Why hello? Welcome back to another blog post!!
The same questions that always stands…
Where to start??
Ok well, this project started way back in January. This project was actually really short but it felt really long for some reason
It all began with women…
We started by learning all about feminism and its “proper” definition. We when thoroughly into all four waves of feminism, learning about notable figures and key events in regards to each wave.
Keep in mind that during this time we were also reading. For this project we had the opportunity to read Michelle Obamas memoir, Becoming.
Throughout the reading, we were (obviously) taking thorough notes of themes, in-depth annotations to provide evidence as-well as chapter summaries, but that’s not all. Every 3 or so chapters, we would get together and have a Socratic seminar.
The Socratic seminars varied from; the whole class, to two groups of half the class, then a few groups of 5, then groups of 3.
During each seminar, we had to bring one thing to the table… a discussion question.
The Socratic seminars weren’t my favorite but it was a great opportunity to get a look into other peoples thinking and find other connect is that I could use for my own ideas.
Following the wrap up of Becoming, we started working on our interview.
In the end, the interview would contribute to our final essay. Our essays purpose was to argue an aspect of feminism, may that be; women in male-dominated fields, women in sports, the history of abortions and IUDs, etc.
The essay and interview process was quite extensive. The first step was to determine what on earth we were gonna write about, as-well as who we were going to interview.
Since I am very passionate about firefighting as a career, I chose to interview Vancouver’s first female Fire Chief, Karen Fry. And talk about women in dale-dominated fields aswell as the power fo women in leadership roles.
At first I was very sceptical that I would even get an email back, let alone an interview. But lucky enough, I was able to organize an over-the-phone interview.
It all began with (what Mr.Harris calls it) a “cold e-mail”. A cold email is pretty much an email to break the ice. I made sure to be very sophisticated with my writing and made sure to get straight to the point. My first email went to her assistant, Charmaine Susanthan. (Below)
After about a week, I was starting the settle with the fact that I would probably have to pick someone else to interview, but before all hope was lost I sent Charmaine a follow-up email, and within minutes I got a response back!!! It was a yes!!! So then the interview was schedule.
I spent countless hours formatting the perfect interview; creating the perfect introduction, carefully curating my questions to get exactly what I wanted and of course making sure it al fit is the short time of 15-20 minutes.
Before questions came initial research, I made sure I had a strong understanding of Fry’s accomplishments and notes.
In the end here were my interview questions:
- Can you share what inspired you to go into the firefighting industry?
- Reflecting on your journey, did you have women in your life who motivated or inspired you as you pursued your career?
- I can imagine that you’ve heard a lot of praise of being “the first female fire chief of Vancouver”, that truly is an amazing accomplishment! How does it feel to hold that title, and what does it mean to you personally?
- Could you describe a time when you faced gender inequality, either in your personal life or professional career? And how did you navigate that experience?Â
- You’ve implemented notable changes in the Vancouver Fire Department since 2020, such as integrating data analytics, improving fire-response times and advocating for “right to know” legislation.
- Could you share some of the specific initiatives you’ve introduced to support gender equality? …Do you believe they’ve made an impact?
- Im actually considering go into firefighting after highschool, if there any advice you could give to me, or other young women considering going into such a male-dominated industry?Â
- As you look ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave behind as Vancouver’s Fire Chief? What changes or progress do you want to be remembered for?Â
In the end, the interview I honk went amazing!! I got everything I wanted and more. Karen is a lovely woman and an amazing mentor.
here the interview, if you would care to takers a listen:
Following the interview, I had to find a way to transcribe the interview.
After turing the audio file into text, I began my essay!
I hate writing essays.. I still do.
Here was my process: – god it took forever
- Brain storming
- Planning/formatting
- Draft #1
- Draft #2
- Final draft
It took a long time but here’s a final draft. It all its glory.
In the end, this was a challenge. Everything about writing is hard, but this project was impactful, I learned a lot.
Hannah 🍅🍒🍉🍎🌶️🍓