So now that we’ve got our first week down, I have some things to say!

It’s been one whirlwind of a week since I last shared my thoughts in my pre-departure blog and I am bursting with stories and experiences from my internship at the Lower Eastside Girls Club. Grab a cup of coffee and settle in, because this first week has been nothing short of… different!

First off, I actually prefer walking over taking the shorter alternative! Do you mean to say that Niyat hasn’t ubered somewhere that’s a 5-minute walk? oh YES!

Starting with my internship at the Lower Eastside Girls Club, my fellow intern Sera has quickly become someone I’m still growing close to. We both embark on our passion for empowering young girls, love for exploring the vibrant streets of New York City, and probably talking about you…JK…or not. Our days are filled with laughter, deep conversations as we work side by side, and debates about taking the M9 bus back home as we know we’ll be walking for the 12th time that week. The people that work in the organization have been nothing short of welcoming and inspiring individuals themselves. One of the first people to help us settle in was a fellow Blue Devil and Co-Executive Director Ebonie. It was so motivating to see how she took away from her own experience interning with the Lower Eastside Girls Club 10 years ago and is there now helping transform lives!

Speaking of connections, my roommate Caroline and I bond over late-night chats and our shared interests in needing an hour of TikTok before bed. Her warmth and positive energy sure have made our living space feel like a true sanctuary<3

During our downtime, Nic and I have become thrift-shopping buddies, scouring the city for unique finds. Isabella, with her quick wit and infectious laughter, has brought an extra dose of joy to our group and our similar sense of humor has created an instant bond. Our inside jokes have become a soundtrack to our daily adventures and her presence reminds me of the importance of finding joy and laughter even in the midst of challenging times. Khilan, a gem in and of himself and whom I’ve named the fashion icon of our cohort, brings the drip regardless of the time and place. Paige is an undiscovered Michelin star chef?

Our visit to the documentary viewing of “Razing Liberty Square” shed light on the heavy toll of gentrification and systemic racism in Liberty Square, South Florida but I particularly loved the Q&A afterward with the actual individuals in the film. It was an experience that I’ll definitely be coming back there for and something I will keep seeking out even after my DukeEngage program. The 1980 short film, “Free, White, and 21” specifically opened my eyes to the stark realities that I myself still face today and how there hasn’t been much change socially since then. It moved me to tears when I had to visually and deeply reflect on my own identity and the experiences that come with being Black. I was glad that there weren’t too many people huddled around to see me cry, but I did keep standing there for a few minutes afterward. Sure, we have popularized things like cancel culture to bar people from being outwardly discriminatory, but how much of that really helps when things just turned passive and institutional instead? I’ve taken time since then to further think about the complexities and nuances of my racial identity, exploring the intersections of race, culture, and personal growth. I’m grateful to have this space to delve into feelings I didn’t want to confront for a very long time. It made me feel uneasy to think about what my relationship with the color of my skin would’ve been like if I had been born and raised here. As an international student, I always feel like I’m left in this gray area of having to constantly second-guess myself and my abilities. This is not to say that I haven’t had my fair share of learning curves, not-so-sweet realizations, and hard-to-swallow pills, but all of those were based on my ever-evolving character, not my race. You can always grow, learn from your setbacks, and even change things that might’ve made you feel insecure, but I was never made to feel like my blackness was one of them. It’s interesting huh?

Thank you for joining me on this rollercoaster of emotions and experiences. Stay tuned as I continue to share the stories of empowerment, connection, and personal growth that unfold during my time in NYC in the next few weeks.

… and If you can’t wait that long, my Snapchat story will keep you VERY updated with the close and personal info;)

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 🙂

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.

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

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.

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.

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. 

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.

We have sadly arrived at the end of summer. Usually I find that the end of July and beginning of August is accompanied by a certain feeling of sadness and excitement. We hangout with friends late at night, knowing that our weeknight soirees will soon come to an end; but it’s all well and good because we’ll be spending our days together back at school. I also find great satisfaction in the purchasing of clean notebooks and fresh pens which I determine to be the keys to my success in the new school year.

But this year is so different for so many reasons. For one, I’ve never “gone back” to college. Last summer held the hope of a fresh start and new beginnings as I ventured into my college career. This year, however, does not have the same shiny effect. There are no new bedspreads or packing cubes, but rather pre-packed suitcases to be hauled up from the basement storage. In addition, registering for classes has become more stress-inducing than exciting. And then there’s the obvious factor of the world’s current situations. It’s odd for summer to come to an end when it never really felt like it started at all. Finals bled into the height of quarantine lockdowns bled into my internship bled into move-in…and here we are, about to start a new semester. I was never fully able to distinguish summertime from quarantine, or as people like to call it these days, “the new normal.” 

However, as I reminisce on my summer in New York City that never was, I feel so grateful for the experiences I’ve had. It was incredibly empowering to collaborate with a community organization that was working at the “front lines” of the New York City COVID-19 outbreak as it unfolded in front of me on the news. By sponsoring weekly food giveaways, providing daily childcare and education services, and promoting the Black Lives Matter movement and the work of young activists, the work of The Lower Eastside Girls Club is absolutely essential during this time.

