We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Beatrice Ncho and Chiamaka Obianyor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Beatrice Ncho and Chiamaka Obianyor, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Throughout our careers as high achieving black, African (internationally-born) women in Engineering, we have faced several instances where we happened to be the only black/African person, only woman, or only black woman in the room. Simply put, we are often the minority within the minority. Therefore, we find ourselves often practicing the tips below.
– Find a sponsor/supporter or an ally who is willing to walk alongside you. We know firsthand how exhausting and isolating it is to be the only one in the room. Having someone else journey with you, who has gone through a similar experience, is empowering and liberating. So if you are having doubts about anything, reach out to the person who came to mind as you read that line, this is us giving you permission to go find your person.
– Remember that your experiences and vantage point are a strength and not a weakness. By virtue of being the “ONLY”, you bring a unique perspective that will be different from that of your teammates or co-workers. Own it and communicate it effectively, this could be the missing link to the problem the team is trying to solve.
– Lastly, Imposter syndrome may rear its head sometimes, it is often helpful to keep an achievement journal to remind yourself that you earned your place at the table. Or check-in with a friend to kindly remind you that you are indeed worthy. It is essential to have a community of support outside of said room, whom you can vent to, and who will uplift you.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
We are the Savvy Afro SuccesS (aka SASS or thesassplug). We run an educational consulting & coaching platform through which we aim to be game changers for international students (F-1 students) seeking to study in or currently in the United States (US). We are also passionate about working with underrepresented students. As previous international students, and current minorities in the US, who have achieved academic and professional success in the US, we are passionate about the success of others who look like us. Our coaching services help students to land admissions into their dream schools, and provide them access to US school admissions resources. Our mentoring services help students through their college or graduate school career progression. Lastly, we partner with schools & organizations, to organize and lead workshops on diverse topics or skills relevant for the academic and professional advancement of students.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most important qualities, skills and areas of knowledge that have contributed to our development and journey so far have been:
– Resilience & Adaptability
– Audaciousness. i.e. willingness to take risks
– Tenacity
A lot of our personal and professional growth comes from nurturing the tenacity and grit required to adapt and succeed in a place that’s different from where we grew up. These same skills can be developed through activities and experiences inside and outside of formal education or professional settings.
To develop these skills our advice will be;
– Seek opportunities to work with others who are different from you. This could be through participating in volunteering activities, leading an organization, or contributing in your local community
– Don’t be afraid to be daring or do the things that scare you. One of our favorite quotes is “Feel the fear, but do it anyway”. Learn to do things “afraid”. Success and growth are on the side of “failure” and every failure is a “learning opportunity”.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We are looking to collaborate with others through speaking engagements as guest speakers, podcast guests, panels or workshop/seminar hosts. Do you have an organization or audience that caters to high school students, college or graduate students and would like to motivate them to think about their future? We will be happy to discuss with you and to share our learnings with them. You can contact us by going to our website (www.thesassplug.com), DM/follow us on our social media (Instagram: @thesassplug, Facebook: Savvy Afro SuccesS – thesassplug) or send us an email ([email protected]). Also, if you know any high school students, college students, or graduate students who will benefit from our coaching or mentoring services, send them our way! We can’t wait to work with them.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thesassplug.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesassplug
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sassplug
Image Credits
Titilayo Funso
