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November 2008 GCDA Magazine

"Only dead fish go with the flow."

INSPIRATIONAL GIRLS, November 2008, by Jenifer Merifield


“Only dead fish go with the flow.”

 
This article's title is 18 year old Jane Wu’s ‘defining quote’, as she calls it. Just like all real girls, Jane had (and has) great visions and big dreams. She was one of the brave ones bold enough to face her fears and make those visions a reality!

“I remember chatting with my friends one time and saying ‘I think I’ll start a conference’,” Jane recalls, “They later told me they didn’t think I’d really do it <giggle>. But my need to make it happen was burning inside me. When I actually did start, they were all so supportive and helpful.” A resident of Calgary Alberta, Jane, recently won the TD Bank Scholarship Award for starting her ‘Beauty and Brains’ conference.

Culture and Beliefs
“Although  my family has always embraced equal opportunity and gender equality, I grew up with a Chinese cultural background. Traditionally, the Chinese have a preference for males over females, to pass on the family surname. There can be a sense of disappointment when a girl is the first born, as I was, and that was definitely an underlying driving force for me to create something that would make a difference for girls. My family is much more liberal than all that, I’m lucky. We always believed that ‘girls can do anything’ that boys can do.”

Girls Have Options
With the support and encouragement of her family and friends, Jane developed a career-focused conference for girls. The attendees participate in interesting hands-on workshops (like playing with bacteria and looking at the DNA of fruit) and they hear from inspirational speakers who talk about all the amazing career options they have.   
  
“I wanted girls to see how REAL these amazing women were. I also wanted a fun aspect to it.” said Jane, “I was 16, and at the age where I had to make choices about my future. I saw other girls having stigmas about what they could or should choose. You know, like nursing is for girls and engineering is for boys.” she laughs, “I grew up believing in gender equality and I have parents who were strong mentors for me. There were no options I couldn’t choose. You know how it feels when you really believe in something and you just have to do it? I wanted girls to really know they had options, that they could do anything.”

Facing Her Fears
As easy as she makes it all sound, Jane had struggles too. Turns out, she moved a lot as a kid… about 6 different elementary and jr. high schools, in fact. Although it wasn’t always easy, it taught her to be brave and face her fears of meeting new people. When she started her conference, she recalls having no fear until about 2 weeks to the event, “It hit me then. We had misplaced about 70 registration forms and I thought no one would come!” In hind sight, Jane has been able to view her challenges as opportunities for personal growth. She says she’s always said that, “If you believe something will happen, it will.”

Getting Support
When I asked Jane if it took a lot of people and money to start her conference she answered, “Oh yeah, I definitely didn’t do it myself! Once I got the idea I told everyone. You have to get support, and I did. I approached sponsors and talked to everyone I could. The Science Center was looking for a program for young girls and that was a perfect fit for a venue. In the end I raised about $5000!”

What’s next for Jane?
“I’m now going to Queens University in Kingston Ontario, but I am continuing to find ways to empower girls to pursue their options and break down stigmas and stereotypes.” While attending University, the Science Center has hired 2 people to continue the Beauty and Brains event in her absence. There is nothing Jane has done that you can’t do, no matter where you’ve come from or what you’ve done.

Jane’s message to you:
“Like I said before, ‘Only dead fish go with the flow.’ Make your own path, take your wildest dreams and never doubt yourself. Others will realize too how great they are when they feel your enthusiasm and confidence. Never let self-doubt stop you from taking a chance. Have faith in yourself. Oh, and apply for scholarships! I never thought I would actually win. Just be positive and do it!”
  
No one can make your dreams come true for you, but once you get started, there are many who will support you along the way!

 

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