My time as a Karel Fellow has officially ended. From now on I will be referred to as a Karel alumni. A daunting title for somebody who didn't even attend a formal high school. This summer was life-changing for me, in ways I am still attempting to decipher.
If I had to choose a singular piece of revelation from this summer, (of which there are many) it would be that I love to write. I truly love to research and be assigned projects and just write. But, be that as it may, it doesn't mean that I am an amazing writer. Unfortunately, I am still very far from that accomplishment.
Reflective writing in particular is hard for me. It's not that my memory fails me when I pick up a pen (or more aptly, sit down in front of the keyboard), but rather my memory does not quite work in the way that reflective writing requires. I have a tendency to glide through life heart first, leaving my head to play catch-up. Details and dates seem to fall flat when faced with the emotions I felt during those moments. But a shared feeling means nothing to somebody else without the proper context.
Luckily this Fellowship provided me with countless opportunities to learn how to effectively communicate. To translate my feelings into comprehensible reflections, so that I could share them with the world. Below is my closing blog. It's brief, a swift read, but sometimes that's all you need to fully convey the intensity of your feelings.
You can also read my blog here, on the Karel Fellow website, as well as blogs from the other Fellows!
In life we go through countless moments of renewal. This Fellowship was one of those moments, multiplied 56 times, one for each day I got to learn and grow.
However, I didn’t have much time to sit and ponder on the lessons I’d learned. The week after the Fellowship ended, I jumped right into a summer seminar on political philosophy hosted at my college. While I love debating Aristotle as much as the next gal, a large part of me wanted to take the opportunity to catch up with my professors. I wanted to gush to them about everything I’d done the past two months. At the end of my recounting, as I paused to catch my breath, one of my most cherished professors and mentors said, “Maryam, you’re a changed woman. You’re much more confident and articulate, and it’s been what, only two months?” That was when I fully realized the impact of the Fellowship. This summer allowed me to not only renew and grow, but evolve in ways that I’m still discovering.
I’ve learned how to tell stories, contact the media, and design graphics. I’ve learned how to balance professional and personal relationships, navigate office dynamics, and seen the power of empathy in action. I’ve learned that for every problem out there, there will always be a team of amazing people ready to find solutions. Above all, I’ve learned that all of us have the responsibility to use our strengths and skills to help create positive change.
One of the most lasting things this experience has taught me, and I want to stress to potential Fellows reading this blog, is that taking risks pays off. We are all brimming with untapped potential, and an opportunity like the Karel Fellowship allows you to unleash that potential and grow in a nurturing environment. During this Fellowship, I was exposed to invaluable resources and supportive mentors that I will carry with me to wherever I leap to next.
When I first started my summer adventure, I was wide-eyed and intimidated, my hands tightly clutched around my adventure kit, and my feet shifting awkwardly in my boots. I’m still wide-eyed, but no longer intimidated. I stand firm in my shoes now, confident and proud of what I’ve accomplished, and excited for what I will continue to do. My adventure kit is strung along my back, the top is open, always ready to absorb more lessons and securely carrying what I’ve learned these past two months.
Like Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
This opportunity pushed me to examine myself, to examine the world around me, in ways that I was hesitant to do. And I’ve grown all the more for it. There are so many issues out there I want to tackle, so many problems I want to help fix. Thanks to the Karel Fellowship, I now have the unwavering foundation to do so.
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