The lessons learned here at AYA are immeasurable in value and provided, will stick with us for many years. However, it isn’t just our academic guidance that shaped us through this program but the experience of joining our fellow peers along for this journey.
The eclectic yet cohesive cohort of AYA was able to verse me on a variety of different backgrounds, histories, cultures, etc. Just learning about who these people were and what made them unique was able to help us build a larger worldview that would help us in not just the journalistic field but any path we may enter.
Working together whether it be in group projects or discussions helped to diversify our resulting perspectives. Where we are so usually wrapped up in ourselves and the bubble formed around our lives, we were able to break these barriers to understand each other.
In group projects, discussions or just the time spent with each other outside of class, we were able to learn that despite all of our differences we were connected through our passion and motivation to succeed in our lives.
These differences actually allowed us to provide something to these discussions as we came from a variety of different perspectives. This made sure that we weren’t just reiterating the same points but instead bringing a new idea or experience to the table every time. The authentic quality of these discussions would allow us to properly connect and relate ourselves to the provided topic and each other, and would still have me thinking about it for days after it’s conclusion.
Even outside of the classroom setting, getting to view each others work helped us to see what we were passionate about and how we executed these ideas into writing through creativity and passion.
Our connected differences were especially apparent in the field trips we took, where we each had a project or lesson to complete after its culmination. Although we were taking photos and videos of the same location we would each highlight different objects or people we encountered on these trips. The storylines we chose to follow were different even if they were apart of one larger story as seen when we visited the Japanese American National Museum. Getting to talk to each other about the interesting and noteworthy things we found as we explored with one another was also a way we were all able to learn from each other.
On our trip to Olvera street my group would wander into the Chinese American museum, in which there was an exhibit on Monterey Park where I currently live. Documents from my high school were on display and I was able to share stories about it while my friends exchanged stories on their own schools.
What made the situation at AYA particularly special is that we weren’t confined to being strictly academic peers or just friends but we were actually a mix of the two. We would be able to share memories and laughter with each other, but on the other side of the spectrum engage in meaningful conversation about politics or social justice issues.
The multifaceted nature of the AYA program In not just our teachings but with each other helped to build this unique experience that is irreplaceable as it will help us to navigate in the future. It is also a reminder that there is always something to learn from everyone, and no matter how different you may seem there will be something that connects you.
Communicating Change 