In this blog, I am here to share my experiences and moments throughout the AYA program! Overall, the days in the first week felt slow but in the end, it was rewarding to go on the fun field trips. I was able to make good friends and learn about interesting topics in media and civic engagement. Before getting into too much detail, it all starts with a breakdown of each day.
On Monday, the very first day, I felt both nervous and excited to meet the rest of the students. I was able to get more comfortable through the welcome breakfast and meeting with the professors. As class began, a business reporter at The New York Times came in to speak about what she does in her work and her experiences. Then two other guest speakers discussed what being a content creator was like and working in influencer marketing. I found this interesting to learn about especially as they shared the pros and cons of what they do.
Moving on to Tuesday, the second day, I was one of the facilitators for the first reading discussion. From the first reading by Westheimer and Kahne, I was interested in how differently people viewed the teaching of democracy in schools and defining the three “good” citizens. In the second reading by Ethan Zuckerman, I learned what critics had to say about slacktivism and understood the different views on online activism. I felt slightly stressed from not knowing how the reading discussion would go before starting, but the class engaged in the conversation well and my group prepared good questions. Soon after, a guest speaker talked about public relations and the different career paths that can come from this industry. I liked how there was a mini quiz at the end with the prize of socks.
Now on the third day, Wednesday, the class started with a review from the previous day and another facilitated reading discussion. When lunch came around, we had a special event with BBQ from a place called Earl BBQ. On this day, the date was June 19 meaning that this event was held in honor of Juneteenth. For some quick background information, Juneteenth is a nationally celebrated commemoration of the freedom of enslaved African Americans in Texas. After lunch, we headed down to the California African American Museum. What stood out to me the most was the short film called Breakdown. Watching the act that the woman embodied reflected my own experiences and emotions. I would visit CAAM again as each exhibit was informative, whether it was a painting, film, or interactive display, and they conveyed powerful narratives on the history of African Americans. Moreover, the museum was just as visually captivating alongside being contextually significant.
Reaching Thursday, the last day of the first week, it was very fun and enjoyable to be outside of the campus. We first went to the Japanese American National Museum which I found interesting to learn about Japanese American history. I have noted many things from the museum, but one that I would remember was when a volunteer toured me throughout each section and told me about his past and family history. Lastly, the group dispersed into Little Tokyo where I went through each of the shops in search of sonny angels but ended with no luck. I would review this first week of AYA as a success and am excited for what’s to come next week. Come visit my blog for the next update next Friday!
Communicating Change 