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Why It’s Okay That College Killed My Creativity

posted 9th October 2011    Written by: Kat    CATEGORY: All Posts, Kat, Life Lesson, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 5, What I've Learned

It might be that I have a terrible memory, or it might be that I’ve blocked out a lot of my high school years. Whatever it is, I don’t recall much of 1995-1999. Bits here and there, yes, but nothing particularly consistent.

One thing that I do remember is a quote from one of my teachers. Maybe it’s because it was particularly poignant, or maybe it’s because he gave several homilies based on that quote over the years. (I attended a Catholic high school, and we had weekly Mass on Wednesday mornings.) All I know is that to this day, I’ve got this line ingrained in my mind:

“You can’t give thanks for what you take for granted.”

I grew up believing that I could do anything. At age six, the list of careers I thought I might have ranged from fashion designer to the first female president of the United States. From reading, to painting and drawing, to Girl Scouts, my parents encouraged my hobbies. By age 10 or 11, my grandfather had me reading and discussing the business section of The New York Times on Sundays. Most distinctly, I remember winning my local spelling bee at age 13, and my dad asked me what was next. I responded that I would win regionals and compete in the National Spelling Bee that year.

And you know what? I did. And my parents were behind me 100% of the way.

I’m a little hard on my parents sometimes because I wasn’t allowed to choose a creative career/degree. Looking back on it, I don’t know that I would have been able to put together a portfolio that would have gotten me into an art school, and I don’t know that it would have been the best thing for me in the long run. I can give you a list of reasons why I feel like college made me dumber–though the more I think about it, what I really mean is that my undergraduate degree in business and the accompanying classes killed my creativity. It’s taken me years of slowly building my creative confidence again to do what I’m doing now: traveling, teaching, and building writing and photography portfolios.

Here’s the thing, though: you can’t give thanks for what you take for granted.

I forget that I was able to read at age three, and that my parents enrolled me in some accelerated classes in elementary school. Approximately one-quarter of girls in developing countries aren’t in school at all according to the Girl Effect, and I had the chance to go above and beyond basic schooling with those classes and extracurriculars.

I ignore the fact that college was a given for me, and even though I didn’t exactly choose the right degree, I learned a lot about myself when I was there, met interesting people and made some long-term connections, and was able to study and live in another culture for four months. According to the Girl Effect, an extra year of secondary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 15 to 25 percent.

I’m fortunate that I am 30, single, and have enough money saved to travel for three months and move to another country. It’s easy to forget that when you’re living in a culture like the one in New York City, where you can’t keep up with people who are making two or more times your income, where rents are high, and where the first question anyone asks is what you do for work.

I’m lucky that I grew up with a family that pushed me to excel in and out of school. I’m fortunate that I was able to get a degree that helped me obtain a job that increased my earnings so that I could save the money to live life on my terms now. Without the foundation that I had, all of the work I’ve done over the past ten years probably wouldn’t have gotten me here.

On my photo blog, one of our recent themes was gratitude. Ending the New York chapter of my life and beginning the next part of my journey has had me thinking about my family, friends, and life in new ways.

It’s time to give thanks.

[photo credit: me!]

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A World-Changing Movement

posted 8th October 2011    Written by: Elyse    CATEGORY: All Posts, Elyse, Life Lesson, Quarterlife Crisis, Season 5, What I've Learned

When Molly asked us to write about The Girl Effect  movement, I was inspired to dedicate this post to the importance of a good education. At this point, you hopefully know a little bit about The Girl Effect movement because all the rockin’ Season 5 bloggers have been discussing it this entire week. It is an incredible campaign promoting one of the most important things any human on this planet could ask for: the right to learn.  If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to educate yourself at their website, watch the videos, and get involved any way you can, even if it is a small donation or just a shout-out about the organization on Twitter.

This topic hits very close to home because of my background in education. I have briefly touched on my experiences in the field and that my current Americorps gig is educationally-based. I’ve always felt a desire to teach because I believe if everyone received a good education, the world would be a dramatically different place. We throw a lot of money at the world’s problems yet the surface of these problems is barely scratched. What if we taught them to fish instead of just giving them fish?

