Every Tuesday, Mackenzie brings home her Red Folder, which contains all the graded papers from the previous week for us to look over. A couple of weeks ago, Mackenzie's class had an assignment which provided a short description of a job, and the students had to match the illustration that was being depicted in the statement (see below). Other than the fire fighter, all the other "male dominated" professions were represented by men, while the veterinarian, reporter, writer child care worker were women.
How are children, both boys and girls, supposed to think the sky is the limit and that they can be anything they want to be when they are, at an early age, are being exposed to activities like this where roles are divided clearly for the jobs men and women do in the community?
I wonder who I can contact to make a change about this activity. It wouldn't hurt to expose children to jobs where both males and females are in those professions typical deemed male and female dominated.
Just thought I'd share my thoughts...
Also, I haven't forgotten. I owe y'all another HerStory interview. It's almost ready and should be posted by Wednesday.
Hi Everyone! I'm excited to announce that my pre-recorded Internet radio show interview has completed its final step, and it is now ready for the world to hear! Last night I received an email from the Executive Producer that my interview will air on April 29 and 20, 2013. Here's the link for where you can access the interview: http://www.wnbnetworkwest.com/WnbAuthorsShowChildren.html.
Photo Credit: The Authors Show
It's been a semi-long process, but so totally worth it!
Here are the steps I had to take to get to where I am now.
1. Complete a request for the Children Authors Show on their website. The cool thing is that The Authors Show has various shows for different categories of books. Check it out at the link provided above.
2. Complete a pre-screen with a short list of questions to answer.
3. Complete a detailed and thorough questionnaire for the interview.
4. Connect with the host to determine a few dates and times to conduct the interview.
5. The host then sends the questions he will ask during the recording and you prep for them.
6. Complete the Internet radio interview.
7. Once completed, the recording is sent to Arizona, where the recording is professionally edited.
8. When the recording is ready, you will be informed of when your interview will be broadcasted.
9. You promote the broadcast on your social media sites, just as much as they do.
And that my friends is what it takes to get approved to be on the show. Can't wait for everyone to hear it!
If you have any friends who have published a book (or books) and looking for ways to promote their works, I highly recommend this option. What I've listed above is all done for FREE, it just takes time that you have to be willing to commit to. They have packages you can purchase to help you promote your book(s). Lastly, there is also have an option for television interviews for a fee.
Hope this helps anyone. =)
Have a great day everyone!It's almost weekend time!
I meet Zenia on a work trip in El Paso, TX, during a site visit at the University of Texas - El Paso. Go Miners! Zenia was one of the few females in the engineering programs at the university. The first time I heard her speak was during a presentation she was working on for her thesis. Let me tell you this, the girl knows her stuff! Though I was thoroughly confused during the presentation, nonetheless, it was a great presentation. I know Zenia will make great strides in the world of engineering and has a great future ahead of her. I also know her fiance, another Miner, who I had the opportunity to place on an internship at Johnson Space Center. Read about Zenia below!
1. Name - Zenia
Garcia
2. City and State - El
Paso, TX
3. What is your
educational background? (Include colleges/universities and degrees attained)
The University of Texa at El
Paso/ B.S, M.S Mechanical Engineering
4. What types of courses
does your degree require? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list
certificates)
Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Dynamics, Mechanics of Materials, Material Science, Engineering Economy,
Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer, Vibration, Controls, Mechanical
Design etc.
5. What were the most
challenging classes you took and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no
degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken)
The biggest challenge
involved in my course work was the introductory level courses because they was
always challenging to learn a completely new concept. The best way to overcome
this challenge, for me, was finding more people to work with. Having a study
group was always very important to me during my undergraduate and graduate studies
in engineering. Having everyone’s individual understanding of the course work
and then putting it all together, not only helps understand the overall concept
better, but it provides diverse views on the topic. This is important because
in the world of engineering there is never just one way to get to the same
conclusion, so understanding more than one method to come to the same
conclusion, in my opinion, makes a better engineer.
