During this project I’ve learned different skills that I didn't expect too. But I definitely improved my public speaking skills. Throughout the year I’ve talked to so many different people and adding on to that, I met and talked to so many people at the exhibition. Something I noticed about myself is that even if my first choice is not to have a conversation with someone new, once I start talking to the person I want to keep learning about the person. But as I reflect I’ve learned some things that I need to improve on. For example time management, I do this thing where my brain is my planner. I do things as it comes to me unless I have productiveness in my body to work ahead. 

If I could do this project all over again I would definitely find more people from the community to help in the beginning part of the project. Especially because the first semester is more about doing a whole bunch of research and meeting new people in the community to help you out with your project. I felt like I didn't really have a person to really guide me and my projects progress other than Panek and Clinton. Something that surprised me about my project is how much fun it is to have a podcast. Almost every time I finished recording a conversation I came out so happy and excited to go back and edit it.

I was definitely challenged in many different ways throughout this project. I definitely challenged myself to move out of my comfort zone, especially doing a podcast. I'm more of a listener and don't like to mingle with people other than my friends. I can be an extrovert but I’m very much an introvert. Having conversations I didn't have seemed unnecessary. But something that motivated me was definitely having a place where I can express myself and culture to people without judging me. I say that because if they were then they wouldn’t be listening to the podcast.

Coming into the class I had my mind set on doing a “Multicultural Night” and as my focus changed from letting the JD community learn about culture here to having a space for first generation/ESL students to have a space to express their culture I doubted having an event. It would have definitely been successful but I had a bigger target for those students I mentioned earlier. WHen I changed my mind to having a podcast I learned to be more open minded and to never have a certain bar to be expected from myself.

My experience when doing this project was really fun. When it came to finding people to record the podcast with, not so much. But actually having the conversation with the students and going to edit it. Each conversation and a good way. My best friend Rashelle was the first one to do it and she's a first generation Mexican American and she talked alot about going through the challenge of balancing both cultures while not filling a distance from others. My next episode was my friend Muj who came from Sudan a good while ago and he told us his story in Sudan and coming here to America. Another conversation I had was with my brother and two cousins and this was very different compared to the other ones. Especially because we're all from the same country. So I’d still ask them the same questions except I would answer them too. It felt like a waymore positive version of a trauma dump, More because we don't really talk about it when we see each other. Which isn't a bad or good thing. My favorite episode to record would definitely be Hazza and Imad, these two friends who are from Syria. I didn't really know alot about the country or did I know much about them but learned the most from it too.