I was sitting in the couch in the living room, looking forward to the typical Saturday morning for me. I signed into my email as I usually do, and there it was. I could barely believe it - I was reading an email
from an actual Google employee and it was addressed to me.I've heard of the Google RISE Awards and how the grants are intended to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and CS (Computer Science) outreach programs. All the recipients, staff and other professionals were to come together to discuss current company projects and share information/ideas so that the attendees could improve their programs at the 2012 Google RISE Summit in New York City. Google was asking me to be one of the four students on their panel discussion; Google wanted to hear my thoughts and MIT's OEOP office thought I would do a good job representing the MITES program. The first time I read the email, I ran straight over the words and jumped out of my seat, running to my mom, shouting "Can I go? Mom, can I go please?!" and forgetting that she knew nothing of what I was asking. As soon as I read the email to my parents and sister, my family responded with a supportive "Let's do this." The door to an opportunity to speak before business professionals and network had been opened to me and I was not going to let it slide past me.
Around 6 am on the second day of the conference, September 14, my mother and I boarded the train to Penn Station (which was exciting in itself as it was my first time on a train). We finally arrived at the station between 8 and 9 am, grabbed some Dunkin' Donuts, and joined the long line of others waiting for a New York taxi. Wasn't that an experience! We eventually grabbed a ride and made our way to the Google NY building. If we had more foresight then, we might have just walked the distance instead of waited. When I arrived, the building was busy and people were everywhere, and I began to feel intimidated by the fact that these people were able to inspire so many others through their own dreams. After the last session finished the workshops, all eight of the panelists - one student and one professional for each program - took their places. In the beginning, all the students, including myself, were quiet and allowed the adults to address questions, but, after we received an invitation to share our thoughts, we instantly expressed the significance of our experiences.
One thing that MITES taught me is that you don't have to be "the best" to succeed. When a question about admitting students with potential versus students with developed skills in STEM, I had to speak up: even though I may not have the perfect SAT score or the highest GPA in my class, I am not defined by a few shortcomings. I would have never discovered how much I can become if someone didn't give me the opportunity to not "be the best" but to "do my best." I clearly remember the night of orientation, when I was informed - rather forewarned - that my successes would not carry me through MITES. I appreciate that aspect of MITES. If we only focus on igniting inspiration on those that would appear to become the most successful, we minimize the power of inspiration and alienate an entire world of possibility and of progress. There are plenty of teenagers like myself in this country who could have more drive, more obstacles or even more potential than I have, but, because someone could not think outside of the box and allow them the chance to develop themselves, it is possible that they may never fully experience their talents.
"Igniting Inspiration" is a challenge that I hope I helped fulfill at the conference. These professionals wanted to hear from the students in order to learn how to better their program, and I wanted to make sure that I shared what became most important to me. While I've already explained how someone's "risk" influenced me and others students so greatly, I cannot deny the importance of diversity and exposure, both of which go hand-in-hand with what I've stated. By taking a risk on a student who may not fit the norm, I believe the level of each student's experience is heightened. Why? It follows the statement "hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard.." At MITES, we were all placed in environment where we couldn't rely on our own experiences from home, because the situation was entirely different. Where some of us succeeded in areas, others who were used to achievement did not, and, where some of us foresaw a struggle and despair in weaknesses, others found a strength where they had least expected it. We were all faced with academic and social diversity as well as an exposure to new ideas and new paths. Without someone taking the chance to "shake things up." how else would anyone discover that magnitude of success? We can only grow when we are forced to reach new heights; learning how to jump high means learning how to fall. I hope this inspired you.
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| Came out motivated to do greater things to "ignite inspiration" |
