Valuing My Unique Identity

"Every man's ability may be strengthened or increased by culture." - John Abbot

Growing up as a mixed and third culture kid, I have always struggled to identify where I am from or "where do you really come from?". While I still struggle with this topic from time to time, attending one of the most diverse universities in the nation has taught me a lot about what culture means to me. Now that I am a senior student about to graduate, I have been focusing most of my efforts on developing my professional career. My capstone marketing class, "Strategic Marketing Management," taught by Ann Springer, has made me realize I can be proud of my cultural identity while pursuing any career I would like. Here are a couple of ways I have integrated my cultural identity into my passions and career.

Valuing my Unique Identity and Perspective

At the beginning of the semester, we were told to identify three important qualities or talents that we could include in our elevator pitches. My first two words came quickly to me as they are my current career passions, digital marketing, and event planning. The third word, however, was more of a challenge. I debated choosing words like leadership or great communicator, as they sounded impressive enough. Eventually, I decided on "Global Connections." Having attended an international school all my life, I knew that I possessed valuable qualities needed in today's professional landscape. By actually taking the time to identify my values, it gave me the confidence to be proud of my uniqueness and use it as an asset when networking. I realized that being able to identify who I am, no matter how long it takes, sets me apart as an individual. Now that I can accept myself, I can only attract those who will do the same. 

The Lao Refugee Project (@laorefugeeproject)

One of the semester-long projects in this class was creating and sustaining an Instagram account for eight weeks. Straight away, I knew that I wanted to focus my topic on one of my biggest passions, my Lao heritage. I was not confident in my ability to create an account about a culture that was only "half" of me, but I knew that I had to give myself more credit. Over these past few months, I have been able to grow a strong community of the families of Lao refugees. It was incredible to see how many people could relate to me as a daughter of a refugee, and my account became a safe space to educate and speak on topics about Laos. There is nothing better than having the tools to market to your audience and market to an audience you care deeply about. I plan on continuing my account and immersing not only myself but also the world in Laos's rich culture. Without this class project, I would have never thought I had the confidence to create an account like this. Now I am proud of my work, and I am thankful I can combine my love of digital marketing and Lao culture.

My culture, interests, and education are all a part of who I am, and I know that I should never have to sacrifice one for the other. Whether it be this year or 20 years down the road, I hope I can continue to be confident in my own unique identity.