a warm welcome

Hi all! I’m Isabella, a rising junior studying Public Policy and Statistics. I enjoy reading (I’m a Goodreads enthusiast), going to concerts (Taylor Swift on the 27th and no I’m not gonna shut up about it!!!), road tripping with friends, trying new coffee shops and restaurants, watching SNL, and making niche Spotify playlists (194 and counting). My top three favorite things in life are DMCs (Deep Meaningful Conversations), mint Oreo ice cream, and overusing parentheses in my writing.

I was born and raised in Texas, in a suburb outside of Dallas. Very homogenous area– white, Christian, conservative. If you Google the name of the high school I attended, you’ll see a few lovely headlines about how the district has been hit with multiple federal civil rights investigations. The obstacles I faced and the experiences I had as an Asian girl growing up in this kind of place led me to become passionate about women’s rights from a very young age. I was very politically active, but also so outspoken. Opportunities for me to get involved with the issues I cared about were few and far between.

Coming to Duke was like entering a parallel universe. I was thrilled by the number of campus organizations that genuinely aligned with my values, and more importantly, the communities that I could join where other people cared about the same things that I cared about. When I came across the DukeEngage New York program, I immediately knew that it was a community I wanted to become a part of.

This summer, I’m incredibly excited to be working at The New Majority. Gender equity in politics is a cause I’ve always been passionate about, and to actually work for an organization dedicated to it is, as corny as it sounds, genuinely a dream come true. College has been full of quite a bit of uncertainty for me in terms of figuring out what I want to do with my future, so I’m proud of my decision to put my passions first this summer. I’m so looking forward to sharing these next two months with the rest of my cohort, and all the learning and growth we’ll experience together. I hope to leave New York with a broadened perspective, a continued drive for change, and improved cooking skills.

Here’s to an exciting summer… see you in the Big Apple 🙂

Summer Departure Thoughts

As the days count down and Sunday gets closer, I feel the nervousness and anxiety of living and working in NYC fading away. This summer is a leap of faith, in which I hope to go through incredible growth, while also helping those around me nourish. I cannot begin to say how ready I am for the cohort awkwardness to be replaced with feelings of trust, connection, and care for each other. Likewise, I cannot wait to replace the mysterious feelings and unknowingness of my work with my summer partner with a concrete plan of action. This summer I will be working with Sanctuary for Families (SFF) as a Family Law intern, shadowing attorneys in this field and helping prep for trials and cases, through research, client engagement, and much more. I am doing this, because coming from a Southern Black family, I have been blessed to see both sides of the family spectrum— the amazing and the awful. This has helped me to understand how crucial of a role family dynamics play in the success of not only children, but also adults.

 

I worry about a few things, but none are really major. Firstly, I worry about adjusting to life in the city. I must make sure that the fast-pace of the city does not drain me, and I must learn to not only keep up, but to excel as this pace. This may be hard coming from a quiet town like Olive Branch, MS, where the excitement is old-styled murals being painted, but I am ready! Continuing, I worry about my position with SFF. I hope that the environment of SFF is healthy, allowing for transparency and communication from intern to supervisor. Lastly, I worry about my contributions to The Moxie Project. I worry of what will happen if my work does not match up to my thoughts on this site, in person, and so on. While these are my worries, these are also the same things I am excited about. I believe that these worries will go away once I arrive and begin to settle in, and I cannot wait to see what this summer has in store.

 

Embarking on what’s to come!

I am both thrilled and grateful to have this incredible opportunity to make a positive impact alongside my peers, who will be embarking on their own internships across various organizations in the city. I’ve gotten the chance to meet my cohort a few times and I’m excited to be tackling the bustling world of empowerment and advocacy that is NYC with them.

The chance to work alongside the partners at the Lower Eastside Girls Club fills me with excitement and a sense of purpose. This organization has long been at the forefront of empowering girls and young women, providing them with the tools and opportunities to shape their own destinies. I feel incredibly fortunate to not only be part of a movement that recognizes the importance of education, leadership, and holistic development but empowers women and girls alike. One thing about me, when it comes to uplifting women in any way, shape, or form, I’m there! I’m excited to be a part of a cause that has been so dear to me prior to my presence at Duke.

To ensure I make the most of this internship, I have been immersing myself in their website, blog posts, and social media platforms to familiarize myself with their work and values. Additionally, I am brushing up on relevant topics to enhance my understanding and contribute meaningfully because as an international student, I recognize that there is still so much more about gender equity and youth empowerment in the United States for me to learn.

