Storytelling: Not Just for Children

Some of the best advice I have received is from my dear mentor, Sean Chai, on the importance of narrative. This was during my first informational interview with him, in which I was learning more about the company I was applying to. However, our conversation later shifted to talk about our shared passion for TED talks.

What are the elements that make a TED talk successful? Some factors include an interesting topic, a dynamic speaker, and good visuals. However, it can be argued that the most important factor is the narrative and how it is told.

Storytelling is an art in that it highlights the key points of many events and creates a takeaway at the end of it. It does not dump all the information on you at once, but rather slowly builds to the “Why?” question. The satisfaction of listening to a talk, raising questions, and having them answered in the end is unparalleled.

Similar to TED talks, the Athenaeum at CMC hosts a variety of speakers hailing from impressive backgrounds. Many of the Ath talks I sign up for is because of the topic. Surprisingly, though, only a fraction of these talks are fully engaging throughout the whole duration. The key component here is the storytelling. One of my favorite Ath talks from my time at CMC is by Arthur Brooks. What I found most successful about his talk was his setup of a clear question to answer, the buildup to the answer through unique anecdotes, his charismatic use of humor, and most importantly, the questions and discussions he sparked after the talk.

Since my talk with my mentor, I’ve focused more on how to structure the narratives I tell, which has helped immensely in job interviews and also engaging in interesting conversations with peers and strangers alike. It’s been two years since I’ve been given this advice, and I have seen evidence of its effectiveness come into fruition since then.

By: Sharon Chiang

Music Mania: Music Education Impact on Children and Mentors

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During my sophomore year, I was tutoring a kid from Music Mentors of Pomona Valley, a program that gives free private music lessons to underprivileged students. My mentee was extremely vibrant and intelligent, but most importantly committed to learning a new music piece on the piano. The piece was “Payphone” by Maroon 5, a popular song at that time. Excited to teach, I found the easiest version of the song that I could and adapted it to make it easier. On the first day of my one-on-one with him, I had one of those “teachable moments.” He stared at the sheet music for a bit, and then it hit me that he did not know how to read music.

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First class of Music Mania ever

This “aha” moment led to another conversation, one I had with the head of the program. After talking, I had confirmed my suspicions that this was a common problem throughout the program. Music lessons are expensive and a privilege for people to take, but they also provide music theory background, the building blocks of learning how to play an instrument. From there, I was inspired to create a separate program on music theory education, one that would utilize a group setting to create a sense of community while teaching the subject matter.

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Executive Board of 2014-2015, Jessica Bass ’17, Nitin Kuppanda ’17, and Sharon Chiang ’17, smiles after successful class and planning

Since then, Music Mania was born and has increased by 75% from the 20 students enrolled the first year, with mentor involvement increasing by five times. Kathleen Muenzen, lead mentor of Music Mania, shared her thoughts on why she joined the organization: “I joined Music Mania because music is my passion, and I am always searching for ways to make other people as excited about it as it makes me! I am also a strong believer in early exposure to music, both because it’s great for brain development and because it is something that can bring so much joy to life.”

The success of Music Mania serves as a reminder that an idea is powerful enough to create change in a community. From my perspective, I’ve learned much about how to create effective programs that best suit the kids of the program, especially during early childhood development. In return, I hope they take away from our mission to foster a sense of confidence through group interaction and a better understanding of music theory.

By: Sharon Chiang

I-phone and Sleep: Not a good match

Last night, I finished writing an essay at 11:30 p.m. and promised myself that I would sleep at 12:00 a.m. As I settled into bed, I grabbed my computer to watch the latest episode of Suits. An hour later, I was scrolling through my Instagram feed on my phone. I finally went to sleep at 2:00 a.m.   

I’ve noticed that looking at my phone prior to sleeping has actually extended my bedtime by at least one hour. There are days where I’ve fallen asleep at 3:00 a.m. after binge-watching TV shows and shopping hauls on YouTube.

