WHY YOU SHOULD BE PART OF A COMMUNITY
To be truly human means to live and to live means to live with people and to share your life with them. From your nuclear family to your extended family, school mates and colleagues, you are in continuous interaction and communication. In essence, you are unconsciously a product of several communities. As we grow older however, we become more aware of ourselves and begin to make intentional efforts to be part of communities that align with our aspirations. You graduate from the university with big dreams for your career and you are clueless as to where and how to begin. Your confusion is even heightened when you study a STEM course because there are very few women to point you in the right direction. Deliberately belonging to a community (physical or virtual) of women in STEM has immense benefits. Here are some:
· INSPIRATION AND MOTIVATION
Nothing will probably excite you more than the fact that you are in a space with women on similar journeys with you. What is even better is that you will have access to women who have defied the odds and reached the peak of their careers. This is fuel for your own dream, all the inspiration and motivation you need to keep growing till you attain the goals you have set for yourself.
· OPPORTUNITIES
Because of the diverse nature of women in STEM communities, you will have access to opportunities you otherwise would have known nothing about if you were flying solo. A lot of times, these kinds of communities morph into some sort of talent pool that women who are leaders in their chosen careers love to draw from.
· SELF DISCOVERY
When people share their experiences in a community, it provides clarity on your own goals because then you ask yourself if your chosen path is truly something you want to pursue. If it is not, you can pivot and choose something else. Without a community, you would most likely have gone all the way before realizing that you could choose other options.
· KNOWLEDGE
Chief of all benefits you can get from a community is knowledge. Knowledge is shared from book clubs, webinars/seminars, courses and even day to day contributions on whatever forum your community is hosted on.
· FUN
That’s right! Because sometimes, girls just want to have fun. So, look forward to fun and friendships as you think of joining a community.
Communities are a great way to grow and if you are not already part of one, we have great news! At Afro Tech Girls, we just launched our post-secondary school community and we would love you to join us. Are you currently in university or a recent graduate of a STEM course or are you in your early career (2-3 years’ experience) phase in the STEM space? Then the Afro-Tech Girls community is for you :) Join by clicking here. Cheers to great times together!
Written by Gbemileke Anthony