6. Did you complete any
internships/co-ops during school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete
any, put “NA”)
Internship with NASA MSFC:
Summer 2008 & 2009 Co-op with NASA MSFC:
Summer 2010, 2011, & 2012
Photo Credit: Zenia Garcia
7. What company do you
currently work for?
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
8. What is your job
title?
Structural and Mechanical
Design Engineer
9. What are your day to
day tasks?
Some of my day to day
tasks include 3D modeling, drafting, analysis, tolerance stack up and some
involvement in the manufacturing process.
10. Do you work
independently or in a team environment? Which do you prefer? I work both independently
and with a team. I personally like to work in teams, because I think more can
get done, more efficiently this way.
11. What type of skill
sets are needed for this job? Good communication,
teamwork, engineering fundamentals, being open minded and having creativity.
12. Did you have a
mentor? If so, what was the most important lesson he/she taught you?
I have had many mentors throughout
my studies, ranging from my fellow researchers at my university, to professors,
and professionals at NASA. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned from
everyone are: never give up, it is ok to be wrong, it is ok not to know the answer
to something and to believe in oneself.
13. What do you believe
to be your greatest strength?
My biggest strength is
probably being able to keep an open mind and my willingness to continue to
learn.
14. What do you believe
to be your greatest weakness?
My weakness is probably
my over analytical mind set. I like to look at every possible scenario and this
can sometimes over complicates a simple problem. It’s important for me to
remind myself that being practical is sometimes the best way to go.
15. What are some of your
accomplishments? What accomplishment are you the most proud of?
My biggest accomplishment
has been, to be able to stay focused on what I wanted to do and to have
challenged the odds in order to be where I am today.
16. What are your
hobbies? What do you do for fun?
Rock climbing, mountain
biking, hiking, snowboarding, reading
17. What did you want to
be when you were a child?
As a child I wanted to be
a professional Ice skater.
18. If you could switch
professions with someone else for a day, what would it be and why?
I would switch
professions with a grade school teacher. Our technological future is dependent
on today’s education system, as well as on what we as professional in the math
and science fields do to outreach to the kids of today’s world.
19. What advice would you
give girls wanting to go into your field?
It is not easy to be a
girl in my field, as a minority, it is always necessary to prove yourself to
others, which in the end is a good way to keep you on your toes. Do not be
discouraged by the challenges the field of engineering can bring, but welcome
an opportunity to overcome them. Lastly, don’t let anyone ever tell you that you
are not cut out for the job. With hard work and persistence, you are capable of
accomplishing anything you set your mind to. Many say girls are stubborn
creatures, who said that was a bad thing?
Friday marked the day I participated in my second author visit. This particular school, Ward Elementary, was an honor, because my oldest, Mackenzie, attends school there. It was a very cool feeling to come in, not only as a mom, but as a professional, kind of like Career Day, but only featuring me and my book!
When introducing myself, I asked the group of approximately 250 students if they knew who Mackenzie was, and about 75% of them raised their hands. This, of course, didn't surprise me at all since my girl is a social butterfly and loves to talk to ANYONE and EVERYONE. Needless to say, she was the coolest kid yesterday because everyone thought it was so awesome that her mom was an author.
After introducing myself, I told the students and teachers some cool facts about me, one of which included a video of me being spun in microgravity on the Zero G plane. Can we say A-W-E-S-O-M-E!
After cool facts, we did some activities about jobs in the community, I read the book out loud and the students took the "I Know I Can" pledge. The words come from the chorus of Nas' song, "I Can," which was released in 2003, on his album, God's Son. Trust an believe I cited that bad boy in my Prezi because I wanted to make sure credit was given where it was due, which sometimes people tend to forget to do or don't do at all. Wish I could let the kiddos listen to the whole song, but somehow, I doubt the teachers or parents want their kids hearing some of the lyrics, even though the message is good; however, thanks Nas for an amazing song, just the same!
We had a Q & A session, and I loved hearing all the questions that the students and teachers had for me. Note to myself for next time: have each class in each grade level participating come up with a question as a group and request to have them ready prior to my arrival. With a list of predetermined questions with the associated class teacher's name and grade level, this would allow for a smoother Q & A session. This way, I don't feel bad when some children aren't selected to ask a question because we are running out to time. Also, it is a safeguard for the same question not to be asked multiple times.
