How Identity Has Influenced A Senior Curriculum Development Manager At Code.org
Amy's first-generation college graduate status and identity as a woman of color profoundly shaped their career journey, lacking a "blueprint" for success and initially feeling "everyone else seemed smarter." This spurred a determined effort to "take up the space and have their voice heard," culminating in confidently demanding funding for their non-profit, embodying the persona of a successful leader to overcome a lack of relatable role models.
Overcoming Challenges, Confidence, Resilience, Leadership, Motivational Stories
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Amy Berkhoudt Woodman
Sr. Curriculum Development Manager
Code.org
Point Loma Nazarene University - 2009
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor - MA in Education Policy & Leadership
Creative Writing, Journalism
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Amy's journey as a first-generation college graduate highlights the challenges and triumphs of navigating a career path without a pre-existing model for success. Her experience emphasizes the importance of self-belief and creating your own blueprint.
2. Amy's anecdote about fundraising for her non-profit showcases the power of self-confidence and the importance of embracing discomfort to achieve goals. It demonstrates how to project an image of confidence even when lacking prior experience.
3. Amy's emphasis on 'reimagining' a future self and embodying a confident persona offers a practical strategy for overcoming feelings of inadequacy and navigating challenging environments. This speaks to the need for self-invention and proactive steps towards career success
Transcript
As someone who identifies as a first-generation college graduate, the daughter of immigrants, and a woman of color, how has that impacted how you navigate your career?
There's a really important question here. Neither of my parents had a blueprint for me. My dad was in the military, and my mom mostly had side jobs like selling jewelry to tourists in Hawaii. I grew up in Hawaii, and there was always this feeling that I needed to achieve something, but without any concrete idea of what that was.
The idea was to make money, but I was going to college for a degree that probably wouldn't be very lucrative. It was this intense realization when I was valedictorian of my high school. I got to college and realized that everyone else seemed smarter than me. This realization that my education wasn't equal to that of my peers fueled me even harder to be better.
There's a saying, "Iron sharpens iron." You need to be in a place where you feel uncomfortable in order to grow. I've always seen daunting experiences where I felt like the place wasn't built for me, and I didn't belong. I used that feeling of discomfort to fuel me to be better, to take up space, and to have my voice heard. It took me a very long time to get to that place.
When I was 22, I started a nonprofit with my friend called the Detroit Food Academy. One aspect of it is fundraising. I remember stepping into a room full of white men in suits as a 22-year-old girl. I said, "Hi, I need $10,000 from each of you to make this program run."
There's another saying: "Wherever you go, there you are." If you're in the room, take the space. Be the person you imagine you need to be. This means having to imagine who it is you're trying to become, what persona you want to embody, and what being confident looks like.
It was really hard for me not to have a blueprint, not to have an idea of what a successful person like me looks like. I never had a mirror to help me get there. Instead, it was about reimagining a future for myself and who I could be in particular moments.
Putting on a blazer could make me feel like a more confident version of myself. I could walk into a room and ask for $10,000 from a group of rich white men, and that was okay. I think it's a confidence thing. If you imagine yourself to be that person, you can be that person.
But when you haven't even thought about who that person could be, you feel very lost, especially if you have nothing to go off of. That's it.