Friday, March 20, 2020
Predicting the Future With Language
Thursday, March 19, 2020
What is the Relationship Between Personal, Local, and Global needs?
Throughout my time in my "Equality" and "Social Entrepreneurship & You" classes at GCE, I have discovered what my place in the world is, a little bit at a time. In my Equality class, we learned about social justice issues that run in the community around us, in our country, and globally.
Through my business, I help the world on a personal, local, and global level.
Personal: Assert my belonging in the Mexican community
Local: Assert belonging for all Mexicans in the community, and fund money for a Mexican empowerment non profit
Global: Through the power of art, Mexican culture will be represented more in the world because of people wearing our products.
Through my business, I help the world on a personal, local, and global level.
Personal: Assert my belonging in the Mexican community
Local: Assert belonging for all Mexicans in the community, and fund money for a Mexican empowerment non profit
Global: Through the power of art, Mexican culture will be represented more in the world because of people wearing our products.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Don't Be Self Conchas
I never would have thought that I would want to be a social entrepreneur, ever in my life. I grew up thinking that working for a business only meant that you would have to be stuck in a suit and tie, running from meeting to meeting through downtown's many buildings, on a 9am-5pm schedule. I was very stubborn in my first days of my Social Entrepreneurship & You course because I was not particularly interested about that side of business. However, my perception of business changed when I gave this course a chance. I was surprised to discover through class discussion that...
Business is everywhere.
Business is the tamale lady standing on the corner, hustling to sell more than her competitor across the street.
Business is negotiating the price of a house you want to buy off of a seller.
Business is trading your bag of chips for a classmate's stack of Oreos.
We partake in business everywhere we go, though we don't realize it. Though I was fascinated by that idea, I was more intrigued that business can be used for social good, aka social entrepreneurship. I learned about key concepts of social entrepreneurship, identifying social issues, different types of investors, and how to create a business plan.
I've been in charge of my own jewelry business since last April. I haven't had the chance to sit down and create a detailed business plan about it, so I took advantage of the time given to do this Action Project to focus on my business.
It was very difficult to delve into my business and nitpick something I am very passionate about, and discover why I am so passionate about it. I am beyond proud of my finished work. I hope I am able to find an angel investor soon to take my business to the next level, thanks to taking this class.
Business is everywhere.
Business is the tamale lady standing on the corner, hustling to sell more than her competitor across the street.
Business is negotiating the price of a house you want to buy off of a seller.
Business is trading your bag of chips for a classmate's stack of Oreos.
We partake in business everywhere we go, though we don't realize it. Though I was fascinated by that idea, I was more intrigued that business can be used for social good, aka social entrepreneurship. I learned about key concepts of social entrepreneurship, identifying social issues, different types of investors, and how to create a business plan.
I've been in charge of my own jewelry business since last April. I haven't had the chance to sit down and create a detailed business plan about it, so I took advantage of the time given to do this Action Project to focus on my business.
It was very difficult to delve into my business and nitpick something I am very passionate about, and discover why I am so passionate about it. I am beyond proud of my finished work. I hope I am able to find an angel investor soon to take my business to the next level, thanks to taking this class.
Ali, Tanveer. “Hispanics Pass Blacks As Chicago's 2nd Largest Racial, Ethnic Group: Census.” DNAinfo Chicago, DNAinfo Chicago, 15 Sept. 2017, www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20170914/near-west-side/census-white-black-hispanic-majority-minority-race-ethnicity-population-change-2016-2017-decline/.
Bloom, Mina. “City's Latino Neighborhoods: Population Up, Challenges Persist, Report Says.” DNAinfo Chicago, DNAinfo Chicago, 13 Oct. 2017, www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20171011/logan-square/uic-report-latino-neighborhoods-report-latino-population-growth-chicago/.
