My name is Niyati and I am from Jacksonville, Florida. I am making an impact by supporting those around me and by starting conversations. I believe in the idea of having support during bad times, and especially the good. Everyone needs to be lifted up and celebrated for big occasions and small. I am also starting discussions about gender inequality, mental health, race, gender identity, sexual orientation and many more, because I realize that these are all very prevalent topics that have been the cause of hate and discrimination in our societies and it needs to be addressed and fixed. I am currently facing challenges associated with my future. As a junior in high school in the midst of tests and programs that will essentially determine the path of my higher education, I find myself often concerned about what my future will look like in terms of a career, an education, and my life. I am unsure about the path I need to take to achieve my goals, and worry about what life could turn out to be if I do not take daring steps. A major challenge that girls are facing today is the imposition of gender roles at a young age. Subconsciously, the minute a girl is born, she is presented with materials that are pink and purple, and through her entire childhood, she is told to act a certain way, play with certain toys, and to participate in activities that are generalized as “feminine.” With no room for personal growth and experimentation, many girls face an identity crisis at a young age when they realize that they don’t like the things society tells them, thus making them feel they are “not good at being a girl.” The idea that a girl is to grow up, get married, and have children is an idea imposed on girls at a very young age through mediums such as Disney movies. This false ideology feeds girls information that limits the amount of personal growth and exploration that can come during a young woman’s life. And it follows a girl through womanhood, creating girls who are not able to stand up for their own individuality and the things they believe in. I overcome my challenges by reflecting on them through journaling and discussing my problems. Journaling allows me to be understand my feelings better. I am able to relieve myself of some stress and be better equipped to face whatever challenges I am facing. I also find that discussing my issues with a friend is always really useful, regardless of whether that discussion is later used to enact change in my life or not. Simply taking about what I am facing, and feeling, allows for a breath of relief and it also allows for interesting conversations between me and a friend. Introspection and venting allows me to truly understand my situation and overcome it. The world can help young girls by celebrating and uplifting them. If people can motivate young girls and show them the possibilities and opportunities they have to make a difference in this world, girls will be motivated to enact change. They need to be given the same amount of opportunities and support as their male counterparts, regardless of what they choose to explore. They need to be lifted up during even small achievements and taught the true value of self-love. They need to be taught to love others equally and not partake in bigotry, hate, or discrimination. The world can help girls by uniting them and giving them a positive outlook on life. If I could give advice to my younger self, I would tell her that every time someone calls her a “chatterbox” to think of it as a compliment because one day, that voice can change the minds of many people. I would tell her to not listen to anyone who tells her that she talks too much or is too young to know something and simply make it a challenge to better herself. I would tell my younger self to embrace her differences and never think down on herself just because she looks and sounds a little different from the people around her. If I could give advice to women it would be to listen to young girls and what they have to say about the world. I would tell them to pay young women attention and understand that the younger generations are becoming the more prominent generation, making their thoughts on the world most likely to affect the world. I would tell women to remember the desires of their younger selves and to use that to connect with those of a younger generation. I would tell women to be bold with their personalities and embrace their differences because then, younger girls will think it is ok to be bold and embrace all of their individual differences as well.
Monday – Friday
9am – 6pm
2320 3rd Street South, Suite 5
Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
My name is Niyati and I am from Jacksonville, Florida.
I am making an impact by supporting those around me and by starting conversations. I believe in the idea of having support during bad times, and especially the good. Everyone needs to be lifted up and celebrated for big occasions and small. I am also starting discussions about gender inequality, mental health, race, gender identity, sexual orientation and many more, because I realize that these are all very prevalent topics that have been the cause of hate and discrimination in our societies and it needs to be addressed and fixed.
I am currently facing challenges associated with my future. As a junior in high school in the midst of tests and programs that will essentially determine the path of my higher education, I find myself often concerned about what my future will look like in terms of a career, an education, and my life. I am unsure about the path I need to take to achieve my goals, and worry about what life could turn out to be if I do not take daring steps.
A major challenge that girls are facing today is the imposition of gender roles at a young age. Subconsciously, the minute a girl is born, she is presented with materials that are pink and purple, and through her entire childhood, she is told to act a certain way, play with certain toys, and to participate in activities that are generalized as “feminine.” With no room for personal growth and experimentation, many girls face an identity crisis at a young age when they realize that they don’t like the things society tells them, thus making them feel they are “not good at being a girl.” The idea that a girl is to grow up, get married, and have children is an idea imposed on girls at a very young age through mediums such as Disney movies. This false ideology feeds girls information that limits the amount of personal growth and exploration that can come during a young woman’s life. And it follows a girl through womanhood, creating girls who are not able to stand up for their own individuality and the things they believe in.
I overcome my challenges by reflecting on them through journaling and discussing my problems. Journaling allows me to be understand my feelings better. I am able to relieve myself of some stress and be better equipped to face whatever challenges I am facing. I also find that discussing my issues with a friend is always really useful, regardless of whether that discussion is later used to enact change in my life or not. Simply taking about what I am facing, and feeling, allows for a breath of relief and it also allows for interesting conversations between me and a friend. Introspection and venting allows me to truly understand my situation and overcome it.
The world can help young girls by celebrating and uplifting them. If people can motivate young girls and show them the possibilities and opportunities they have to make a difference in this world, girls will be motivated to enact change. They need to be given the same amount of opportunities and support as their male counterparts, regardless of what they choose to explore. They need to be lifted up during even small achievements and taught the true value of self-love. They need to be taught to love others equally and not partake in bigotry, hate, or discrimination. The world can help girls by uniting them and giving them a positive outlook on life.
If I could give advice to my younger self, I would tell her that every time someone calls her a “chatterbox” to think of it as a compliment because one day, that voice can change the minds of many people. I would tell her to not listen to anyone who tells her that she talks too much or is too young to know something and simply make it a challenge to better herself. I would tell my younger self to embrace her differences and never think down on herself just because she looks and sounds a little different from the people around her.
If I could give advice to women it would be to listen to young girls and what they have to say about the world. I would tell them to pay young women attention and understand that the younger generations are becoming the more prominent generation, making their thoughts on the world most likely to affect the world. I would tell women to remember the desires of their younger selves and to use that to connect with those of a younger generation. I would tell women to be bold with their personalities and embrace their differences because then, younger girls will think it is ok to be bold and embrace all of their individual differences as well.