My Mother’s Mirror Brought Me Home to Myself
CALIFORNIA—The generational story of My Mother’s Mirror reconciles roots with personal experience to shape identity and aspirations. The writing of it in two perspectives—mine and my mom’s—was an [...]
THE SELF-EX GUIDE
About Project
ABOUT THE SELF-EX AWARD
“SELF-Ex: An Interactive Guide to Address Adversity Responsibly” received a top award in a global competition. “In response to the COVID-19 challenges facing students the USC Center EDGE, Andrew Nikou Foundation, and IDEO formed The Education (Re)Open challenge, aimed to develop the Education Solutions Exchange, a public repository of high-quality, accessible solutions to help schools navigate the obstacles they face returning this fall. The Education Solutions Exchange is an exciting outgrowth of what we learned early in the pandemic—that creative, relevant and relatively simple solutions can bring a quantifiable voice to those on the front lines of education, and can have impact in timely, effective and efficient ways,” says Alan Arkatov, director and founder of Center EDGE.
About the Award
ABOUT THE SELF-EX AWARD
SELF-Ex received a top global award for managing adversity responsibly and confidently: “SELF-Ex: An Interactive Guide to Address Adversity Responsibly” received a top award in a global competition. “In response to the COVID-19 challenges facing students the USC Center EDGE, Andrew Nikou Foundation, and IDEO formed The Education (Re)Open challenge, aimed to develop the Education Solutions Exchange, a public repository of high-quality, accessible solutions to help schools navigate the obstacles they face returning this fall. The Education Solutions Exchange is an exciting outgrowth of what we learned early in the pandemic—that creative, relevant and relatively simple solutions can bring a quantifiable voice to those on the front lines of education, and can have impact in timely, effective and efficient ways,” says Alan Arkatov, director and founder of Center EDGE.
About Self- Ex
WHAT IS SELF?
The SELF method is a proprietary tool developed through collaborative efforts of community members and Deeds by Kids volunteers.
SELF has been an ongoing project with a goal to publish books. The books will entail stories of kids (mine & my friends) in sticky situations and will include tools and techniques as to how one should manage adversity. The stories collected are associated with diverse categories of bullying such as cyber bullying, name calling, and physical abuse.
Through the SELF project, I realized that the key to bullying having the proper tools to speak up assertively and act responsibly. Learning how to navigate through the tough waters of adversity makes an individual stronger.
The Self Project Process
We started with a simple mission to help our peers manage bullying. As we realized the complexity of the project, it evolved, needing expertise for various tasks.
THE SELF PROJECT PROCESS
- Formed a group of friends interested in the project
- Developed a plan to collect stories
- Created flyers & distributed them
- Built a website with the ‘Share Your Story’ module
- Sorted & categorized the stories
- Decided on character names & identities
- Rewrote & edited the stories several times
- Interviewed & hired a qualified illustrator
- Created a book layout
STORY CATEGORIES
- Verbal abuse
- Physical abuse
- Personal belonging violations
- Overpowering adults & authorities
- Social media & cyberbullying
FOSTERING CHANGE THROUGH MY WORDS
ABOUT THE USC CENTER EDGE AWARD
Being active in my community with compassion and character development have been instilled in me since I was little. Through these projects, I developed my passion for human rights through my heritage and roots, various missions, and a diverse exposure to cultures.
DAUGHTER'S REFLECTIONS
- Advocate for Your Kids so They Can Advocate for Themselves
- The Dawn of High School: Decisions, Decisions.
- Fifty Shades of No Shame.
- Converting Passion to Action.
- “Why Don’t You Have a Little Fun?”.
- I Burned My Bridges. Don’t Do That.
- Plunging Into the Pressure Cooker
- Is the Ivy Brand Really So Grand?.
- The NYU Blues.
- Graduation.
- The Gift of Gap Year
- The Author’s Journey.