Duncan, Eric. “Topic: Jewelry Market Worldwide.” Www.statista.com, www.statista.com/topics/5163/jewelry-market-worldwide/.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
Bring in the Light
What does equality and success for minorities look like?
Minorities have always been successful, but they aren’t fully represented in the media. People with diversities often times aren’t given the place to use their voice because they live in such a unequal world.
I have decided for my first Action Project for my course, “Equality”, to look into a success story of a minority and give diverse person a space to use their voice on the story I researched about. I chose to look into Lori Lightfoot’s story because she has changed what a mayor can look like in Chicago. I have been following her story since I started working on her campaign. I enjoyed having fun with the format and making my report look like a history textbook. I found out that I have a knack for graphic design and color coordination through making my mini textbook booklet.
Minorities have always been successful, but they aren’t fully represented in the media. People with diversities often times aren’t given the place to use their voice because they live in such a unequal world.
I have decided for my first Action Project for my course, “Equality”, to look into a success story of a minority and give diverse person a space to use their voice on the story I researched about. I chose to look into Lori Lightfoot’s story because she has changed what a mayor can look like in Chicago. I have been following her story since I started working on her campaign. I enjoyed having fun with the format and making my report look like a history textbook. I found out that I have a knack for graphic design and color coordination through making my mini textbook booklet.
Saturday, February 1, 2020
Diversity is Unity
What is our place in the career world?
This is a question that has been in the back of my mind during the month of January- the first half of the Social Entrepreneurship & You course. My class and I have been focusing on what our personality traits are, how our traits can affect our role in the classroom and relationships, and how we can better achieve SMART goals to build on our weaknesses. I had a lot of fun learning about my personality traits and consciously observing myself throughout my day-to-day life. In my Action Project for this half of the class, I had to pick an aspect of the school and start thinking like a consultant by composing a solution on how the school operates. I chose to focus on diversity and inclusion in GCE, and how it plays a part in student’s learning and behavior, and implement a plan to celebrate diversity and inclusivity in GCE.
Diversity is important in school environments for a number of reasons. A diverse school fosters a sense of empathy and awareness, welcomes open-mindedness, allows students to feel unique but also part of a group, and prepares students for a diverse workplace.
One of GCE’s great values is diversity. Among the 60 students and faculty members of GCE , we represent 43 of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. Although our neighborhoods are segregated, we convene as a community of different races, sexualities, economic backgrounds, and ideologies.
Just read this quote by KC, a faculty member at GCE for about 10 years.
“In terms of student body, it has been very diverse. We have from African Americans to Africans, from Latinas to Latinos, to various European students, and a lot of people of mixed heritage. We even have people from various sexual orientations. So, in terms of student body, I think we have been on it.”
Strengths of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
GCE’s admissions process is very inclusive for people from all different backgrounds. GCE provides nearly full-ride tuition for low-income students. The Director of Admissions at GCE, SB, pointed out GCE’s financial diversity when I interviewed her.
SB: “I want to make sure when we are curating a class, that we are being conscious of having students from many different financial backgrounds, because that in itself is a lesson for everyone. How do we understand and navigate economic class? It’s important for me to have a representation of that.
There certain different classifications. There’s need-blind and there’s need-aware. Need-blind means that I don’t care what your financial situation is, I will admit you based entirely on how you are as an individual person. That is how I go into the first review. And then, because we need to be conscious of that, so that we do maintain that financial diversity, so that we have students from all across the board, I don’t make my first decisions in a financial space. But, financials do inform my holistic decision.”
The Commons of this Financial Aid pool is first come, first serve. Full-ride packages are given to those students who qualify and finish their financial aid application by the deadline. The amount of financial aid that GCE offers varies every year, but they try their best to accommodate every student that is admitted.
GCE meets student’s physiological needs by not charging for lunch. This encourages diversity because everyone has a chance to eat, no matter what their economic background is. I am personally grateful for this program because I know there is something always to eat.