Why did I choose to embark on this internship journey? It’s simple—I believe in the power of education and empowerment to transform lives. In my previous experiences going to an only-girls school in Saudi Arabia and spending time in Ethiopia, the Lower Eastside Girls Club’s commitment to nurturing young minds and fostering leadership resonates deeply with me. I want to be part of an organization that is driving change, breaking barriers, and creating opportunities for the next generation of fierce, fearless, and trailblazing women because I have seen just how transformative one woman can be to the rest. I am eager to learn from the girls’ stories, share in their triumphs, and grow with them as I go.

However, I must admit that there is also a hint of uncertainty lingering in the back of my mind. As with any new experience, there are aspects that remain unclear, and a touch of nervousness accompanies the excitement. Questions arise: Will I live up to the expectations? How can I ensure that my contributions have a meaningful and lasting impact? But I remind myself that growth happens outside of our comfort zones, and that it’s okay to embrace the unknown, armed with determination and a willingness to learn.

So here I stand, on the cusp of an adventure, ready to embrace the challenges, celebrate the victories, and soak up every invaluable lesson along the way. I cannot wait to share my experiences, insights, and personal growth through this blog. Stay tuned as I embark on my Lower Eastside Girls Club internship and discover the true power of education, empowerment, and the strength of united voices.

Niyat Asefaw

Pre Departue Blog

My name is Caroline and I am a rising junior at Duke studying Political Science and English. This summer, I am interning at Sanctuary for Families as part of the Duke Engage in New York program. For most of the past three months, our start date has felt far in the future – 2 months after spring break, 4 weeks past my last exam, well into the summer. Now less than a week from that day and the start of the 2023 Moxie Project, every thought and worry and hope has taken center stage in my mind.

Of the words that come to mind to describe how I feel about the summer – nervous, excited, challenged, humble – one that sticks out is apprehensive. Over the past three months, I have been thinking a lot about what this summer will look like, and far more often in terms of what we are going to do and who with than where or when. While I’m thrilled about spending the summer in New York – a city that I have wanted to live in for as long as I can remember – I find myself more preoccupied with what the days will look like at my internship than what shape my morning commute will take. I am excited to start work and contribute to things like the Zero Tolerance benefit, but underneath that excitement is a sense of heaviness when I think about the issues that bring us there.

Much of our group’s preparation for the summer has been centered around the idea that our time in New York will be uncomfortable and challenging. We have been invited to do hard things, and that includes the conversations we have, the projects we work on, and the realities that confront us both during and after the program. I would be lying if I wasn’t a bit scared by the heaviness of things we might encounter, but I know that our group of 7 is wholly dedicated to the work we have ahead of us, and I hope that our hearts and minds will be challenged and opened in ways we are unable to predict.

I am excited to be spending the summer with this incredible group, and I am hopeful that the experiences we have and the work we do will fulfill the mission of Duke Engage. All the apprehension, excitement, and worry that we feel right now is fuel for these next 8 weeks, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Summer Conversations

As I prepare to leave for New York, I begin the dreaded conversations about what I am doing this summer. It is not the lack of excitement or interest that sparks the apprehension; it is quite the opposite. Working on anti-discrimination trainings has been my passion project throughout my time at Duke. Whether for Duke Athletics or working with the Office of Student Conduct, I have constantly found projects that allow me to try to help make Duke a more equitable and understanding place. No, the apprehension comes from the reactions of others. To me, anti-discrimination trainings are crucial and needed in society; however, the work can seem pointless or worthless to others in my life.

“You are wasting your computer science degree.” “Diversity trainings are a waste of time.” “They [anti-discrimination trainings] will never work.” It is as though this article by Harvard Business Review is haunting me. Hearing these comments chips away at my excitement. I understand that the work I may do this summer may never see the light of day or may not make any impact on the community it is for; however, I hope to gain skills I can bring back to Duke and apply to the projects I am working on there. I want to learn from an established program to see how I can help make other programs more successful in the future. What people fail to see is this summer has nothing to do with my computer science degree or even necessarily with Right To Be, the organization I am working for this summer, this summer is about growing as a person and understanding how I can be a better helper and leader in the communities I live in. This summer, I am here to help Right To Be in any way they deem necessary. It is not about coding or changing the world; it is about learning.

This being said, I am still nervous and unsure what I will do for Right To Be. Though I have a loose understanding of the training they want me to help create — a lesson on what to do when you mess up — I do not know what this exactly entails or what I will be doing to help in its creation. Normally, this uncertainty would make me anxious; however, it fills me with more excitement as I am yet to be confined to one role. It leaves the door open for endless possibilities. I am ready to be assigned a role in the organization and to begin helping them so that they can make a difference. I am ready to learn.

