When I was 12 I wrote and delivered first oratory. Seems like a great feat for a 12 year-old right? Well the truth is that I got a lot of help from a very kind neighbor Ms. Washington. Ms. Washington was a lawyer, I really wanted to be a lawyer at 12. At the time not only was she the only lawyer I knew, but she was the only lawyer I knew who was also well spoken, kind, and above all approachable. I told her about my oratory and what was on the line, a $1000 scholarship, and she agreed to read my oratory and help me out.
I visited Ms. Washington one afternoon. She reviewed my oratory, gave me some suggestions, and even handed me a copy of an oratory that she had written that had been published, wow! I was impressed and inspired. That afternoon at Ms. Washington’s I learned how to add imagery to my oratory so that the audience could visualize what I was saying. But what I really learned from Ms. Washington I wouldn’t realize until yesterday afternoon.
Jasmine Lee is currently an intern for Femgineer. About a week ago Jasmine told me she was going to be applying to the Thiel Fellowship, and asked if I would read over her application. I of course agreed to read it.
Reading Jasmine’s application was mostly a treat for me. I learned what initially inspired her into engineering, and understood the intimate moments of her theater experience that took her from stage fright to fearless. Sure I could have just asked Jasmine over the course of her internship, but there was something rich about reading her written words.
After I read Jasmine’s application and gave her feedback, it occurred to me that I was now Ms. Washington! It was a quiet and satisfying moment. When you get older, like say 30, you forget how far you’ve come, and what led you to where you are today. Stopping to help Jasmine was like a time machine, that put it all in perspective. Thank you Jasmine for helping bring back those wonderful memories of where it all began for me, and thank you Ms. Washington for being my initial inspiration.
PS I’ll be quietly rooting for Jasmine to get the fellowship!