GCE provides self-actualization through their Field Experience program. By visiting companies with POC in charge, GCE sets dreams for their students because they see someone that looks like them on a higher pedestal. When my class talked to black judges from the south side, talked to a black CEO of his own company, visited an author off the 79th Red Line, and interviewed a Hispanic man running for alderman, it changed my class’ perception of what success looks like. Black and brown people have always been successful, but are not as displayed in mainstream society.
Weaknesses of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
The majority of GCE’s faculty consists of heterosexual, white people. There is only one African-American teacher and one Asian teacher on staff. Two sophomores at GCE, ES and DC, explained their thoughts on a more diverse staff.
ES: “The one person that makes me feel safe and welcomed at this school is Sharon, because she acts like my black mom. She reminds me of my mom all the time. Second, she’s open to my sexuality. Having more teachers of color would provide more different opinions about the reality of the world, instead of hearing the same generic opinions.”
DC: “Kim was the one who made me feel most welcome because she reminds me a lot of my Grandma. She makes me feel like I’m at home. People will get the same experience like I have with Kim and what ES has with Sharon, you’re gonna feel at home, you’re gonna feel like you recognize someone that looks like you, at least.”
Opportunity for GCE’s Growth of Support for Diverse Students:
Extroversion: I am energized by socializing, solving problems through discussion, open and willing to share about my thoughts, and often described as friendly and approachable.
Intuition: I notice the big picture first, and then try to see how everything connects. I imagine the possibilities of how things could be, instead of focusing on the reality of how things are.
Feeling: I make decisions based on what my heart feels, more than what my brain thinks.
Judgement: I like to express my opinions, need to feel in control, and undertake one job at a time before moving onto another.
I also took the DiSC Personality Test. The test results stated that “You (I) have a strong self-motivation to get to know people in all walks of life and to nurture those relationships. You (I) have a natural enthusiasm for all types of ideas and projects- your own and other people’s. People are likely to describe you (me) as gregarious, persuasive, and optimistic. “
Overall, the results of my personality tests say that I am a natural leader, because I am outgoing, optimistic, and motivated. However, my weaknesses are that I depend on social interaction to keep my positive energy going. My feelings and emotions control me more than I control them. I become eager to please others, instead of focusing on my own goals and personal happiness.
As a South Chicagoan, Mexican, queer, low-income student at GCE, I find that I should make a safe space for POC. To promote and focus on Esteem and Love/Belonging, I can create socialization spaces for new students in my Gamer Club and for Hispanic Spanish-speaking students at lunch.
Last year, Gamer Club only had 2 people. I decided at my school’s camping trip orientation to especially welcome new students this year, as a rising senior. When talking to the new students during the first couple weeks of school, I noticed that they all liked something in common: gaming and memes. I decided to reboot Gamer Club this year, with crossed fingers that these new students would join. At the first meeting, all of the new students played Super Smash Bros together, creating the biggest club at GCE.
Gamer Club has become a bigger thing than just playing video games. It’s a place for people of color to act like their true selves, without the worry of being judged. There are people of different nationalities, sexualities , genders, and they are from all over the city. It is really cool seeing all of the new students bond with each other. We respect each other’s levels of gaming and praise each other’s wins and tough loses.
As part of this formed friend group through Gamer Club, I have noticed that we are still on the first layer of friendship, which is getting to know each other. Because our minds are not focused on getting to know one another but instead on current memes and jokes, I want to make a space in gaming club for everyone to get to know each other further than the first layer.
I will start each club meeting with a Rose and Thorn activity, providing a space for club members to talk about good, tough, or funny moments they have experienced currently. Other club members can start to be more conscious of their interaction with each other, while also getting to know each other. After a couple club meetings with this activity, it will become a routine to build a safer and belonging space. I will serve as a participant of the activity, a motivator for members to participate, and as a coach to cheer people on or empathize with what they say, and inspire people to be as accepting as I am. Hopefully, by the end of the year, everyone will feel closer to one another and keep doing the activity next year for Gamer Club.