Let’s face it, this planet has an insane amount of issues that seem insurmountable. But, I am absolutely convinced at my young, naive age that so many would practically disappear if every person on this planet had access to an education. I recognize my blessing of being an educated woman, and my heart cries for those women overseas and here in the United States that can’t say the same thing. I can only vow to do what I can to teach as many people that come my way and continue to support organizations like this one.

I was particularly inspired by Sanchita’s story. To support her brother’s education, her family and even herself, she purchased a cow and does vegetable gardening so one day she might have a better life. These videos really connect you with girls who have a desire to learn, and I can’t help but just want to help them all.  Just by blogging about it, I hope I’ve done a small little bit to share their stories and promote The Girl Effect.

 

If you want to read more kick-ass posts from other women on the Girl Effect, check out the other girl-effect posts!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Photo Credit: The Girl Effect Media Kit}

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One Woman, One Summer, One Life-Changing Decision

posted 4th October 2011    Written by: Ashley    CATEGORY: All Posts, Ashley, Life Lesson, Season 5, What I've Learned

One day in 7th grade, my math teacher, Mrs. Taylor, pulled me aside and asked if I would be interested in having a math tutor over the summer.

I’m pretty sure my thought process was something along the lines of, “What? Me, being tutored? You can’t be serious? I’m like the perfect student! All A’s, I promise!”

What I didn’t realize was that Mrs. Taylor had noticed a little spark inside me. She saw potential where I saw normalcy. She recognized that I was not being challenged in class and was offering to come to my house twice a week over the summer to help me skip a level and enter the “advanced” class in the fall.

With a little encouragement from my parents, I agreed. Mrs. Taylor and I spent over 30 hours together that summer sitting at the kitchen table where she taught me how 2x+y=3.

I remember thinking that it wasn’t the most exciting way to spend my summer, especially since my friends were off at camp and spending weeks at the beach. I wanted to be doing that too, of course, but I didn’t mind tutoring (too much). I felt important and special to be working with Mrs. Taylor. She had chosen me, she wanted to help me.

When 8th grade rolled around, I walked into Algebra class feeling confident and prepared. Our school was on a “looped system” which means that all the teachers I had in 7th grade, I would have again in 8th grade, so it was reassuring to see Mrs. Taylor standing at the front of the classroom. I knew that if I had questions or was stuck on a problem, she would help me because she wanted me to do well.

That summer Mrs. Taylor did more than teach me math. She taught me that I was valued, smart, and worthy of success. She taught me that working hard can move you forward and that even though I didn’t really like math, I was actually pretty good at it. I learned that being tutored and getting extra help doesn’t mean you aren’t smart and it doesn’t make you any less of a person, but shows that you have initiative and drive, and that you want to better yourself.

It has been over 13 years since I have seen Mrs. Taylor, but I think about her constantly. I doubt she knows what a huge impact she has made on my life and I wish I knew how to get in touch with her. Until then, I am doing my best to pass along the lessons and values I learned that summer to other girls.

Being a counselor puts me on the front lines, standing next to these girls as they struggle to believe they are good enough, and as they fight against a society who tells them they can’t. Part of my role is to help them stay in school, maintain or improve their physical health, and learn to make healthy decisions regarding their future, sex, marriage, and family.

It can seem overwhelming when we look around and see how many young girls are struggling with education, poverty, HIV, and motherhood, but we can’t let that stop us. We can still do something.

One woman, one summer, one decision changed my life.

One person can make all the difference.

What are you doing to help? Join Girl Effect to find out how you can get involved. You can also read many more posts on the Girl Effect here.

[photo credit: dtcchc]

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How Homeschooling in Middle School Affected My QLC in My 20′s

posted 31st August 2010    Written by: Doniree    CATEGORY: Doniree, Family, Season 3, What I've Learned

I was homeschooled through most of middle school.

