If you know me well – and I mean really know me – you know that I think way too much about what others think about me. I’m one of those people who needs words of affirmation from others. I listen to what others say way more than I should. When I finished reading #GIRLBOSS, this was more evident to me than before – and it was already pretty evident to me then.
As digital editor at my college’s newspaper, I manage our social media and keep our website up-to-date and looking sharp. Anyone who manages social media for a business or an organization has encountered their share of trolls. There are mornings when I hop on Twitter and see notifications in the double digits. More often than not, the notifications are innocent, but recently, we’ve encountered a truly special troll.
Read MoreThere is solace in the solutions science uncovers. We all have an urge, at times motivated by fear, to understand the unknown. But we are human beings, and our experience on Earth is artistic, expressive, and subjective. Lows allow us to feel highs; growth forces us to change whether we want to or not; and in the midst of all this noise, if we’re quiet enough to hear, the whispers of our intuition guide us.
Read MoreRecently, I’ve spent a lot of time wondering what my life is going to look like post-graduation. All I’ve wanted my entire life is to travel and live in new cities and have a career that I love. It’s getting to the point in my life where I now have to actually make those things happen. Which, honestly, is quite terrifying to me.
Read MoreMost people will say that it is okay to live with uncertainty, but Stephanie Wittels Wachs made me realize in her novel, Everything is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss, that it is better to acknowledge the pain than to hide it.
Read MoreI want my own business, something that is me. But I have no idea how to go about building one. No one tells you how to build a business. They only tell you about it after the fact – when they’re successful – and they always make it sound easy-peasy. Enter this little pink book called #GIRLBOSS.
Read MoreAs human beings, it’s in our nature to construct our own identity, one that may not necessarily be accurate. These self-constructed egos play out in many ways throughout our daily lives. For instance, when you’re in a rut and you see someone succeed, your first instinct can be to feel bitter or angry at them. But you’re not actually angry at them, you’re just subconsciously allowing your ego to step in the way as a reflection of your own insecurities.
Read MoreFulfillment is a three syllable word whose definition resulted in me having several existential crises and muttering the phrase, “I will never find fulfillment” on more than one occasion. For my capstone, I decided to research fulfillment and after defining it, speak to people who felt they had found fulfillment. I hoped to learn how to make the best of my senior year of college and set myself up for fulfillment success. But as I began researching the topic, I realized that no one has really defined what fulfillment is. Some articles involved 30-year-olds talking about how they had found it, where others mentioned that you cannot find fulfillment unless you are near the end of your life and looking back on it.
Read MoreSummer may have stuck around longer than expected with its oppressive heat and humidity, but Women of Cincy is already celebrating the new season with the arrival of their fall residents.
Read MoreHello! My name is Kate Ducey and I am the current editorial resident here at Women of Cincy.
Part of being a resident is completing a capstone, so for my capstone, I've decided to reach out to Women of Cincy readers!
My capstone is titled "The Serendipity Scrapbook" and it is all about getting people to look at their everyday lives differently through a series of small challenges.
Read MoreMentorship matters. As residents of Women of Cincy, we’ll learn as much from you as you’ll learn from us. We believe that life is just one giant learning curve, and learning about the world and its women is not only beneficial, but essential. Heading out into the world is not always easy, but it’s always a welcome challenge.
Read MoreAngelica greets us with a smile and a toddler on her hip. The little boy, who I later find out is named David, keeps tapping her cheek as we climb up the stairs. I marvel at her ability to balance the active toddler and climb three flights of steps. Her journey to the U.S. began 16 years ago, and if one thing stands out among those 16 years, it’s the moments of family she’s experienced.
Read MoreAt various points during the interview, trains rattle by the house, and we pause when they whistle their arrival. When they fade into the distance, Budhi continues, sharing with us her love story, journey, and the differences between the life she led in Nepal, and the life she’s created in Cincinnati.
Read MoreOn a rainy Cincinnati day washed in diluted sunlight, Mariam Alzoubi sat down with Women of Cincy editorial resident, Lauren Lewis, to share stories about her life in Syria, her journey to the United States, and the adjustments she’s made since starting a new life in Cincinnati.
Read MoreIn the upstairs room of Rohs Cafe, I was joined by four women, students at the University of Cincinnati, who graciously volunteered to discuss their faith. That’s not an easy conversation in this day and age. But with Zara Ahmed, Jessica Friedman, Carrie Shephard, and Faryaal Zindani, it was a conversation that flowed with ease and understanding.
Read MoreWith only one semester of her undergraduate education to go before heading to law school, Alesha has been lucky to find not only role models, but also important friendships among advisors and other students. Mandy, her University of Cincinnati Honors Program advisor, finds inspiration among Alesha and other students who push themselves outside of their comfort zones. The two have grown together over the past few years and helped each other in ways they wouldn’t have imagined, expanding the typical roles of the mentor-mentee relationship.
Read MoreAfter a long Tuesday proctoring a final marketing exam for the semester, Dr. Sojka and Hannah met with me in Dr. Sojka’s office. Their motto is that “everybody sells something,” especially themselves and it is important to build the confidence to do so. Despite the quiet halls of the Lindner College of Business at the University of Cincinnati, they remained lively in their conversations – although that could have been the sugar from the cookies Dr. Sojka offered us.
Read MoreIn the week leading up to Thanksgiving, Dr. Karen Bankston and Sara Burke of the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing squeezed me into their busy schedules. The enthusiasm they carried about their impressive careers and hope for the future was felt throughout the room. “It’s not your mother’s nursing school,” Dr. Bankston says as she reflects on the differences of nursing education through the years. While some aspects have stayed the same, both of these women find their passion in driving change beyond hospital walls.
Read MoreMany of us are lucky enough to name 10 to 15 role models that have shaped who we are today. Our educational years mold us greatly in our future professions. Those in the beginning stages of their careers need attention and interest from those around to help them in shaping their goals and reaching their full potential. Through this series, I was able to focus on students pursuing different goals, personally and professionally, to discover what makes the role of mentorship in their lives so special.
Read More