Don’t stop.
Hey there!
Hey there! Full disclosure I am not Black so I cannot pretend to understand the challenges that you may have encountered. I can however speak to being a girl that was not introduced to STEM as it is known today. Science, especially biology, and math were of interest to me -in retrospect I think I would have enjoyed being exposed to more technology – it was sorely lacking in the curriculum. Girls were geared towards “Home Economics” and boys towards “Shop” . I love to bake and cook. I also love the idea of building stuff. My advice to you, is to ask questions. If you see/hear something of interest, try to learn more and don’t automatically accept that you, for whatever reason, shouldn’t pursue it. My parents didn’t graduate from high school so they understood the value of a higher education whether it is a technical or academic pursuit. Dad always wished he could have gone to medical school and because I liked science, I thought I wanted to become a doctor. First semester of college with Bio, Chem, Calculus changed my path to Business and Economics. At Verizon, I started as a pre-sales engineer (more than 20 years ago). That means that you support the account team to find solutions for customers and price them out. I am exposed to new technology everyday and have the opportunity to embrace change and learning EVERY day. If you want to learn, you need to embrace challenges that may make you feel out of your comfort zone...THAT is where the real learning and development occurs. Whenever I feel like I am not up to what is being asked of me, I pause and ask myself WHY. Most of the time it is because I am afraid of failing or not meeting my managers/teammates expectations. It’s uncomfortable! I have discovered that I learn more and inadvertently become more confident and feel a sense of achievement. So GO FOR IT...ask the questions, ask for help...you CAN DO IT. It may not be easy. Don’t let that stop you. I wish you all the best in your endeavors and hope that this letter from my heart inspires you even if just a bit.
Sincerely,