As a Mexican student, I have wanted to make a space for students to talk in Spanish so that they can practice their language and help others learn the language.
On Tuesdays, I will have a designated spot in the OC lunch room for Spanish speaking and Spanish-learning students to speak Spanish to one another. Spanish speaking students can teach Spanish-learning students how to speak the language, which also helps the teacher become more fluent. Just hearing the language instead of being in a traditional Spanish class teaches in a unique way. Hopefully, by the end of the year, students will become comfortable with their Spanish tongue and make friends with those who share a common language with each other. We can measure this by speaking a bit more Spanish every time we meet. My role in this plan is to create the space for this activity by presenting the idea at the school Soapbox. It is nerve-wracking to start a whole new idea in a space that hasn’t had this sort of get-together before, but I think I can handle it with practicing my proposal in English and Spanish.
In conclusion, this project was tough to make a start on, but once I started, it has been one of the most thought-provoking projects I have completed. I am super proud of the organization and connectivity of all of my points. I hope that my SMART goals will help the student body and me.
Citations
DC, Personal Interview, (2019)
“DiSC Profile - What Is DiSC®? The DiSC Personality Test and Profile Explained.” DiSCProfile.com, www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/.
This is a question that has been in the back of my mind during the month of January- the first half of the Social Entrepreneurship & You course. My class and I have been focusing on what our personality traits are, how our traits can affect our role in the classroom and relationships, and how we can better achieve SMART goals to build on our weaknesses. I had a lot of fun learning about my personality traits and consciously observing myself throughout my day-to-day life. In my Action Project for this half of the class, I had to pick an aspect of the school and start thinking like a consultant by composing a solution on how the school operates. I chose to focus on diversity and inclusion in GCE, and how it plays a part in student’s learning and behavior, and implement a plan to celebrate diversity and inclusivity in GCE.
Diversity is important in school environments for a number of reasons. A diverse school fosters a sense of empathy and awareness, welcomes open-mindedness, allows students to feel unique but also part of a group, and prepares students for a diverse workplace.
One of GCE’s great values is diversity. Among the 60 students and faculty members of GCE , we represent 43 of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago. Although our neighborhoods are segregated, we convene as a community of different races, sexualities, economic backgrounds, and ideologies.
Just read this quote by KC, a faculty member at GCE for about 10 years.
“In terms of student body, it has been very diverse. We have from African Americans to Africans, from Latinas to Latinos, to various European students, and a lot of people of mixed heritage. We even have people from various sexual orientations. So, in terms of student body, I think we have been on it.”
Strengths of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
GCE’s admissions process is very inclusive for people from all different backgrounds. GCE provides nearly full-ride tuition for low-income students. The Director of Admissions at GCE, SB, pointed out GCE’s financial diversity when I interviewed her.
SB: “I want to make sure when we are curating a class, that we are being conscious of having students from many different financial backgrounds, because that in itself is a lesson for everyone. How do we understand and navigate economic class? It’s important for me to have a representation of that.
There certain different classifications. There’s need-blind and there’s need-aware. Need-blind means that I don’t care what your financial situation is, I will admit you based entirely on how you are as an individual person. That is how I go into the first review. And then, because we need to be conscious of that, so that we do maintain that financial diversity, so that we have students from all across the board, I don’t make my first decisions in a financial space. But, financials do inform my holistic decision.”
The Commons of this Financial Aid pool is first come, first serve. Full-ride packages are given to those students who qualify and finish their financial aid application by the deadline. The amount of financial aid that GCE offers varies every year, but they try their best to accommodate every student that is admitted.
GCE meets student’s physiological needs by not charging for lunch. This encourages diversity because everyone has a chance to eat, no matter what their economic background is. I am personally grateful for this program because I know there is something always to eat.
