3/22 YCE

We arrived in New York on March 21, and since then, our trip has been packed with learning opportunities. Not only have I had the chance to get to know my peers from Ashoka better, but we were lucky enough to share our ideas and meet changemakers based in New York.

First thing in the morning, we presented our work at the Japan Society in Manhattan. Though a bit nervous to share my ideas in front of an audience I had not previously met, I was incredibly excited to speak to a group of people who were passionate about both the United States and Japan like me.

Then, we headed towards our next destination to meet with people from Eye To Eye. However, on the way, we walked by the NYSE (exciting for me as I am currently taking an economics course!). One of the highlights of my day was seeing the Fearless Girl statue. It is such a powerful symbol for women’s potentials, and sends an incredibly empowering message.

We then arrived at Eye To Eye, a nonprofit organization that leads art workshops for students who have learning or attention issues. The members were so passionate and motivated to “unlock greatness”. Given that they operate a nationwide network, I asked a question regarding how they maintain consistency and overall activities; I learned that each of the national leaders are responsible for 15 chapters in a given area, allowing for close ties and oversight.

We were also incredibly fortunate to meet Sascha Haselmayer, an Ashoka Fellow and founder of Citymart. One topic that stood out to me was when he talked about how he spent 25 out of 27 years to define the problem This made me more reflective on how I approach problems; moving forward, instead of focusing on solutions, I think I need to spend more time defining the problem I face in order to create an effective, viable solution.

At the end of the day, we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge from where we could see the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, and more!