I'm not going to lie, it felt good to sell some books, but THE...BEST...PART was definitely when some of the students asked me for hugs, waved at me as they left the library and said thank you for the fun presentation. One little girl asked me to autograph the palm of her hand. I would have so totally done it to feel like a rock star, but I didn't want her to get in trouble with her parents when she got home.
SIDENOTE: though the book is geared for girls, the boys were just as interactive during the presentation as the girls, and enjoyed it equally. I even had a few book orders from the boys. Now, that is what I call winning! Sorry Mr. Sheen, but you ain't got nothing on me and what I am trying to accomplish with my book. ;-) (<--- This last sentence is definitely the Houstonian coming out of me y'all...LOL!)
After the presentation concluded, Mackenzie's teacher came up to me and told me that she loved the fact that I used Prezi rather than a boring old PowerPoint presentation (no offense Microsoft). By the way, if you haven't used Prezi, I highly recommend it. It's very interactive and keeps your audience (especially children) engaged. Only downside is that your presentation is accessible to the public, well the free version at least. So glad I figured that out before I included all the pages of my book on it. Instead, I use the pdf copy my illustrator provided me, turned the pdf into a PowerPoint slide show using the book's physical dimensions and facilitated the book reading from the computer. This proved to be a success because it was large enough for all the children to see, versus me reading the actual book.
All is all, it was a great author visit, and I can't wait to schedule more. Remember, I don't charge for author visits in the Houston and surrounding areas. I only request reimbursement of mileage to and from the venue, and the only money made is through book orders, which are discounted at a lower rate for author visits.
East author visit is a learning experience and a way for me to improve my presentation based on feedback I received for future visits. There are some vital bits of information that I left out, that I didn't realize until I sat down with the Librarian and had a nice conversation about. Needless to say, I will be updating my presentation (again). Onward and upward, right?
Oh yeah, before I forget, Kenzie informed me that one of her friends said that my author visit was the best one he's been to. I honestly don't know how many author visits Ward is used to getting, but the fact that HE made that statement truly made my day. Making a difference in a child's life is one of the most fulfilling feelings EVER!!! What a great way to finish out the week and start the weekend with.
I am so ready for Thursday to get here, because I have a few upcoming events that I am super excited about. I'm ready to get the word out there about my book and take it to the next level. If you are just tuning into the blog and didn't already know, last year I self published my first children's book, When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams. The book serves as a motivational push for little girls to pursue male dominated fields, as well as showing boys, from an early age on, that girls are their equals and that girls can accomplish the same things as boys. The book offers a rhyming couplet of the job titles, a brief description of what each job entails and illustrations of women of all colors, shapes and size doing those jobs deemed male dominated. The book is told from a little girl’s first person perspective, in which she has supportive parents who encourage her to dream big and consider doing any job she wants to, not those just typically geared for females.
Events: April 11, 2013 - I record my interview for The Children Authors Show, which will then be professional edited.
April 12, 2013 - I get to do an author visit at my oldest daughter's elementary school. I was very excited to hear my name mentioned in the automated school wide message this past Sunday, see my name in the school weekly call out on Sunday and see my name on the Principal's page on the school website. This event is the one I am most excited about. Ahhhh, see below!
Photo (Email) Credit: Ward Elementary in Houston, TX
April 13, 2013 - I will be doing a book event at Bouncin' Bears Texas. I hope the owner lets me jump while I'm there! (Then, I get to go back on April 16th and do it all again.)
As always, thanks for stopping by! Please share and/or subscribe.
It's very interesting how I met Kelly. I am actually good friends with her mom, Shannon. I'm also friends with Kelly's younger sister, Jessica. What can I say, it's a great group of girls to hang out with. Kelly is one of the sweetest and nicest people I have ever met. She truly has a passion for caring for and about people. I, for one, know that she would make a great nurse one day. If you are ever at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center in Webster, TX, stop by, say hi and tell her Sharon Griffin sent you. Read about Kelly below!
