I used to think that being a good leader meant having good ideas combined with charisma and drive. While those characteristics can be great, I learned that listening to those around you is just as important as having your own vision.
These ideas started to percolate in my pre-departure class for my study abroad to Bangalore, India, in the spring of my freshman year. Our class discussions revolved around the ethics of travel, and revealed how even well-intentioned leaders can do more harm than good if they do not listen to the population they are trying to serve. A revealing example of this was our critical look at “voluntourism,” a term referring to volunteer trips (usually to warm and/or tropical locations) coupled with the allure of tourist activities. Too often, for-profit trips like this do not take into account what the communities they are “serving” actually need, but rather assume out of typical Western arrogance that they know best. The result? Hours of labor going toward painting a church that could have gone toward a more pressing need, awkward and sometimes damaging interactions between locals and voluntourists who know nothing about the culture into which they have entered for 10 days, and perpetuation of the assumption that we must go abroad in order to help people in need. (This NY Times article goes more in depth about voluntourism in case you'd like to learn more) The takeaway: a good leader doesn’t assume she knows what is best for the people she is serving. She asks what is needed. She expects to be surprised. She listens. Lessons in leadership can come from surprising places. |
I was a Peer Educator with the Honors Program in 2015, and again in 2017. Here was my bio that was on the Honors website for 2017:
Hello lovely humans! My name is Maya, and here are a few things you should know about me: I am half-fluent in Spanish, but a life goal of mine is to become fully fluent through travel in Central America, South America, and Spain. I am obsessed with dogs, Rihanna, glitter, and concerts/music festivals. I grew up in Bellingham, Washington, but from ages 4-6, my family and I lived in an RV and traveled around the US. I have been to every state, but only remember a handful of them. My major is Comparative History of Ideas, and my sort-of second major is pre-physical therapy (although it’s not officially a major; it’s just a set of prerequisite coursework). I plan to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy after graduating. With Honors, CHID, and PT prerequisites, I have been able to take a very diverse array of classes in my 3 years at UW, and love learning about seemingly disparate topics and seeing how they intersect. I am also a colored pencil artist, and am currently exploring possibilities of art as activism (if you have any ideas, please feel free to share). Right now I am working on a series of portraits which represent folks who are often underrepresented in art and media in an attempt to challenge our culture’s narrow definitions of beauty. I am so excited to meet you all! |
The 2017 Peer Educators were a very special group. I am lucky to call them friends and inspirations, and hope to keep in touch with them for years to come.
From top left: Aubrey, Bryce, Chloe, Hailee, Emma, and Ethan Second row: Sofia, Regan, Griffin, Hannah, Meena, Jacqui Third row: Claira, Manasa, Kendall, Nikki, and Sam Bottom row: Riley, me, Taylor, Lexi, and Siena |
Almost immediately upon my arrival to UW, I joined UW's Wesley Club, the self-proclaimed "LGBTQ-affirming, open and inclusive campus ministry." We eat together during every event, have a rainbow bathtub in the lobby, and always have a full cookie jar. This is a place where I found a community absolutely free of judgment and full of warm welcoming hospitality and good conversation. I love the blurb on Wesley's home page, which reads:
We are working together to create space for encounter, dispel isolation, and subvert the status quo. We journey together, as a supportive community, exploring the meaning of life and faith. We encourage participants to engage, ask questions, and develop their own spiritual perspective. |
UW Leaders also taught me an important lesson about my limits. Being around so many high-achieving, ultra-involved individuals made me feel, by comparison, that I was not doing enough. So, I started to add more commitments to my plate even though it was already full. At my peak involvement (and lowest point for self care) I was...
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