Author: Mikayla Fils-Aime

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Week of 5/25-(Mikayla)

 

  1. While they rarely admit as much, members of minorities and marginalized groups offer benefits and skills that are of immense value to workplace communities granted that they fail to uncover their true potential due to unequal representation and lack of opportunity. Whereas some are convinced that valuing the group rather than emphasizing the value of the individual unites more groups, Others maintain that emphasizing the value of the individual rather than the group focuses on the skill and leadership one person can contribute to the company. 

I used these two templates to depict the aspects of Gundemir Et Al article and the different stances the companies take. They both hold the position that minorities hold many skills and achievements yet they fail to demonstrate them in the workplace. However, they disagree on how to make the workspace more inclusive towards the individual. These two sides were highlighted in the article as Multiculturalism and Value-in-homogeneity, However, with the use of the They say/ I say templates it wasn’t necessary to explicitly state which side held which argument.

 

2.  In this weeks passages from Gundemir Et Al and Austin/Pisano, I found myself very intrigued and I came to appreciate the ideas uncovered in the articles. Throughout my entire life I have struggled in an attempt to pave a path for myself and become a successful individual despite the way that I am depicted in society. As a minority I constantly find myself underrepresented and undervalued in terms of school, work and everyday life. It has been a constant battle to push myself ahead despite constantly being underestimated by those who wish to see me fail. However, these articles were a breath of fresh air for me. To see that underrepresentation of minorities in the workplace is a widespread issue and that there are worldwide attempts being made to make communities more understanding and inclusive is amazing to me. These articles show us the power that we have to make a change in the lives of each individual and show them how much they are truly valued.

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Unit 1-5/18 (Mikayla)

    1. The modern world is encompassed by a vast majority of different languages, cultures and ideas and they affect the way we live and the way we learn. Different backgrounds and perspectives allow us to be more multi faceted and diversity within communities allows us to relate to larger groups of people. The chapter readings expose us to some of the truths of the world and generate the idea that the more knowledge and experience we have, the more we can change the systems and structures within the world. Culture to me is  the traits and ideas a society is encompassed of and how they use their knowledge to create a way of being for the whole. The more exposure it has and the more diverse it is directly correlates to the way changes are made within it. After reading these papers a question that arose is whether having a diverse community and culture will truly make an environment more structured and more likely to succeed?

2. Whenever I am exposed to a new environment or community I ask myself what I have to offer or what I can bring to the table. When an opportunity to make a change is presented you begin to assess your knowledge and your experiences. Whether it can offer a new idea or a different way of seeing something and make the whole more likely to succeed. When I first arrived on the Syracuse University campus I viewed myself as an outsider, someone who had a different culture and background than the rest of the students. Although I had a hard time adjusting to the environment I soon learned that the only way to succeed was to use the things I already knew. My culture and my background were not a hindrance but a tool I used to push myself ahead. The skills that I developed, although they were different from the rest allowed me to not only push myself forward but build on the community around me.

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Introduction

Hello Everyone!! My name is Mikayla Fils-Aime and I am a rising sophomore at Syracuse University. I am from Long Island, New York and I am a dual major in Health & Exercise Science and Biology along with a Pre-med track.  In order to fulfill my degree requirements it is required that I take Writing 205 however, I have always been passionate about writing and sharing stories. I registered a little late for online courses so I am attempting to catch up on all my work. Yet, I am excited to use my time in quarantine honing my writing skills and getting work done.

Although I only planned to work and volunteer this summer I prefer to expand my knowledge of reading and writing while also getting ahead on my credits. I’ve never taken a summer course before but I am excited to learn more about the programs and hit deadlines although they may be a little difficult to keep track of. Although I miss the campus environment I am glad to be home and focusing on my studies while also becoming a more dedicated student for classes in the fall. (Hopefully)