I hold this excitement and desire each time someone asks me what I am doing this summer. It acts as a wall against the negative backlash I receive. As long as we continue living in this society, there will be a need for anti-discrimination trainings. There is no bar that separates anyone from the need for anti-discrimination training, especially as someone going into the world of computer science where white men hold an overwhelming majority of jobs. I know it is an uphill battle and that diversity trainings historically have been ineffective. I know I am not working a tech job in Silicon Valley, but I think this experience will help prepare me for the world in a way that an internship

an image I created as a part of a project for a computer graphics course

or traditional summer job cannot do. And while the ability to create images such as this one to the left is interesting, working in a community to help understand people and their needs rather than behind a computer is something we must to do help fight biases in both the tech field and the computer programs themselves.

As the world becomes more dependent on AI and computers, learning about discrimination and communities is perhaps the most necessary skill. Anyone can code, but few know how to avoid putting their own biases and thoughts into the algorithms. Programs such as facial recognition are notoriously racist and sexist, as described in this article, something which is a reflection of those who coded it. Without effective diversity trainings for people in tech and computer science, the biases will continue to be replicated and spread. I do not think I can change this problem individually as it is a fundamental structure in our society; however, I do believe that having one more person who knows how to have these conversations about diversity in STEM will make an impact.

I am excited about this summer. I am excited to learn. I am excited to prove the comments wrong. We need anti-discrimination trainings to have these conversations and I am ready to gain the skills to have these conversations.

 

Transient Thoughts

Time: something that I’ll always long to control. 

When I was little and would be asked what superpower I wish I could have, the answer would always be to control time. It seems like 5 minutes in the morning is a trick, while waiting 5 minutes for an uber ages me. I think more than anything, the urge to control time for me comes from the anxiety in moments like this: transient times. 

As I unpack from the previous semester and repack my life for New York this summer within the next week, I can’t help but feel an intense wave of agitation. Maybe, this is a chronic symptom of being a nineteen year old, but I can feel the potential of this summer. 

Growing up in Chicago, the striking barriers to health and education services that affected quality of life solidified my interest in health, particularly related to women’s issues. Once I got to Duke I started joining feminist groups where I heard the physical manifestations of a downward trend of confidence through Duke women’s undergraduate careers (drawn from the findings of former President Nannerl Keohane’s Women’s Initiative report). Further propelled by overreach on women’s health autonomy and the recent cut into the window for abortion in North Carolina, there really is no better time to be agitated as a woman. 

Starting on Tuesday, I will be working with Lower Eastside Girls Club as part of DukeEngage. While my fleshed out project plans are still in the works, I am setting out to collaborate and learn of the difficulties when providing wellness services to a gender expansive and multigenerational community through the new Wellbeing and Happiness center.  Through my short time with Lower Eastside Girls Club I hope to explore the relationship between community health through systems-change programming for social justice. My work particularly excites me because I have the potential to gain awareness of how social justice is attempted from a women’s organization, which I hope to use in the future to push for reproductive power. 

At this point, I am unsure how much impact I, an ambitious Duke student with many intentions for this summer, will really be able to accomplish in the blip of time I am collaborating with Lower Eastside Girls Club. But, I hope to utilize this transient time to soak up approaches to health and gender inequity. 

Nic like Nicknack

What’s up y’all,

I’m eagerly anticipating my time in New York this summer for a few main reasons. Firstly, I’m excited to work with Choices women’s medical clinic for the duration of the program. I only recently went pre-med, and I made that choice because despite the tenuous road to actually becoming a doctor (especially all the tears I shed over Biochem this past semester) I know that I want to work closely with people and contribute to their wellbeing. I hope to really take advantage of this opportunity to become familiar with all facets of the medical space, particularly in a clinic which deals with some of the most intimate parts of a person’s life. I don’t have family members or close family friends who work in the medical space, so I’ve often felt really in the dark about what career opportunities and paths are available. Because of this, I’m really looking forward to being able to speak with all of the employees at the clinic to hear their thoughts on the field. Additionally, I really just love talking with new people, and considering I know very little about New York or Queens, I see this as a way to really get to know the city and community I’m working in.

This brings me to the next thing I’m excited for which is being in the city. Up to this point, the biggest city I’ve lived in is Durham, and even that was a big transition from my hometown. I’ve also never lived outside of North Carolina besides brief vacations, so I am beyond stoked to get to explore such an international city. I am worried about my general ability to navigate life in NYC, and given that my hometown barely has a bus route, using the metro consistently will be a challenge, but its a challenge I’m excited for. I’m also just generally looking forward to getting to know the other participants and exploring the city together.