For my STEP Signature Project, I completed a service-learning project with the organization Proyecto Mariposas, a nonprofit for Latina women and girls in the Columbus community. I worked directly with the president of the organization, Yahaira Rose, and created content and programming ideas as well as managed the social for the organization and helped with events. This summer, I focused on a body positivity campaign on social media for the program as well as kickstarting an ongoing friendship initiative.
While completing my STEP Signature Project, the thing that changed most about myself were my understanding of how much I knew or was aware of the community I was working with. I had been volunteering with Proyecto Mariposas taking on various roles throughout the school year and had learned very much, but I was surprised to see how much more there was to learn and absorb about these incredible women. Not only was I able to interact with the girls and women of the group throughout the summer and gauge their opinions on various social media and content ideas for the program, but I became even more inspired and motivated than I ever would have imagined. The Latina community I had the amazing opportunity to work so closely with are the most resilient, creative, and optimistic groups of people I have ever encountered. I never would have thought at the beginning of my project how much I would truly learn about and learn from these women.
My relationship and interactions with Yahaira Rose, the president of the non-profit was something that led to the transformation I previously discussed. Working with Yahaira has been one of the most positive, educational experiences in my life thus far. Her guidance and feedback as well as personal experience and role in the organization helped me immensely in creating the best content and materials for the girls and women. Her stories, suggestions, and reasoning for it all was eye opening and gave me an incredibly closer look into the lives and experiences of all the Mariposas (women and girls of Proyecto Mariposas).
Additionally, working on the body positivity campaign, “Positividad Corporal con PM” led to a transformation in my understanding of the Latina community and the women I had been working with. As a Caucasian female, my view of body positivity, from my own life and experiences has consisted of dealing and working with poor body image, expectations from society and the media, etcetera. One specific conversation I had with Yahaira during the campaign opened my eyes and view of body positivity for women of all colors. Yahaira was describing how I could add an affirmation or journal prompt (as a part of our daily campaign postings) regarding loving your hair, something she said she had personally had to fight to learn to do. This simple suggestion and conversation led me to again realize that there is so much more to body positivity as well as any feelings or initiatives than what we individually apply to ourselves and think of our personal experiences.
These experiences positively affected me. Throughout the summer I felt myself constantly evolving and growing, expanding my outlook on every issue and topic I was creating content and ideas for. I began to ask more questions when I was unsure about how to approach an area I was not familiar with due to any lack of my own experience instead of shying away from it. During my project I truly began to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, in the sense of recognizing there is always more perspectives to gauge and more to learn about everyone, every single day.
The experience I was given this summer to volunteer with Proyecto Mariposas was truly transformational. Not only was I given an ample and effective environment to practice my Spanish and expand my creativity within my study of the Spanish language, but I encountered so many people and opportunities that helped me grow. In working with the head of the organization, Yahaira Rose, and with other members of the board and meeting members of the organization, getting their feedback and input, etcetera, I was immersed into the Spanish community right here in Columbus. In addition, with the body positivity campaign and friendship initiatives we began and will be continuing to work on, I feel as though my experience in planning, organizational initiatives, analyzing viewer behavior and engagement and more helped increase skills I will be utilizing in my future career goal, to be an Industrial Organizational Psychologist.
In this field, I will be working with companies and businesses creating and supervising trainings, programs, and testing to make the workplace a better environment. I also hope to incorporate my Spanish degree in my future career, hopefully helping to increase workplace harmony and diversity as well. This experience was a great immersion experience that will prepare me for both.