GCE provides self-actualization through their Field Experience program. By visiting companies with POC in charge, GCE sets dreams for their students because they see someone that looks like them on a higher pedestal. When my class talked to black judges from the south side, talked to a black CEO of his own company, visited an author off the 79th Red Line, and interviewed a Hispanic man running for alderman, it changed my class’ perception of what success looks like. Black and brown people have always been successful, but are not as displayed in mainstream society.
Weaknesses of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
The majority of GCE’s faculty consists of heterosexual, white people. There is only one African-American teacher and one Asian teacher on staff. Two sophomores at GCE, ES and DC, explained their thoughts on a more diverse staff.
ES: “The one person that makes me feel safe and welcomed at this school is Sharon, because she acts like my black mom. She reminds me of my mom all the time. Second, she’s open to my sexuality. Having more teachers of color would provide more different opinions about the reality of the world, instead of hearing the same generic opinions.”
DC: “Kim was the one who made me feel most welcome because she reminds me a lot of my Grandma. She makes me feel like I’m at home. People will get the same experience like I have with Kim and what ES has with Sharon, you’re gonna feel at home, you’re gonna feel like you recognize someone that looks like you, at least.”
Opportunity for GCE’s Growth of Support for Diverse Students:
GCE could promote this sense of safety by hiring more teachers of color so that students could let their guard down. As ES and DC stated, they feel more welcomed and safe with just seeing someone that looks like them and shares the same mannerisms.
Threats of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
Since GCE has been in the north side of Chicago for the past ten years, it isn’t accessible for people of color that live in the south and west sides of Chicago. GCE was presented with the opportunity last year to move downtown, where the school would be accessible to the other sides of the city. Once GCE opens its new doors downtown next school year, I am sure that they will recruit an abundance of qualified, diverse students because it will be more accessible.
Threats of GCE’s Support for Diverse Students
Since GCE has been in the north side of Chicago for the past ten years, it isn’t accessible for people of color that live in the south and west sides of Chicago. GCE was presented with the opportunity last year to move downtown, where the school would be accessible to the other sides of the city. Once GCE opens its new doors downtown next school year, I am sure that they will recruit an abundance of qualified, diverse students because it will be more accessible.
As a student in the GCE community, I believe that I can use my strengths to an advantage by making our community more inclusive of our diverse students.
According to the Myer’s-Brigg’s personality test, I am an ENFJ personality type, meaning that I encapsulate:
Extroversion: I am energized by socializing, solving problems through discussion, open and willing to share about my thoughts, and often described as friendly and approachable.
Intuition: I notice the big picture first, and then try to see how everything connects. I imagine the possibilities of how things could be, instead of focusing on the reality of how things are.
Feeling: I make decisions based on what my heart feels, more than what my brain thinks.
Judgement: I like to express my opinions, need to feel in control, and undertake one job at a time before moving onto another.
I also took the DiSC Personality Test. The test results stated that “You (I) have a strong self-motivation to get to know people in all walks of life and to nurture those relationships. You (I) have a natural enthusiasm for all types of ideas and projects- your own and other people’s. People are likely to describe you (me) as gregarious, persuasive, and optimistic. “
Overall, the results of my personality tests say that I am a natural leader, because I am outgoing, optimistic, and motivated. However, my weaknesses are that I depend on social interaction to keep my positive energy going. My feelings and emotions control me more than I control them. I become eager to please others, instead of focusing on my own goals and personal happiness.
As a South Chicagoan, Mexican, queer, low-income student at GCE, I find that I should make a safe space for POC. To promote and focus on Esteem and Love/Belonging, I can create socialization spaces for new students in my Gamer Club and for Hispanic Spanish-speaking students at lunch.
Last year, Gamer Club only had 2 people. I decided at my school’s camping trip orientation to especially welcome new students this year, as a rising senior. When talking to the new students during the first couple weeks of school, I noticed that they all liked something in common: gaming and memes. I decided to reboot Gamer Club this year, with crossed fingers that these new students would join. At the first meeting, all of the new students played Super Smash Bros together, creating the biggest club at GCE.