Photo Credit: Kelly Carroll
1. Name - Kelly Carroll
2. City and State - League City, Texas
3. What is your educational background? (Include
colleges/universities and degrees attained) Some basics at San Jacinto College
South and EKG and CPR/defibrillator certified at San Jacinto Central.
Phlebotomy/glucose certified at Clear Lake Regional hospital.
4. What types of courses does your degree require? (If no
degree, put "N/A" or list certificates) I took at business class for
the business side of EKG like billing, HIPAA policies, professionalism with
patients etc, as well as a CPR/defibrillator class, and most importantly an EKG
certification course on how to read and do EKG's.
5. What were the most challenging classes you took and how
did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificate classes taken) The most challenging class was
defiantly the EKG class. Its like learning a whole other language. I had to learn
what every line on the EKG represented and the meanings of each change in the
waves. Everyone is different, so all EKG's are different. Overcoming the
challenges was simple, I practiced and practiced every day doing EKG's, studying heart waves, beats and terminologies until I was finally able to
read to my Professor the results on an EKG.
6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during school? If
so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn't complete any, put “NA”) Unfortunately, the course did not require internship, which I was looking forward to so that I can
get a glimpse of my new career choice; however, we did have a big classroom with a EKG
machine in it. Instead, we practiced on fellow classmates! It worked great
that way because we a learned slowly and thoroughly as a team. We were all new at it, so
it was a fun learning experience for all of us.
7. What company do you currently work for? I can proudly say
I work for Clear Lake Regional Hospital and Heart Tower.
8. What is your job title? EKG and Stress Technician.
9. What are your day to day tasks? I am assigned to
do patients EKG's all over the hospital, from nursery rooms to pre-operations, to the Emergency Room. I also do cardiac stress tests for heart patients in
the heart tower for the cardiologists. I also do Holter monitors for out patients and billing EKG's to insurance companies, as well as basic patient care like: vitals, glucose checks and drawing blood for tests.
10. Do you work independently or in a team environment? Which
do you prefer? I like both. There are some positions in EKG that require team
work such as stress tests, because it can be dangerous for some patients, and
we need to all watch and care for them together. I do love working alone on my
EKG routines around the hospital though, because it gives me more one on one time with
my patients, without the rush to leave in a hurry.
11. What type of skill sets are needed for this job? Doing an actual EKG on a patient ,takes no time to learn how to set it up. Every wire has
a meaning, and a job to do. If you know how to set it up it should only take 3
to 5 minutes to do the test. Printing it out and reading takes skill. You have
to know what it says, in case of an emergency situation, so you can act fast and
save that person's life. CPR training is another skill much needed because when you work
with nothing but heart patients, you never ever know when you will need it.
12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most important
lesson he/she taught you? I am so lucky, because I have more than one mentor. I
have learned so much in my field from my fellow EKG techs, as well as nurses who
I have grown to know. They have shown me many medical situations outside my protocol.
I feel like I can help a lot of people, not just in my profession. I would have
to say a nurse tech named Daniel was my most favorite. The best lesson
he taught me was to have confidence in myself, to take pride in what you do, because
people look up to you when they are in need.
13. What do you believe to be your greatest strength? My
greatest strength would be my knowledge and self confidence in my position. I
know exactly what I am doing and looking for, also I love helping people feel
safe and cared for.
14. What do you believe to be your greatest weakness? My
weakness would have to be that I haven't taken my career to the next level,
like getting a nursing license. I know I can do it, because I dream about it all the time. I
just haven't stepped up.
15. What are some of your accomplishments? What
accomplishment are you the most proud of? I can defiantly say I have
accomplished so much this past 2 years at Clear Lake Regional. Every
opportunity I can get at my job to get certified in, I take it. For example, I am stress
tech certified, phlebotomy and glucose certified. I know there will be
more I can do. My biggest accomplishment is being stress certified because it was very
challenging; however, it was a huge learning opportunity in doing it. I have
learned a lot about hearts and the importance of keeping them healthy.
16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? I love to
go on long adventurous walks and biking on trails with my family. I like going
to exhibits and museums all over Houston or Galveston. I love to have little gatherings with my friends, shopping, watching movies, going out to
eat or just hanging out at home.