Specifically, I was homeschooled for five and a half years during third, fifth, sixth, seventh, half of eighth, and ninth grade. I used to really enjoy telling people this because I felt as though my family busted right through the stereotype that was homeschooling, particularly the ‘how’d you have a social life?‘ and ‘didn’t that shelter you?‘ questions that typically followed.  However, I don’t think that stereotype exists really anymore, so now when I talk about those five and a half years, I tout what I felt were the really strong contributors to my work ethic and relationships today.

So, this is my homeschooling story.

Why we did it

Here’s the short story: My parents decided to homeschool my sister and I after my second grade year and her first grade year. They’d run into a bit of a disagreement with the school administration over what kind of information they could and wouldn’t share with parents about what the students were being taught and tested on. Feeling as though they should get to have some idea about what their six and seven year old were being taught, they pulled us out of public school after that year and took matters into their own hands – using an approved national cirruculum from a private school based in Florida.  That was that.

Lessons Learned

Being homeschooled from essentially late elementary school through middle school was pretty formative, and in retrospect, one of the best things to have happened to me. I appreciate the development that happened in those years and feel that there are three things in particular that have shaped me and have influenced my work ethic, professional direction in life, and ultimately the handling of my own quarter-life crisis.

I’m grateful for the years my parents taught us at home because:

I learned how to self-teach. Perhaps one of the best things to come out of being homeschooled from 3rd-9th grade is the ability I developed to teach myself information.  We had cirriculum and my parents were great teachers, but ultimately I was responsible for reading, understanding, and presenting the information I learned about each of the topics we studied.  This came in handy especially in college when professors weren’t spoon-feeding us everything anymore, and expected students to take responsibility for their own futures.  Today, as a self-employed blogger, consultant, and aspiring yoga teacher, the ability to keep myself motivated and constantly learning is as much a crucial part of my personal growth as it is my professional life.

It changed the way I believed work time should and could be structured. I remember starting our “school day” at 8AM (yes, we had to be “on time”) and being done by or shortly after lunch.  What took middle schools 7 hours to teach and accomplish between hallway time, lunch hours, etc., we nailed in 4-5 hours.  Since I’ve left the “traditional” work force again this fall, I’m back to working from home for a few different clients.  Knowing that it’s possible to “work smarter, not longer hours” keeps me focused in the mornings so I have my afternoons to work on my own projects, take yoga, and spend time with my friends – for the most part.  The golden nugget of this set-up is that it reinforces balance, something that remains a massive priority in my life.

The things I’ve learned from my family are some of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my life. From teacher-student lessons to parent-daughter lessons, I’ve learned more than how to manipulate a curfew and how to diagram a sentence.  Thanks to Ma, Pops, Mir, and Jeff, I’ve learned:  Alabama history, how to sauté mushrooms, what to cook cornbread in, how important the first grade is, what a laminating machine could be used for, how to pronounce “Gewurztraminer,” how to play Canasta, what an ERA is, the Caray family lineage (Harry, Skip, and Chip), some inner workings of today’s school system, how to cook with wine, and the importance of down time, alone time, and family time.

A Balance of Learning

Miranda and I went back to public school for high school, and I have to be honest – I loved it.  I know a ton of people who hated their middle and high school years, but I look back on middle school and I see a time in my life where foundations were set, where habits and work ethics were developed, and relationships with my mom, dad, and sister were strengthened.  I look back on high school and see a time when all of those previous years enabled me to self-teach and stay far on top of assignments and classwork in high school, enabled me to keep my head on straight and only get into a little bit of trouble, and ultimately appreciate the balance that was spending a few focused years learning at home so that I could spend the last years of my pre-secondary education rounding out academics with relationships and getting a better idea about what I wanted to do after that.

Role models and support systems

Family plays a huge role in who we are, and how I’ve landed where I’m at today.  I’m eternally grateful for having a support system of parents, a sister, and in the last few years, a brother-in-law that stayed supportive as I hammered out all of my big dreams.  Big dreams that have included from the very start writing, travel, self-managing, and constant learning and now into my late twenties really haven’t changed that much, but through their counseling, teaching, and unconditional love have been better defined and pursued than ever.

{Image credit: I swiped it from my sister’s Facebook page.}

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