Meet 2 of our amazing Mindset & Milestones Ambassadors, Vy (left) and Pauline (right)! Vy is a rising high school junior from Tacoma, Washington and Pauline is a rising high school junior from Portland, Oregon. Read on to learn more about their hobbies, recent interests, and progress during the program so far!
Why did you decide to join the Ambassador Program?
Vy: The Ambassador Program is an opportunity for me to learn valuable entrepreneurship skills, meet with other amazing girls and bring my business ideas to reality!
Pauline: From starting a golf ball and lemonade stand business in my backyard as a kid (I lived next to a golf course) to constantly writing down invention ideas in a notebook, I have always been interested in entrepreneurship. When I saw a video on social media of Diondraya explaining the Ambassador Program, I was instantly captivated. I'm grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship with weekly mentorship meetings while creating and building my own startup.
What have you been working on during the Ambassador Program?
Vy: I am launching a small business that sells handmade hair accessories. We plan to donate the profits to various girls’ organizations in order to support female empowerment causes around the world!
Pauline: I'm creating a Google Chrome Extension that tells users when to take a break and provides options of what to do. When many people using their computers attempt to take a break, they often end up on their phones instead. I thought of creating this extension to share alternative, healthier break options.
What has been your favorite part of the Ambassador Program so far?
Vy: My favorite part of the program is the mentorship from our amazing founder, Diondraya. She’s an amazing mentor who inspires me to further develop my ideas and helps me deal with any difficulties along the way.
Pauline: My favorite part of the Ambassador Program so far is the one-on-one meetings with Diondraya, because when I told her my idea of creating the Chrome Extension, she was very supportive and gave me advice which fueled my excitement in creating it!
What lessons do you think entrepreneurship can teach girls?
Vy: Entrepreneurship can teach so many skills, but the most important ones are related to efficient time management, networking, decision-making, and risk-taking.
Pauline: Girls should learn about entrepreneurship because it teaches skills, such as perseverance, networking, marketing, finance, time-management, and leadership, they will use throughout their life. Being able to stick with your idea is such an important lesson as girls are constantly undermined, so through entrepreneurship, they gain the confidence to follow through with their creative ideas.
What are you passionate about?
Vy: I am super passionate about graphic design and entrepreneurship! More specifically, I love to use both these fields to create a positive impact in the community I am living in, whether it’s through projects or volunteering!
Pauline: I am passionate about closing the gender gap in STEM, because I’ve been in multiple robotics classes where I am the only girl. I’m working towards closing the gap by teaching girls coding in a coding class and I plan to volunteer with girls in STEM organizations that have helped me find a community. Another passion of mine is to spark young kids' interests in coding by showing them how much creativity they can have with it.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Vy: In my free time, I usually learn new illustration skills, because I used to love reading comics as a kid and eventually, I hope to create my own comics in the future!
Pauline: In my free time, I enjoy unicycling, biking, face-timing friends, baking, and watching Simone Giertz, a robot enthusiast and inventor, on Youtube.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Vy: I will have graduated from university with a business administration or economics degree. Also, I would be back in my lovely home country, Vietnam, where I would use my passions to positively impact my community and inspire young people.
Pauline: I have been to multiple job shadows at different tech companies and have noticed a common pattern - employees sitting at their workspace in front of a computer and minimal socializing. As I love being able to get out and off my screen, I dream to find an alternative to this STEM work mode. In ten years, I hope to be working or traveling somewhere which includes more collaboration and interactiveness.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
Vy: My name Vy” means “little” or “small” in Vietnamese, which comes from the belief that small people can do really great things!
Pauline: I ride 12 miles every year on my five-foot-tall unicycle (called the giraffe) in the Portland Bridge Pedal. I don't just do it for the peanut butter cookie snack stops along the ride but because I inspire other people to start riding. I talked to a kid who said they saw me on the ride a previous year and then learned to unicycle!
Thank you so much for reading and stay tuned for our future Ambassador Spotlights in the coming weeks!
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Stay happy, healthy, and innovative!
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