ROOTS
- Roots Shaped My Attributes and Attitudes
- Born in the Caucasus
- The Unity in Community
- My Mother’s Sanctuary of Warmth
- My Dad’s Ethics
- Luda the Rusty: The Bully Gets Busted
- Role Model Miriam: My Engaging and Inspiring Teacher
- Reflect Before You Rebel. Have No Regrets
- Girl’s Got Chutzpah! Equalizing the Playing Field
- The Channel of Change
LIFE IN THE BORO
- Landing in the Big Apple
- Floundering Through Foreign Waters
- First Date: I Resisted, He Persisted
- Love Conquered it All: Changing My Ways
- Terms of Marriage: Luda Becomes Leah
- Married and Buried
- Beyond the Boro
- Grappling With Hypocrisy to Demand Authenticity
- Shanda, Shanda! Shame on You!
- Dare to Dream, Dignity into the Bloodstream
- Escaping Problems Doesn’t Fix Them
- The Contingency Plan
- “Leah’s Late Nights:” Gossip Sparks More Fights
- Seek Support but Seek No Approval
- Holiday Season
- Moving Out: Ask for Help!
OUT OF THE BORO
- Know Thyself to Love Thyself
- The Jewel on My Crown
- Loosen Up and Learn from Lazuli
- Alone, Not Lonely
- Transform Regret to Beget Greatness
- My Oath of Allegiance: Leah Becomes Lea
- What I Unveiled at Chippendale
THE NYC SINGLE SCENES
- Select, Don’t Be Selected
- Ari Tests My Self-Respect: Be Direct and Project
- Bill Miller: Finding Liberty in Rejection
- My Makeover
- Tom Manning: Wet Dreams, Dry Promises
- Daniel Schwartz: Entangled in a Three-Year Package Deal
- Rey de la Cruz: Love, Sex, and Friendship
MY SOULMATE: A SUSTAINBALE RELATIONSHIP
- An Unexpected Encounter at the Turn of the 21st Century
- Getting to Know Vick
- My First Visit to San Diego
- Packing and Helping Me Move
- Compulsive Order Creates Disorder
- You Took My Cousin Away from Me!
- Communicate to Motivate, Manage to Your Advantage
- Ringing in a Respectable Woman
- Never Let Turmoil Spoil
- Masterpiece Matrimonio
MOTHERHOOD: THROUGH MY DAUGHTER'S EYES
- The Alien Invasion
- What Kind of a Mother Will You Be? Eyes Paired by Mutual Tears
- Parenting School
- From a Bully to a Buddy
- Make Your Children Your Masters
- Avoid a Flare, Just Repair
- The Underpinning of Winning
- She Stole My Squishies! Speak Up to Make Up
- Deeds By Kids
- Don’t Let the Lie Multiply
- The Value of Money: UGG, Unconditional Glamor Galore
- Principles Merge a Fork in the Road
- A Crash from Whiplash: A Healthy Path to Greatness
- Turn You and Take Your Journey
- Concluding With Purpose
MY LIFE'S MISSION INSPIRED BY MY DAUGHTER
- Epilogue
- Lea Wolf, The Warrior
My Book Inspired Formation of
RESILIENCE GROUPS
*Read my full article about GW Resilience Groups in the September 22, 2022 issue of the Hatchet.
GW University Hillel staff members and I first connected over Jewish themes in my book. We then discussed the lessons arising from each story, which could help students with their decision making, confidence, and most importantly, building resilience.
Resilience groups are small group seminars with no more than 10 students per workshop who discuss shared challenges, like stress, identity crisis, cross-cultural communication, parenting, religion, friendships or relationships, all of which have narrative-based tools in My Mother’s Mirror. Students who join these groups will not only benefit from fortifying their mental toolbox, but they will also build a supportive group of friends to empower each other on a campus that is often criticized for lacking a sense of community mental health resources.
If students begin to cultivate resilience at the onset of their college experience, they can prevent potential episodes of discouragement and manage the obstacles they’ll face in their four-year journey and beyond. Any student who wants to form their own resilience group around a particular theme can reach out to me. I hope to expand this concept beyond my university and as generalized workshops which use my book as the framework.