Gamer Club has become a bigger thing than just playing video games. It’s a place for people of color to act like their true selves, without the worry of being judged. There are people of different nationalities, sexualities , genders, and they are from all over the city. It is really cool seeing all of the new students bond with each other. We respect each other’s levels of gaming and praise each other’s wins and tough loses.
As part of this formed friend group through Gamer Club, I have noticed that we are still on the first layer of friendship, which is getting to know each other. Because our minds are not focused on getting to know one another but instead on current memes and jokes, I want to make a space in gaming club for everyone to get to know each other further than the first layer.
I will start each club meeting with a Rose and Thorn activity, providing a space for club members to talk about good, tough, or funny moments they have experienced currently. Other club members can start to be more conscious of their interaction with each other, while also getting to know each other. After a couple club meetings with this activity, it will become a routine to build a safer and belonging space. I will serve as a participant of the activity, a motivator for members to participate, and as a coach to cheer people on or empathize with what they say, and inspire people to be as accepting as I am. Hopefully, by the end of the year, everyone will feel closer to one another and keep doing the activity next year for Gamer Club.
 |
| AM, Gamer Club, (2019) |
On Tuesdays, I will have a designated spot in the OC lunch room for Spanish speaking and Spanish-learning students to speak Spanish to one another. Spanish speaking students can teach Spanish-learning students how to speak the language, which also helps the teacher become more fluent. Just hearing the language instead of being in a traditional Spanish class teaches in a unique way. Hopefully, by the end of the year, students will become comfortable with their Spanish tongue and make friends with those who share a common language with each other. We can measure this by speaking a bit more Spanish every time we meet. My role in this plan is to create the space for this activity by presenting the idea at the school Soapbox. It is nerve-wracking to start a whole new idea in a space that hasn’t had this sort of get-together before, but I think I can handle it with practicing my proposal in English and Spanish.
In conclusion, this project was tough to make a start on, but once I started, it has been one of the most thought-provoking projects I have completed. I am super proud of the organization and connectivity of all of my points. I hope that my SMART goals will help the student body and me.
Citations
DC, Personal Interview, (2019)
“DiSC Profile - What Is DiSC®? The DiSC Personality Test and Profile Explained.” DiSCProfile.com, www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc/overview/.
ES, Personal Interview, (2019)
"Free Personality Test, Type Descriptions, Relationship and Career Relationships" https://www.16personalities.com
KC, Personal Interview, (2019)
SB, Personal Interview, (2019)
"Free Personality Test, Type Descriptions, Relationship and Career Relationships" https://www.16personalities.com
KC, Personal Interview, (2019)
SB, Personal Interview, (2019)
Saturday, November 16, 2019
Promoting Success with Access
The senior class took hold of the steering wheel for the second half of our Economics course. The focus of the course was on the book “Doughnut Economics” by Kate Raworth. In her book, she visits the idea of old economic theory and renovates it in a more modern way of thinking. My class of 14 students was divided into groups of two. Each group focused on a chapter in “Doughnut Economics” and had to teach a lesson based on the chapter. My friend JN and I’s chapter, “Create to Regenerate”, was about the difference between a circular economy and linear economy. JN and I wanted to make our lesson interactive (aka not showing a wordy slideshow) so we had the class participate in a simulation. The simulation went as planned, with some minor discrepancies. Once the class and the teacher reflected on what they learned from our simulation, JN and I felt very accomplished of our successful lesson! It was very cool to hear other student’s presentations and views on the other chapters of “Doughnut Economics”. After studying Raworth’s book, the senior class went downtown to WeWork to visit a company named Rheaply. Instead of creating new, why not create a community of companies willing to reduce the amount of garbage at landfills? Rheaply aims to create a circular economy with creating an accessible, sustainable market for companies to sell and buy old resources. Rheaply was started by a young, black man, which is really inspiring to see a person of color as the CEO of a company. I gained a lot of valuable knowledge from this Field Experience.
