Women In Quality- A Must Read!
ASQ member Wendy Haines shared this post in her local section's discussion board and it certainly deserves to be shared in the member spotlight forum! Enjoy,
To celebrate International Women's Day, the Raleigh ASQ Section Women in Quality (WIQ) Chair, Maria Mahrukh, has written a brief piece titled, “Finding your voice & self-worth.” Please enjoy the read below.
I grew up in Springfield, Illinois-the state capital, home of the renowned horseshoe and the land of Lincoln, literally. Abraham Lincoln is buried there, and his nose can be famously rubbed for good luck. My parents moved to Springfield when I was four years old, and I spent my entire childhood there. Even though I was born in Pakistan, all my childhood memories are tied to Springfield. My parents, like many other immigrant families before them, sacrificed everything they knew to come to the USA for a better life and opportunity for their children. Growing up, nobody I knew outside my family looked like me. I lived in two different worlds simultaneously, my home life centering around traditional South Asian values and my outside life centering around school and extracurricular activities. At home I spoke Urdu and outside I spoke English. I longed to find someone I could relate to and struggled to understand where I belonged in the world.
In high school, I decided to take a computer science class, which I thoroughly enjoyed and excelled at. However, I was the only female in my class and often found myself feeling alone and isolated. It made me question whether I belonged there alongside my male classmates. I wanted to drop the class, but my female guidance counselor encouraged me to stay. I later found out I was the first female in 4 years to take the computer science class offered. My experience in college was not much different. My classes were male dominated once again and constantly made me question my worth and capabilities as a woman and minority.
As I applied for positions in STEM as a minority woman, my mind was bombarded with thoughts of self-doubt. Was I good enough for the position? Did I meet all the qualifications? What if I don’t meet my potential? The thoughts kept flooding my already overwhelmed mind. It turns out, I was not the only woman who was struggling with confidence and self-worth in our profession. Harvard Business Review referenced a study that men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, while women apply only if they meet 100% of them.
I can proudly say though as I go through this journey called life, I have been fortunate to be surrounded by accomplished and empowered women. These women have come in the form of family, friends, teachers, colleagues, and leadership. Now as the Chair of the American Society of Quality (ASQ) Women in Quality (WIQ) Group, Raleigh Section, I strive to be that leader who encourages fellow women to rise up and discover their voices and self-worth.
My hope is that we all have women in our lives who empower us and allow us to find our voice and self-worth. I have learned valuable lessons from these women which have allowed me to grow as an individual and find my voice and self-worth in my professional and personal life.
Only you can define who you are- Nobody has the right to decide who you are as a person. Nobody knows you better than you.
Stop comparing yourself to others- Everyone’s life journey and circumstances are unique. Comparison can be toxic and detrimental to your own personal growth and achievements.
End the self-doubt inner talk- You have the power to be your harshest critic or biggest cheerleader. Choose to be your own cheerleader. The voice inside your head has a much larger influence than you think.
I leave you here with this poem as a reminder of your self-worth.
There are days
When the light flickers
And then I remember
I am the light
I go in and
Switch it back on
Power-Rupi Kaur
