start point: where you started (role, expectations, etc.)---physically, emotionally, spiritually right/left turns: times when you made a decision and it turned out the way you expected (or didn’t!) stop signs/traffic lights: moments when you had to stop and reflect on larger questions about your social issue, your social change strategy, or your role in the social change ecosystem road blocks: when others (or you, yourself!) got in the way and what you learned detours: when you were derailed or sidetracked (and perhaps for good reason!) overlooks: times when you were surprised/in awe of the journey itself gas stops: a moment of pride where took a moment to pause and pat yourself on the back for something you accomplished end point: where you ended up [what actually happened and met (or not) your expectations]---physically, emotionally, spiritually---and your biggest key takeaways

START POINT

At first, I didn't really have a clear idea of what I wanted to accomplish in ThirdSpace. I knew I wanted to be a part of this program because it seemed like my vibe, but I didn't have a project in mind. Separately, I had identified issues I had with CS@Barnard and had committed to improving our program in my time at school. When I decided to suggest to my BUILD group working on CS@Barnard for my project, it got great feedback and that is how I went with this project idea.

STOP SIGNS/TRAFFIC LIGHTS

When Professor Wright told me that my ideas were not the direction that CS@Barnard was moving in, I was shook. It felt like the entirety of my project was a failure for a moment. It really made me question what the objective of this project was. It helped show me that this is really what I am passionate about accomplishing and made me step up my game to show Professor Wright why it is so necessary that we prioritize developing an introductory CS sequence. This also showed me that I will stop at nothing to accomplish what I believe is right. I am not afraid to have difficult conversations with people with more power than me, even though it many be uncomfortable and I may have to think deeply about what I am saying. This was a major learning process and I am very grateful.

ROAD BLOCKS

I would definitely consider my encounter with Professor Wright a road block.

DETOURS

Creating my surveys ended up taking a lot longer than I was anticipating. They have now been through nearly 6 rounds of edits, and have shown me that a huge part of my project is phrasing questions that will return both useful and interesting data. I have learned a lot about what goes into the creation of a good survey from this project.

OVERLOOKS

I didn't think the change-making process took this long, but here we are. It has been super rewarding and I have learned a lot in ways I didn't think that I necessarily would.

GAS STOPS

Honestly, I'm just really proud of myself. I recognized a problem and I did something about it. My work with BUBCS is a clear example of how I am an entrepreneurial thinker and exactly what I preach on in my talks. I really believe in young people's power to create change. If you are passionate about something and not afraid to stand up for what you believe in, you can change things, you can make an impact.

END POINT

My work with BUBCS is far from done. We have may reached the end of our BUILD Circles, but I am just getting started. I will fight for a stronger, more inclusive, more accessible CS program that meets Barnard students where they're at and encourages them to pursue CS until every single student believes that if they want to, they can earn a degree in CS. I want to erase the narrative that CS is so hard and unaccessible, that you need to be a certain type of person to be good at it. I want every Barnard student to believe that they themselves, just as they are, can absolutely succeed in this major in career path. I don't want to feel like an outsider my whole time majoring in CS basically entirely at Columbia, but I am willing to take these CU classes if I know that it won't be like this for future students. I don't want to make CS@Columbia more accessible to Barnard students, I want to make Barnard's CS program stronger on its own and more autonomous from Columbia's. Taking CS classes at Columbia should be a choice, not a requirement. Barnard can set a new precedent for what CS education environments look like. Just because they've always been a certain way doesn't mean they need to stay that way. The way they currently are is incorrect. They feel cold, they make people second-guess their abilities, and that is never how a classroom should be. We can do it differently at Barnard. We can be revolutionary.