To wrap the end of this term, I have created a mock chapter for “Doughnut Economics”. In this project, I will introduce another way to think like a 21st century economist.
Raworth says in “Doughnut Economics”,“Economics is not a matter of discovering laws: it is essentially a question of design.” We must fight the status quo right now and bring more representation in businesses for younger generations of people of color. Markets are not the most accessible right now, but young POC are working on it. Personally, I am fighting my own battle in the market world. I am a Latina, first generation, low-income queer woman that has started a jewelry business this past summer. I sell clay earrings based off of Mexican sweet treats. Since there are no spaces in the Southeast side of Chicago to sell my art to my intended audience (Hispanic/Latinx people), I travel two hours to the northside of Chicago to sell my jewelry at pop up shops. Since majority of buyers in the northside are not familiar with Mexican culture, I often have to teach about my heritage while trying to sell items. Trying to validate and educate my culture to anglo people as a Mexican teen is tough, so I usually do not get very far. The result? Traveling back two hours to the Southeast side with a backpack still full of jewelry. The market is not accessible to me or Latinx buyers. We both don’t benefit from this situation. I don’t sell jewelry to Latinx people, and the Latinx people are not able to buy my art at a location by them. According to Fortune, seventy-three percent of the senior executives, men and women, are white. The rest are 21% Asian, 3% Latino/a, 2% black, 0.6% two or more races, 0.2% Native American and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Since this is the case, I was very surprised to see a black man as the CEO of the company we visited for our Field Experience. Gary Cooper, CEO of Rheaply, said ,“Starting a company is really really hard. Starting a company in tech, as a first time founder, is three more times as hard. Not a lot of founders are minorities, less than 1%. So there’s a lot of things that are hard to navigate. I think the hardest thing is taking the leap. To just say, hey, I believe in this, I think it could work.” I think Gary understands the struggle as much as I do, but we still both took the leap to start our business with great confidence. Once the market world is more accessible to minorities, people like Gary and I could thrive and sell more to our intended audiences, and benefit those who are looking for our services
Citations
Jones, Stacy. “Fortune 500: 7 in 10 Senior Executives Are White Men.” Fortune, Fortune, 10 June 2017, fortune.com/2017/06/09/white-men-senior-executives-fortune-500-companies-diversity-data/.
To wrap the end of this term, I have created a mock chapter for “Doughnut Economics”. In this project, I will introduce another way to think like a 21st century economist.
Promoting Success with Access
 |
| JMP, Promoting Success with Access, (2019) |
As I conduct a tour throughout the halls of the Art Institute of Chicago with my black and brown friends, unwelcoming stares from white tourist families burn. Black security guards stand at their post with blank faces, ignored by visitors left and right. When I leave late from work, I see older hispanic women cleaning up after fancy events held for the rich. 7 in 10 senior executives in the Fortune 500 are white men. Seeing a person of color be a senior executive in a large company is unusual. This system is still around because it is harder for minorities, first generation, women, and low-income people to earn high education and have their voice heard. It is a major problem in our current world that people of color (POC) are not represented right in our economy. Imagine what the future COULD look like. If it wasn’t unusual to see a black woman as CEO of a company, younger black kids would look up to her and be inspired by simply seeing someone that looks like them in power. If the economy provided a space for Latino sellers in desert neighborhoods, neighbors would come out and create stronger community. This sort of global perspective benefits both parties through cultural capital. Cultural capital would give power to people of color in the market and become successful and rise up the social ladder without necessarily having financial capital. Every market should exist once the economic world is more accessible for minorities.
