What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger

This morning I woke up and sadly I came to the realization that it was Monday and it was also my little sister’s birthday. I have been preparing myself for this moment for about three days, because I am really sad that I will not get to celebrate this glorious day with her. I hang out with my younger sister all the time and it is really weird that I will miss her birthday this year. This year my sister, Amaya, will be turning four years old. I know that this is something that I will have to deal with if I attend Brown University and I am proud that I was able to handle this situation so eloquently. 

After my homesickness faded away, I decided to go to the V Dub which I was not too happy about going to due to the distance I have to travel to get there. I walked with a few friends and I wasn’t shocked to find out that the lines were incredibly long. The logic behind closing the Ratty was that there was not enough people going every day which now forces everyone to cram into one small building for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  I managed to fight my way through what seemed like a jungle and got some breakfast before class started. However, the second lunch line had less options and I ended up with two thin sausages and a pancake without syrup.

I made it to class on time!

There is even a picturesque view from my classroom!

I originally wanted to take the initiative to find my way to class by myself until I received an email from Dean Almandrez stating that today's class would be held in a new building. I decided not to risk potentially being late to class and I followed a few of my fellow Women and Leadership classmates who happened to know where our class was located. I know that I made the right decision, because while my classmates and I were walking I pointed to the bulding I thought the class was going to be held at and I was wrong. I think that it is safe to infer that a major crisis was avoided.

I am currently working on my map

 

As I made my way into class, with two minutes to spare, I noticed that Dean Almandrez had a mini Arts and Crafts center set up at her end of the table.  I figured that drawing random pictures was not an option, so I wondered what our lesson for today would entail. My suspicions where valid and we made Leadership Life Maps instead.

As you can tell I am not the best artist in the world

The objective was to make a map of all of the major events in your life that has shaped you into the leader you are today and what you aspire to become in the future. 

In my map I discussed how shy I was as a child and how I wouldn’t vocalize my opinions, but later developed my own identity when I got into a freak accident. I felt isolated for the first two years after my accident, but then I realized that the experiences that I have gone through have only made me stronger. I had four surgeries: emergency eye surgery, cataract surgery, glaucoma surgery, and reconstruction surgery.  I remember when I did not want to get out of bed or leave my house, because I feared that I would be teased or be judged off of my appearance. My eye looked deformed for a long period of time and I was elated when I found out that I could have reconstruction surgery which is why it is unnoticeable when you meet me. My faith definitely got stronger especially since there was a chance that I would be partially blind and would have to learn how to do regular things that we take for granted every day. I am a devoted Christian and I know that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger which is part of the reason why I love to help people. I aspire to be an advocate for people who don’t always have a voice in society such as women, children, and African-Americans. I know for a fact that helping others is my duty and purpose for being on this Earth. I love using the hardships that I’ve been through to show people that if I can get through hardships then they can as well. I don’t believe in giving up and I want to incorporate all of these messages into my action plan.

After the emotional Leadership Life Map workshop we watched a movie called Miss Representation. In this movie women from all over the country discussed how women are portrayed and how difficult it has been for them to excel in their careers of choice. One woman even stated that she was told that she could not be the director for a film, because they needed a man who was qualified to fill the position. Even though she was the director of Thirteen, a multiple award winning film, and Twilight, a film which grossed over half a billion dollars in box office profits, she was still not “qualified” for the job. 

After watching Miss Representation I know for a fact that my Action Plan needs to be based on getting rid of sexism in our homes, communities, and schools. When sexist views become a norm in society we officially have a problem and we need to find a solution. This class motivates me to finalize my Action Plan and do women all over the world justice.In life there are situations  that cause you to take action or help you add to the problem by doing nothing. I believe that if you are not a part of the solution then you are a part of the problem.