{"id":92,"date":"2016-11-21T05:58:15","date_gmt":"2016-11-21T05:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/?p=92"},"modified":"2016-11-21T06:15:56","modified_gmt":"2016-11-21T06:15:56","slug":"follow-your-compassions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/2016\/11\/21\/follow-your-compassions\/","title":{"rendered":"Follow Your (Com)Passions"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 2016 and I\u2019m studying Environmental Science. Every day I learn about rising sea levels, melting glaciers, corruption, poverty, hunger\u2026… Sometimes I hear about things that are getting better but the world is changing rapidly and I\u2019m watching from the sidelines. Not only am I watching from the sidelines but also from the box seats. I\u2019m a 21 year old woman yet I probably have more power than most individuals alive in the world today. I want to do something drastically impactful right now but I have to focus on school. I want to travel to where people are suffering but there are problems right here in my own backyard. I want to use my strengths but I\u2019m only just beginning to learn what they even are. So many contradictions, so many distractions, and so many doubts plague my anxious mind. The Global Social Benefit Fellowship process has helped me map these uncertainties and passions and also equipped me with a compass.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"At

At open house hesitantly explaining what we think we’re going to be doing in a few months<\/p><\/div>\n

\"First

First morning in Nica. Making no efforts to blend in<\/p><\/div>\n

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I applied to the GSBF with a vague idea of what I was signing myself up for. I never imagined that I would be taking a course with the word \u201centrepreneurship\u201d in the title but the application to poverty and sustainable development intrigued me. I am attracted to movements that promise a large, visible impact over those that are more incremental. In studying Environmental Science it is often easy to get overwhelmed and discouraged by, well, everything. The most frustrating part is learning about what needs to be done but lacking the practical knowledge of what to actually do. I was already coming to the realization that I have to expand my horizons in order to figure out what my role will be in combatting the issues we face. Thus, the GSBF opportunity fell into my lap at the opportune moment. It represented a turning point in my academic, professional, and personal path.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Representing

Representing in a (very sweaty) Miller Center t-shirt<\/p><\/div>\n

Through my previous travels I had learned a lot about my strengths and tested my limits. In Cambodia I was first exposed to the harsh realities of life in a developing nation and I came back completely torn up from what I had witnessed. The next year my trip to Guatemala helped me to develop my independence and, since I was able to communicate in Spanish, my ability to connect with people from a different world than my own on a meaningful level. Both trips involved service and I am proud of what my team accomplished, however, I knew that I had gained far more than I had given. Sure, I had donated my time and work which had some kind of effect but the moments where I felt that I had created the most impact where when I was able to make someone smile or laugh. That may seem simple or obvious but those moments of pure human connection felt the most powerful. More specifically, by \u201chuman connection\u201d I mean a dissolving of barriers that separate and cause apathy. With fewer barriers it\u2019s possible to see others as having the same wants and needs, not just as charity cases. The moment of sharing a human experience with someone, especially a child, who I seemingly had nothing in common is nothing short of real magic. That is my gift, desire, and goal in life; to make magic moments that break down seemingly impermeable walls and lead to significant positive change.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Contagious

Contagious smile on a child with down syndrome in rural Guatemala<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Practicing

Practicing Spanish with a little local in Antigua<\/p><\/div>\n

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Working in Nicaragua was the next step in turning that connection into meaning. I couldn’t let myself forget that real concrete actions need to be taken on my part and they need to be purposeful. That\u2019s a lot of pressure and it can be overwhelming to have these lofty expectations while trying to develop a plan. Although the fellowship and other preparatory classes exacerbated this feeling of pressure at times, they have also been orienting forces. The work we did during the first half of the process pushed us to our limits but taught us that we were capable of much more than we knew. The second half provided us with much needed support, encouragement, and connections to resources. Every admirable connection that I\u2019ve spoken with has followed an unpredictable path towards where they are now. Fundamental to this process is following one’s passions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Interview

Interview in semi-urban Condega, Nicaragua<\/p><\/div>\n

If I could condense the vocational teachings of the Fellowship into one concise package it would be; Prepare yourself by confidently communicating your skills but ultimately, trust in your experiences and the valued connections that you have worked to establish. As a result of participating in research abroad and getting to interact with real social entrepreneurs I have a clearer picture in my head of what I can be. I decided that I want to gain work experience rather than immediately applying to graduate school after college. I am also fairly certain that in the future I will pursue further education. What\u2019s different than a year ago is that my considerations now include law school or business, two options which I had previously not thought about seriously. I can see how these paths could lead me towards a more impactful career. <\/span><\/p>\n

Through the fellowship I\u2019ve also been able to get a unique glimpse into the immense community of powerful, intelligent people out there who are genuinely working to make things better. I\u2019ve seen the growth of this network through the sharing of ideas, support, and most importantly, compassion. It has become increasingly evident to me that the power of compassion is totally underestimated. It\u2019s impossible to see what our future will look like especially after the national tragedy known as the 2016 election. That uncertainty can breed fear and hatred. The only antidote is love which leads to the most important vocational lesson I have gained from the fellowship; Whatever I end up doing in my personal and professional life, I must do it with unbending compassion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"(Compassionately)

(Compassionately) forcing the introvert to be the center of attention for once<\/p><\/div>\n

\"nica10\"

Magic moments<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s 2016 and I\u2019m studying Environmental Science. Every day I learn about rising sea levels, melting glaciers, corruption, poverty, hunger\u2026… Sometimes I hear about things that are getting better but the world is changing rapidly and I\u2019m watching from the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":739,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","kk_blocks_editor_width":"","_kiokenblocks_attr":"","_kiokenblocks_dimensions":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"gutentor_comment":0,"qubely_featured_image_url":null,"qubely_author":{"display_name":"eliakazemi","author_link":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/author\/ekazemi\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"Uncategorized<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"It\u2019s 2016 and I\u2019m studying Environmental Science. Every day I learn about rising sea levels, melting glaciers, corruption, poverty, hunger\u2026… Sometimes I hear about things that are getting better but the world is changing rapidly and I\u2019m watching from the … Continue reading →","post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/739"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=92"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92\/revisions\/107"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=92"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=92"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.scu.edu\/eliakazemi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=92"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}