Global Scholars Reflection

Looking back on my experience as a Poly K-12 student, the Global Scholars Program stands out. Frequently in our community, we talk about a Poly or a Pasadena “bubble,” a sphere of separation between us and the greater LA, USA, and international communities. The Global Scholars Program allowed me the opportunity to pop that bubble and truly learn about the world around me. As a result of the varied sources we were exposed to- international experts, news, personal stories and even history- I gained a surprisingly well rounded perspective on what it means to be a global citizen. Especially after nearly two years of isolation from my peers and from the rest of the international community, the empathy and connections that were built individually and within our cohort continue to be of paramount importance.

For me, my identity as a Global Scholar began to really take hold after I was able to facilitate the discussion portion of our International Women's Day Celebration event. It was an equally empowering and humbling experience to speak with Khin Sandi Lwin and Ambassador Eunice Reddick. I was very moved by the similarities they expressed in their experiences as women in powerful international experiences. The strength that they shared definitely motivated me as I looked forward to my culminating Grant Proposal and Capstone Project.

From my time with the Global Scholars Program I learned what Empathy Into Action really meant. I learned that international physical distance does not exclude international emotional closeness. As Vishakha Desai reminded us in her event this past November, "the world is our greatest family."

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Vishakha Desai Offers the Poly a New Perspective on Identity

On November 11, the Poly community was lucky enough to speak with and hear from the distinguished author and intellect, Vishakha Desai. With her book, World as Family as the framework for the discussion, Poly students were given the opportunity to engage with Desai through the Q&A structured event. I was deeply moved by Desai’s perspective on identity. When reading her book, I found myself having a difficult time understanding how her mother was able to be both an ardent feminist and advocate and a woman who maintained her cultural tradition. To me, it seemed as though Desai’s mother’s feminism would be hindered by practices and values she chose to maintain. When given the chance to ask Desai about this dichotomy, she explained that identity does not have to be so clearly defined. We all have many identities, she shared. For Desai, she is an American-Indian, an Indian-American, a New Yorker, a woman from India living in New York, and so on and so forth. None of these i...

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