Despite my physical distance from the Girls Club, I still had the ability to contribute to their efforts and interact with and learn more about the community of the Lower Eastside. One task that combined both of these facets was assisting in the creation of the COVID-19 policy and protocol as the building opened up for summer programming. This task was highly specific to this moment in history, and it required me to consider all of the challenges that the Girls Club might face during in-person programming. Girls might not have their own masks or thermometers to take their temperature at home. On the flip side, many Girls Club staff didn’t feel comfortable taking temperatures or tracking symptoms without medical professionals or training. While creating the protocols, we researched other NYC business’s COVID-19 practices as well as other summer camps and schools. At the same time, CDC and state government guidelines were changing every day. 

Working in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis required all of us to be flexible and alert to the ever-changing COVID policies and media narrative. It also forced me to improve upon my digital communication skills. For better or for worse, email and Zoom will largely be our methods of communication for the foreseeable future and by participating in a remote internship, I gained experience in working in a new-age professional environment.

The other large deliverable of my internship involved planning and leading a four-week virtual seminar series for a group of high schoolers called the New Girl City: Agents of Change Virtual Seminar Series. Our seminars focused on current issues such as police reform and the #CancelRent movement and we featured female leaders from each of these movements. At the end of the four weeks, our Agents of Change were tasked with creating a social media campaign about each of our topics and presenting them as a takeover on the Girls Club’s Instagram and Twitter platforms. This past week, the participants launched their social media takeovers. Even though my internship ended, I followed along on Instagram. The work they produced was incredible and it came together so professionally and well thought-out on the social media platforms. Seeing the fully finished outcome of my project was definitely the most rewarding experience of the program.

http://www.instagram.com/p/CD_xI_UHN_p/

Of course I was disappointed that I wasn’t physically in New York this summer. However, I didn’t have to be there to make meaningful contributions to the work of the Lower Eastside Girls Club. The combination of our Moxie readings, my hands-on opportunities, and my weekly reflections brought my attention to many critical community and women’s issues I hadn’t considered before. I was especially interested in our conversations around the restorative justice movement and how reforming the criminal justice system can impact the greater community. As a pre-health student interested in women and children’s health, I have begun to learn more about the ways in which the healthcare system interacts with policy and I hope to continue to grow in my understanding.

Finally, I will leave you with my greatest take-away from this summer. During one of our Moxie seminars, our program director, Ada Gregory, wisely stated that impact matters more than intention. This applies to institutions, non-profits, policies, and individuals, alike. Entering my sophomore year of college, I want to keep this in mind as a club leader, classmate, and community member.

Like many, I’m sure, quarantine drove my mom and me to watching lots of new shows and movies on Netflix, regardless of whether they are good or not. Our most recent binge has been the new show, Indian Matchmaking. When I first saw the title, I thought it might be a little degrading, maybe even making fun of a cultural ritual. But after a family friend, who herself had an arranged marriage, recommended it to us, we decided to give it a try. 

For my family, the show is both interesting and funny. My mom is Indian and we understand many of the cultural phenomena that the show illustrates: the slightly overbearing Indian mothers, the way people are so quick to judge each other based on their superficial “biodatas,” etc. At its heart, Indian Matchmaking is reality TV. However, given our current political backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement, paired with my participation in the Moxie Project program, the show points to so many microaggressions that have been kneaded into my Indian heritage throughout time.

The biodata is a great snapshot of the aspects that are supposed to be valued when searching for a life partner. It includes general information that you might find on any online dating site – a picture, your occupation, your hobbies and interests. But it continues to prod deeper into your personal life and physical appearance including your religion, caste, family’s background and occupations, and sometimes even labels the shade of your skin tone. Watching these biodatas on the Netflix special wasn’t really surprising to me. Rather, I am now able to recognize that these superficial markers are used to define and perpetuate classist views and the idea of a family’s “respectability.”

Social justice definitely isn’t the show’s main goal, but it attempts to show many viewpoints surrounding the matchmaking process. For example, one young man discusses his father’s criminal history and how it created a complex father-son relationship. It is understandable that he wouldn’t want to put his family background on display, in addition to the fact that it is a difficult subject for him to talk about. The traditional matchmaking process puts an emphasis on his family background; but it is one that he doesn’t believe is representative of who he really is. 

In addition to the various negative implications associated with establishing a family’s respectability, the information in the biodata enforces classist biases. Many biodatas include a description of skin tone from “fair” to “wheatish” to “dark.” Back in the day these descriptions were used to distinguish the working from the upper class. In 2020 it seems crazy to include such a blatantly discriminatory factor on a dating profile. This is not to say that we don’t make similarly discriminatory decisions in American culture; it just seems more shocking when it’s written down on paper or when a lighter complexion is listed as a necessary factor for a future life partner.

Finally, it was fascinating to watch how mothers interacted with their children and to see what men expected of their future wives. One of the men expected his future wife to conform to stereotypical gender roles. Meanwhile his own mother was essentially the matriarch of his family. Despite all of the lengths women go to make their biodata attractive (academically and otherwise) they are still wanted as homemakers and caregivers.

All of this is not to say that dating in Western cultures is any better. Really, we’re just more discreet about our problematic dating practices. That said, it’s interesting to look at it in a format where people get it all out on the table, even before meeting someone and it makes me look at American dating culture in new ways, as well.