Twenty girls from all over the world who recently immigrated to the US. Five successful women with personal stories of struggle, determination and drive. Today at Microsoft, Ana Nicacio brought these two groups together for an amazing experience for the girls at Seattle World School. The speakers, Yadi Reyes, Sharon Lo, Neeti Natarajan and Megan Olsen, told their stories in a way that reverberated with our students who are facing some of the same challenges. They talked about learning English from scratch, being hesitant to talk to people using broken English, not knowing what they wanted to do for a career, and struggling with class work that seemed easy to others. The message that our students heard over and over again is that you have to keep going, believe in yourself, and not be afraid to fail and then try again. Interacting with these amazing women, who have emerged from these challenges stronger than most, was truly inspirational for our students. The girls wrote things like, "While I was listening to their stories, I decided to not give up with things that I'm doing," "She made me laugh and be happy," and "I hope I don't give up any more."
It is so important to hear messages of hope during difficult times, and the messages today were delivered at just the right time for these girls. They are struggling with English, a new country, self-doubt (aren't we all?), and the knowledge that many people their same age are already on a path to success. The women who donated their time today to speak to our students gave them a new perspective of empowerment and strength. In the future when our students are having a hard time, they will be able to think back on these inspirational stories and keep going!
After this event:
