"Being a teacher is hard." "Working with kids is hard." "Teachers don't get paid well." "I don't know how you do it." It's true. It's a tale that's been told for ages. Teaching is a highly-respected profession that people stray away from because they don't think they can handle it or they don't think they'll be able to pay the bills. These are reasonable fears that I've struggled with for some time, but what allows me to keep trekking through is the kids. I know that I'm making a difference in their lives because some of them don't have parents that are present enough to talk to them about their days or what they're struggling with. While I can imagine it can be difficult to take care of yourself while you are taking care of 15-30 kids, I think what gets you through at the end of the day is faith. Whether you believe in God or Allah or the universe or just yourself, being a teacher necessitates a strong belief that what you're doing will count and your hard work will pay off. I feel called to help form the younger generation into leaders who can learn from our mistakes about romanticizing the wrong things, valuing objects over people, prioritizing others' opinions over our own, etc. At the end of the day, I feel called to be present in these classrooms and after school programs. I know there is a deep deep need for love & that how we are treated as children will affect who we will become as adults. The time to act is now and there is an urgency in loving on these children while they are still being molded. Grab a seat and let's get started.
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9/9/2016 1 Comment #OUTOFPLACE: NikkiHow would you describe the stereotypical college student? Always late to class or skipping class. Partying on the weekends constantly. You also never hear about a college student actually studying. When people make jokes about college students, it’s usually about how they’re not studious because they're spending their time going out. I like to think that most people are well rounded enough that they can do all things. In what ways do you break or defy stereotypes? In what ways do you conform to stereotypes? Well, I definitely conform to the stereotype of being Asian and loving math. But just because I find myself intelligent doesn’t mean that I’m a nerd or that I have to fit into that label. I mean I can still do everything else. I still go out I still have fun. I am not the typical Asian student. Another thing is that everyone thinks that all people from Hawaii surf. I don't. I didn’t learn how to swim until I was 15. I have never been a water baby. A lot of people don’t realize that being from Hawaii doesn’t make you Hawaiian. I’m Vietnamese and White. I guess all in all, I conform to some stereotypes. As a college student, I can be late to class every once in awhile but those few instances don’t define me. It’s not something that labels you -- or it shouldn’t label you. Have you ever been stereotyped before? Sometimes I say no to something and people will say, “you’re so lame," and that takes a toll on me because I hate to be characterized asa boring person. So because of that hate, I say yes to a lot of things and that’s why my plate is so full. If I’m afraid to do something, people will label me a “wimp.” I’ve also been stereotyped as “innocent” a lot. It just takes a toll on you because sometimes the things that people are saying to you don't fit into the goal of the person you want to be and they don’t realize how those words can affect you. Why is it important to have differences and embrace differences in society? I think in society we think collectively and end up being more successful that way. We are only successful because we all have different ideas to pitch and different perspectives to give. If we were all the same we wouldn’t get anywhere or progress as a community because conformity just confines you I think. We live in a paradoxical society in which people are trying to pull away from the mainstream and the “basic” and yet still want to feel a sense of belonging and fitting in. We want to be unique and similar at the same time. What are your thoughts on this? I want to work in the fashion industry, and in that career lifestyle you almost have to go with the flow. Still, there are different styles in fashion, so you have an example of that paradox there. I think that people look down upon being basic and being mainstream because it is the mainstream to look down on basics. It's almost like a joke. It’s not like you’re actually teasing people in that way. It's funny because you are teasing your friend and laughing with them because you do the same thing as them. It’s more like a funny thing. I also think that people conform because it’s more comfortable that way and most peope thrive in a more comfortable setting. There are those people who completely pull away from what others are wearing or saying and many times they get made fun of and called weird. So I can see why other people are afraid to stray away from the norm. How does Chapman as a school try to break stereotypes and promote differences? How do they foster an environment where stereotypes are promoted? Chapman encourages you no matter who you are. So many different organizations are recognized on campus and when you really look into them individually, there is a variety of of majors, races, and genders, etc. that are not necessarily what you would think. For example, so many members from our Hawai'i club aren't even from Hawai'i, which already defies a stereotype in my opinion. Nikki Nguyen
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