Raworth says in “Doughnut Economics”,“Economics is not a matter of discovering laws: it is essentially a question of design.” We must fight the status quo right now and bring more representation in businesses for younger generations of people of color. Markets are not the most accessible right now, but young POC are working on it. Personally, I am fighting my own battle in the market world. I am a Latina, first generation, low-income queer woman that has started a jewelry business this past summer. I sell clay earrings based off of Mexican sweet treats. Since there are no spaces in the Southeast side of Chicago to sell my art to my intended audience (Hispanic/Latinx people), I travel two hours to the northside of Chicago to sell my jewelry at pop up shops. Since majority of buyers in the northside are not familiar with Mexican culture, I often have to teach about my heritage while trying to sell items. Trying to validate and educate my culture to anglo people as a Mexican teen is tough, so I usually do not get very far. The result? Traveling back two hours to the Southeast side with a backpack still full of jewelry. The market is not accessible to me or Latinx buyers. We both don’t benefit from this situation. I don’t sell jewelry to Latinx people, and the Latinx people are not able to buy my art at a location by them. According to Fortune, seventy-three percent of the senior executives, men and women, are white. The rest are 21% Asian, 3% Latino/a, 2% black, 0.6% two or more races, 0.2% Native American and 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Since this is the case, I was very surprised to see a black man as the CEO of the company we visited for our Field Experience. Gary Cooper, CEO of Rheaply, said ,“Starting a company is really really hard. Starting a company in tech, as a first time founder, is three more times as hard. Not a lot of founders are minorities, less than 1%. So there’s a lot of things that are hard to navigate. I think the hardest thing is taking the leap. To just say, hey, I believe in this, I think it could work.” I think Gary understands the struggle as much as I do, but we still both took the leap to start our business with great confidence. Once the market world is more accessible to minorities, people like Gary and I could thrive and sell more to our intended audiences, and benefit those who are looking for our services
Citations
Jones, Stacy. “Fortune 500: 7 in 10 Senior Executives Are White Men.” Fortune, Fortune, 10 June 2017, fortune.com/2017/06/09/white-men-senior-executives-fortune-500-companies-diversity-data/.
Raworth, Kate. Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think like a 21st-Century Economist. Random House Business Books, 2018.
Internetainers' Impact on the 21st Century
Our last chunk of our Journalism course taught us the impact of voice throughout the past ten centuries. I enjoyed identifying important voices of entertainers, musicians, speakers, presidents, and crooks. I was very surprised how voices can be quickly identified with just one second of their iconic tone or sound, such as Barack Obama or Donald Trump. I decided to produce a podcast based on who I believe are iconic voices of the 21st century- YouTubers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal- and interviewed my peers about them. I have a deep connection with Rhett and Link. Since I became a fan of them in fifth grade, my humor and dialogue has been influenced by theirs. Since I watch their content everyday, their lingo has become part of mine. I watch them because they inspire me to be my best creative self and speak my valued voice. In 2017, I stood outside after their show in Chicago in negative degree weather to meet them. When they were leaving the theater, I was able to thank them for their impact on me and take a picture.
This year, I was able to earn a job at the Art Institute of Chicago and save up enough money for a meet and greet ticket to meet them indoors at their next tour stop.
I have met a number of best friends due to a shared love for Rhett and Link. One of them is my friend KC, who lives in California. We have been friends for about six years. We met through a chat dedicated to talking about our favorite episodes that Rhett and Link release on YouTube. We consistently talk everyday and send care packages to each other for the holidays. This upcoming summer, we are planning to meet for the first time! I would not have become best friends with KC without stumbling upon Rhett and Link first.
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| JMP, Tour of Mythicality, (2017) |
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| JMP, The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek, (2019) |
Since I know a number of people in GCE enjoy their content also, I wanted to hear what the impact of Rhett and Link was on them. I interviewed two people from the senior class, the head of school, and my friend KC from California. I picked these people because we talk about Rhett and Link eagerly when something is new with them. I liked the format of asking the question, and hearing the diverse answers at once.
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