Research reveals that using a light-emitting electronic device, such as a laptop or phone, prior to sleeping has a negative impact on one’s health and sleep schedule. A study conducted by the National Academy of Sciences revealed that individuals who read books on an i-pad took longer to fall asleep, were less sleepy before bedtime, and less alert in the morning even after 8 hours of sleep as compared to individuals who read printed books.

Much to my dismay, I have been experiencing the same symptoms. I am unable to fall asleep at 12:00 a.m. and even when I wake up for a 10:00 a.m. class. I have trouble staying awake despite getting over 8 hours of sleep. Moreover, I’ve also found that this is beginning to interfere with my daily schedule. Last semester, I used to make an effort to work out in the morning, but this semester I’ve witnessed a decline in exercise as I am incapable of waking up before 9:00 a.m.

I’ve noticed that many of my friends and peers face the same problem. Even those who are aware of the negative effects of excessive screen time have not made an effort to alter their habits. While using technology in college is unavoidable, perhaps more awareness needs to be directed to this issue.

 

Women & Leadership Workshop: From Then to Now

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Evelyn Mittler ’18 and Sharon Chiang ’17 at the 8th Annual Women and Leadership Workshop photo booth

This week, I attended CMC’s 8th Annual Women & Leadership Workshop, co-sponsored by Berger Institute, Kravis Leadership Institute, and Robert Day School. As a senior, I fondly remember the first time I attended the conference two years ago. The Women & Leadership Conference holds dear memories for me as it was not only the start of one of my strong mentor relationships, but also a crucial turning point in my career trajectory. Finding an internship as a sophomore in college is challenging enough as it is, but the added stress of switching from applying to biotech research opportunities to a professional internship made it a bigger obstacle for me. However, the conference makes socializing with industry professionals and alumni a fun experience and gives a great first introduction to networking.

So, what did I learn this time around? As the keynote speaker, Victoria Halsey, points out, much of leadership comes from language. For women, it may be difficult to voice what they need, especially when they think they can do the task by themselves. However, everyone can use support and help from time to time; you just need to know how to ask for it. In the Blanchard situational leadership model,  Halsey describes four main stages of leadership:
  1. Directing: Where the person is inexperienced but excited to learn
  2. Coaching: Where the person is inexperienced but loses excitement to learn
  3. Supporting: Where the person is competent but not fully confident in their abilities yet
  4. Delegating: Where the person is competent and confident
Knowing which stage you are at can allow you to better vocalize what needs you have. On the other hand, as a leader, knowing where your employees or co-workers are at can facilitate better communication.
As I move forward with my career path and seeing how much I have grown since the last conference, I look forward in utilizing the leadership model to ask more specifically for what I want. Additionally, I look forward to assisting other CMCers who have been in my position sophomore year and encouraging them to continue pursuing their goals.

By: Sharon Chiang ’17

Women’s Leadership Workshop at CMC

Last week, The Berger Institute along with The Kravis Leadership Institute and the Robert Day School of Economics hosted the 8th annual Women’s Leadership Workshop at the Athenaeum. Designed to connect 5C students with successful female leaders, the workshop featured alumnae from fields such as law, non-profit, consulting, and education.

The event started with an inspiring talk by Victoria Halsey, author and VP of Applied Learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies. Mrs. Halsey stressed the importance of communication in leadership. She pointed out that what sets a leader apart from others is their ability to overcome the assumed constraint of asking questions without fear. As women, we often believe that we need to do everything on our own when, in truth, leadership emerges from collaboration and extending a helping hand.

Following Mrs. Halsey’s talk, students were given the opportunity to briefly chat with alumnae about their experiences in the workforce. The alumnae I spoke with highlighted the value of combining one’s professional and social goals in order to excel. For instance, after hitting a plateau in her career, one of the alumna quit her job and sought a volunteer position as president of a non-profit organization. Non-profits pursue professionals with extensive leadership experience, but often cannot afford their desired wages. Temporarily moving to a volunteer-based position can enrich your experience and allow you to go back to the corporate world prepared to move up the ladder – all while giving back.