17. What did you want to be when you were a child? I remember
always wanting to be a elementary school teacher. I liked to make assignments
and do crafts, I guess be the "boss". :) It still is a dream of mine, as well as nursing.
18. If you could switch professions with someone else for a
day, what would it be and why? If I could switch professions with anyone, it
would be a ER doctor. I like how every patient that comes in is a challenge, the environment is fast paced, and most of all, I like the idea of being the brains of the
situation.
19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go into your
field? My advice is to be confident in what you do, most of all, to love and
care for your patients. They need all the help they can get.
I met Tammie in October 2010 on a work trip down in Edinburg, TX. Her friend and my friend made plans for us to all of us to have dinner at a near by Olive Garden. From the first time we met, we clicked and became instant friends. Tammie and I have a lot in common, and I am extremely grateful for a friend like her in my life. She was instrumental in helping me start my business. We share a desire to do what we love and to have it all, both a career and a family. Tammie has a full time job, but her passion is photography, which she is very good at. She is very creative and has a great eye, taking beautiful pictures that truly capture a moment. Check out her Facebook fan page to see her work and hopefully request her for your next photo op moments - http://www.facebook.com/pltphoto.
1. Name – Tammie
Letroise-Brown
2. City and State – Texas
City, TX 3. What is your educational background? (Include
colleges/universities and degrees attained) I have B.A. in communications from the University
of Houston-Clear Lake.
4. What types of courses does your degree require?
(If no degree, put "N/A" or list certificates) Lots of English, public speaking, psychology (believe it or
not), and strategic planning.
5. What were the most challenging classes you took
and how did you overcome those challenges? (If no degree, put "N/A"
or list certificate classes taken) Math classes – I
get really challenged when it comes to Math. It’s probably one of the things I
struggle the most with.
6. Did you complete any internships/co-ops during
school? If so, where did you intern or co-op? (If you didn’t complete any, put
“NA”) I actually was quite a rebel and went out and
found my own internship. I didn’t want the normal communications internship
experience, because I didn’t want the traditional communications job. (Or at
least that’s what 22 year old Tammie thought.) So I did research and found a
local record company that would provide the type of internship experience I was
looking for. I think it was a smart move and I don’t regret it.
7. What company do you currently work for? DB Consulting at NASA Johnson Space Center
8. What is your job title? Public
Relations Specialist
Photo Credit: Tammie Letroise-Brown
9. What are your day to day tasks? The creation of press releases; the execution of large scale
communications campaigns; event planning and whatever else the day calls me to
do.
10. Do you work independently or in a
team environment? Which do you prefer? I work in a team environment – I can
work either independently or with others. I’m chatty though and I think it’s
good to share work related success and challenges with your colleagues. So I
guess team work is more of my preference.
11. What type of skill sets are needed for this
job? Strong communications skills; patience;
organizational skills and you have to be a team player.
12. Did you have a mentor? If so, what was the most
important lesson he/she taught you? I didn’t have an
official mentor – but I do have people I admired and respected and that made
them a mentor to me. Some of the most important lessons I learned was to be
confident, to stand up for myself and to always be true to who I am.
13. What do you believe to be your greatest
strength? My adaptability. I can deal with change very
well and in the work place that can be very helpful.
14. What do you believe to be your greatest
weakness? Patience. I don’t like things that take a
terribly long time. I also get bored when I’m not challenged.
15. What are some of your accomplishments? What
accomplishment are you the most proud of? One of my best accomplishments was working at
Reliant Energy for one of the best PR people in Houston, Pat
Hammond. The accomplishment I’m most proud
of is starting my own business and marrying my husband.
16. What are your hobbies? What do you do for fun? I bake and I love photography.For fun, I love spending time with my family
and my friends.
17. What did you want to be when you were a child? A Nurse – Crazy!
18. If you could switch professions with someone
else for a day, what would it be and why? I don’t know
– I don’t really want to switch. J
19. What advice would you give girls wanting to go
into your field? Find someone you admire and listen to
their advice and their wisdom. And, when you begin to reach your goals – be
sure to give back to others. That’s all a part of the journey.
