Why did I apply for the AYA program? Spending my summer for 3 weeks at USC and being part of classes that are going to be boring and with people I don’t even know. These are the thoughts that went through my head during my application process. As I felt nervous about how the AYA program would be and whether I would be a good match to it.
Ready?
The day before the program started we had readings that were already due and I remember feeling in a way stressed because I had totally forgotten about them during the weekend. So I got to work and took notes on them which took me a really long time since I wanted to really understand them. Then it was time, my first day at the AYA program and it didn’t start off exactly well either. I felt extremely nervous for some reason, although I felt prepared. To make things worse on my way to the school my brother who was giving me a ride managed to take the wrong freeway. Leading me to end up making it late to the first day, entering the class and sitting down when the first guest speaker was already talking. During this all I could think about was how that caused a bad impression on not only the professors of the program but also on my new peers for the next 3 weeks. At that moment I felt I wasn’t ready for the program and that I had made a huge mistake being there in the first place. But that feeling didn’t stay the same as the week went by.
Set,
By the end of Day 1 I felt different, I felt a sense of belonging and that I wasn’t in the wrong place but much rather I was in the right place. The people in the program were all good and nice, nothing like whatever idea I imagined prior to the first day, being in a new room with strangers. Our first lesson was very interesting and impactful to me, it gave me a new visual to what communication really is and why studying it is important. I remember Mr. Rogelio saying during his lesson that
Go!!!
Now that I have settled into the program, we started diving deeper into the true meaning of communication and journalism as a cohort. As for both classes we have two different project which I am excited to complete throughout the next two weeks. One being an infographic to show a civic problem that me and my group wish to learn and be able to present about. And for journalism we are preparing to make a broadcast together as a cohorTo end the week off we had a field trip to celebrate Juneteenth day, for this trip we went across the street to the California African American museum. And there I was able to see the art displayed of many important figures in history, but one stood out the most to me then the rest. Her name is Nellie Mae Rowe, the photo below is one of her many arts displayed in this museum that showed her passion for art. She used it her drawings as a tool to show her desire for a respect she deserved but was denied as a Black woman who lived in the American South. This particular drawing drew my attention as the caption described it as a way for her to not only show her faith but also admire the beauty she saw in her own skin and wished to see in the world. She uses a powerful tool to really capture her viewers attention and it worked as it caught mine.
To conclude my first week experience, it has been one of eye-opening lessons, filled with amazing people and new exciting projects. From being nervous of what the whole program would look like to now excited to see what the rest of the program will show me. Just two more weeks in this journey to the finish line.
Communicating Change 