Navigating New Horizons

On the first day Monday, we had the opportunity to go to a breakfast welcome. I had arrived late too, so I entered, signed in, and they gave me a bag. Then I proceeded to sit at the outside tables with someone I knew. Soon after, they gave a short welcome presentation. Then the USC Annenberg graduate, Jordyn Holman, gave an introduction about her experiences at the New York Times and gave us a short review of her work and how she manages everything. Soon after, we were able to experience a conversation between marketing at Edelman and Kelly Uchima, an influencer for mental health. They talked about the things they love about their jobs, and they also talked about the bad parts of their job. We then had a short interview in class with the person sitting next to us I was very nervous for this part since I’m not so good at speaking with people I don’t really know. At first, I was shy and didn’t know how to answer the questions, but as we got to talking more and it was my turn to interview Amaris, I was a bit more comfortable.

The following day, Tuesday, I decided to change my seat since a few people did, so I sat next to someone I knew so I would be less anxious. As class started, we went over a slide from Professor Rogelio’s class, and soon after, the three facilitators he had chosen had the chance to discuss and ask questions about the readings we had done Monday night. We had a short discussion, but since we weren’t really as confident speaking and giving opinions on the readings, it was shorter than the timer that was put. Then we met a guest speaker, Melanie Cherry, regarding all things public relations.

On Wednesday, we started the class with a brief review and another reading class discussion, which went a lot more smoothly than before since more of the students started getting more comfortable with each other and voicing their opinions. Then, soon after, lunch approached since it was set for earlier this time. We had a BBQ in honor of Juneteenth, which is a celebration of African American freedom and achievement. This was a great opportunity for us to bond outside of the classroom and enjoy delicious food together. Besides the two people I already knew, we had the chance to become friends with Francisco and his friend Brian. We talked, joked around, and got to know more about each other while enjoying our food. Since we still had time left before we walked to the CAAM, we decided to try to find the library, but since we ran out of time, we walked back to the classroom, where Professor Allan gave a short slide representation of the things at the museum. When we were done, we walked across the street and through the park’s rose garden. The walk there was hot, but as soon as we stepped into the science center, it was nice and cool. While inside the museum, the ‘house’ exhibit, with its interactive displays, was my favorite model. It portrayed the daily lives and aspirations of African Americans who called these homes their own.

Last day, but certainly not the least, as it is my favorite. Thursday was a full field trip day in which we took the train to the JANH/Little Tokyo. Since we had arrived early, we had 20 minutes to just walk around through the stores, but since it was too early for people to walk around, most stores were closed. It was nice to see how many stores there were before we walked to the museum. We went to a Japanese market, where we bought a few things to try with each other. Then we decided to walk to the museum, where we were already the last ones to arrive. We set our stuff into a bin, then listened to instructions and had a sticker we had to put on us We walked in, walked up some stairs, and then got seated at group tables. The guide lady told us to do the first page of our packet paper, then gave instructions for the rest of the packet, and then we headed to where all the stuff was. After we explored on our own for a while, a nice lady who had relatives went. Through some of the stuff in the museum, she proceeded to tell us about the experiences and explained the stuff in the back room that talked about how they were separated into the concentration camps. She also talked about a picture of Asian soldiers and how they served the country to show they were Americans instead of joining their families in the concentration camps.

To sum up, the days before Aya began were full of excitement, anxiety, and eventually worthwhile experiences. From the first enthusiasm in Karen’s email to the stimulating exchanges during class discussions, guest speakers, and interesting field trips, every day presented fresh obstacles and chances to get to know my classmates and gain knowledge from preoffesors and guides at the field trips. Despite my initial anxiety, I soon discovered that I was able to get used to the program’s pace, growing more confident with each encounter and learning new things about both myself and other people. The week drew to a close with unforgettable visits to historical sites such as the Japanese American National Museum and the California African American Museum, where interactive displays brought history to life. All in all, the week marked not only the beginning of my journey with Aya but also a significant step forward in both personal development and academic exploration.