My participation in the Dream Project has been the most influential aspect of my Husky Experience. After four years of being a part of the organization, I found my passion working with students. After one quarter of mentoring, I fell in love working in the schools and found an organization that's mission fuels my own drive, aligns with my values and has shaped the direction I want to take the rest of my life.
Through mentoring, low-income and typically immigrant and first generation high school students, I gained an understanding of what my role is coming into a school, where I share similar identities to these students, but hold an influential amount of privilege with my college education and social class. I was first introduced to the concept of being a "social justice ally" and critically looking at my impact rather than my good intentions. This included learning to empower and balancing that with holding the students' hand every step of the way.
As I continued on with the Dream Project, I served in a number of different leadership roles. This included serving in leadership positions for events, serving on the Planning Committee and being a Class Lead for the Educational Policy lecture. Through this role I developed my public speaking skills, learned how to plan curriculum and use skills to engage my audience. I furthered this role when I took the initiative to design and facilitate the seminar "Oppression Through Policy". From my interactions with DP mentors, I noticed that they lacked knowledge on the history of segregated schools. In response, I created a curriculum and facilitated the seminar, “Oppression Through Policy” for these mentors, in which Seattle’s history and modern day segregation are explained. The seminar has facilitated eye opening discussions on the educational realities of disadvantaged populations. Mentors were empowered to engage in difficult conversations about social identities, privilege and systemic power. They reflected on their own identities and gained an understanding on the role they can have as social justice allies. Facilitating the seminar has taught me how to contextualize information to meet the interdisciplinary backgrounds of a diverse audience. The seminar has led to an activity from it being implemented program wide that engages students to reflect on their power and privilege.
Participating in the Dream Project has developed my mentoring, facilitation and program development skills. The program has also opened the door for me to participate in the American Educational Policy Association, where I learned more about educational policy research and my own education future attaining a PhD. T As a first-generation college student, I have been able to engage this identity and share my own experience navigating America's school system for my sisters and myself, as well as empower other students with similar experiences. I am forever grateful for how the Dream Project has changed my life and provided me a stepping stone in the non-profit and academia world.
Through mentoring, low-income and typically immigrant and first generation high school students, I gained an understanding of what my role is coming into a school, where I share similar identities to these students, but hold an influential amount of privilege with my college education and social class. I was first introduced to the concept of being a "social justice ally" and critically looking at my impact rather than my good intentions. This included learning to empower and balancing that with holding the students' hand every step of the way.
As I continued on with the Dream Project, I served in a number of different leadership roles. This included serving in leadership positions for events, serving on the Planning Committee and being a Class Lead for the Educational Policy lecture. Through this role I developed my public speaking skills, learned how to plan curriculum and use skills to engage my audience. I furthered this role when I took the initiative to design and facilitate the seminar "Oppression Through Policy". From my interactions with DP mentors, I noticed that they lacked knowledge on the history of segregated schools. In response, I created a curriculum and facilitated the seminar, “Oppression Through Policy” for these mentors, in which Seattle’s history and modern day segregation are explained. The seminar has facilitated eye opening discussions on the educational realities of disadvantaged populations. Mentors were empowered to engage in difficult conversations about social identities, privilege and systemic power. They reflected on their own identities and gained an understanding on the role they can have as social justice allies. Facilitating the seminar has taught me how to contextualize information to meet the interdisciplinary backgrounds of a diverse audience. The seminar has led to an activity from it being implemented program wide that engages students to reflect on their power and privilege.
Participating in the Dream Project has developed my mentoring, facilitation and program development skills. The program has also opened the door for me to participate in the American Educational Policy Association, where I learned more about educational policy research and my own education future attaining a PhD. T As a first-generation college student, I have been able to engage this identity and share my own experience navigating America's school system for my sisters and myself, as well as empower other students with similar experiences. I am forever grateful for how the Dream Project has changed my life and provided me a stepping stone in the non-profit and academia world.