences in stories and experiences. You could also maybe talk to Penn State faculty and ask if anything has changed overtime regarding women’s rights or feminism.
The ideas you have here are very good. I like the idea of sharing your experience(s) volunteering and how it shaped your outlook on things. I also like your idea about women in STEM. You are absolutely right about it being mostly male, and sharing your insight on that could be pretty interesting. Lastly, for your civic issues blog, I think sustainability is a great idea. This is a topic that is going to affect our lives more and more as time passes, and I think your writing on it will prove to be relevant and worth reading.