Power and Ally-ship

Another week done! We had a great session with the students who finally made it! We attended a workshop with them from Scholarship Junkies in order to understand better ways to apply for and receive scholarships to pay for college. A major component of any scholarship application is the essay. Two important questions we have to answer no matter what prompt we are given are: Who am I? and Why do I do what I do? Making sure to answer these questions while incorporating a personal story with your feelings are specific ways to enhance a scholarship application. It gives the readers a better idea of what you have done and your potential in the future. Another way students can enhance their applications is by using their time effectively by participating in organizations, volunteering, or working. This can make them stand out from other applicants and show what they are passionate about and dedicated to working towards. Being mentors, the stars leaders can use this information to help them write better essays and encourage them to be involved in activities they are passionate about. The Empowerment Pipeline can use this to encourage students to be more involved in the community and school and help them find what they are passionate about. Scholarships contribute greatly to my vision of social justice. They give students the opportunity to fulfill what they're passionate about and give them opportunity to go to college which was once only available to people who could afford it. Having the same opportunity to go to college as other people is one part of my definition of social justice.

http://scholarshipjunkies.com/

An interesting article we read this week was "Finding Your Power," a short essay on people's responses and connections to others. Even though the article was brief and to the point, I found that the things he mentions are key elements of being a leader. I have always felt that you can best tell a good leader by their reaction to a situation. Excuse making is one negative trait that leaders must overcome in order to be a compassionate leader. Any time I am confronted about something I did that may have been the wrong way to handle a situation, before I respond I make sure I am clear on their point of view. I then make sure in my response to take responsibility for my actions and try to explain what I was thinking in that moment, without making excuses. Helping others rise above blaming is more difficult than yourself, especially if you are the one they are blaming. You have to realize that they may be defensive for different reasons such as they feel they are being attacked. But in the end everyone has to.....

The second article we read, entitled "The Do's and Don'ts of Being a Good Ally," was about specific ways to be a better ally, and things that allies shouldn't try to do. I think being a better ally means not being afraid to have conversations about topics that make you uncomfortable, and learning about topics relevant to that minority. Using this in STARS LEAD, I can better educate myself on different racial, class, religious, etc. minorities and their struggles, especially as they try to attain a higher education. Some of my strengths as an ally are listening to people's stories and treating others as a person and not a token. Other areas I need to improve on are contributing to uncomfortable discussions and asking questions that can help me understand the situation better in order to see how I can best help them. Being an ally means educating yourself, listening to first hand accounts, and standing up to bigotry.