Hey y'all, I have been reflecting a lot lately about future blog posts. There is so much I want to say, and so much I'm ready to share. Please let me know what you are most interested in hearing about: I am ready to talk about anything from my origin story to all the nuggets I've learned about #TakingUpSpace in physics and astronomy for 10 years.
What are you interested to hear about first?
Origin story Part 1: From Alaska to Louisiana
Origin story Part 2: Grambling Edition
In memory of my mentor, Dr. Teng Zhu
Graduate school experience
Post-grad school transition
Professional career at STScI and NRAO
#AuntieJess nuggets/teachable moments
Other
Please complete poll on Twitter or message me with your thoughts. Thank you!
I will leave you with some of #AuntieJess nuggets for #ThoughtfulThursday.
I launched my website and announced #AuntieJess a few weeks ago (on June 19th). I feel, now more than ever, that I am needed. I feel compelled to finally share with the world my perspective and lived experiences within STEM.
I am old school and really believe in respect. There has been so much that I have been witnessing and just wanted to give a few nuggets of advice. I cannot sit back and say nothing.
I say this phrase often "you don't know what you don't know." It is okay not to know something. Always be willing to receive advice and correction. There is so much power in saying "I don't know."
This list of #AuntieJess nuggets has been curated over the last few weeks.
Social media is a permanent record. Be mindful of the optics of your social media presence.
Be respectful.
Honor those who have come before you.
Don't keep reinventing the wheel.
Do your homework. As scientists, we would never publish a paper without doing our due diligence in researching publications and citing previous work.
There are a lot of STEM "elders" who care a LOT about this next generation. Give us the benefit of the doubt. We are coming in love and "pulling you in" and purposefully not "calling you out."
We are a close STEM community. We build in community and coalition.
There is space for us all. "We need Joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share." ~Maya Angelou
Students, in Zoom, be present. Turn on your video and mute your audio when you are not speaking.
Respect that there is a cost for "speaking out". There are a lot of reasons why someone may not "speak out". Please be aware there is true risk to be calculated.
"We need Joy as we need air. We need love as we need water. We need each other as we need the earth we share." ~Maya Angelou
Closing thoughts:
I must first say that I am honored to be bestowed with the title of #AuntieJess and take my responsibility in this role as elder with great care and respect. I deeply value community and the development of relationship with others. I am here because of the community and relationships I have built over the years. This is priceless to me. Secondly, please take what you can from my nuggets and blogs and leave what doesn't resonate. Lastly, know that I come from a genuine place, always in the spirit of an auntie who loves you enough to tell you the truth.