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Leading Ladies Inc. NEWSLETTER INSIDE THIS ISSUE PG. 2 Tips for Online Learning PG. 4 Modern Black Women Changing History PG. 6Choosing Yourself- A Self GGrowth Series! “Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew” -Cicely Tyson

“Don't be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered."-MichelleObamaTips for Online Learning By Lexi Batson Check in with yourself to see where you need to improve! Ask: “Am I dedicating enough time for reading and assignments? Am I cramming assignments?”3. Create a Study SpaceRoutine, routine, routine! Environments boost your productivity. A workspace will help you keep organized and get you to reach your goals! Consider taking up a space in your house for only studying and doing assignments. This is your own classroom in a way!How to make the best of online learning in a pandemic.By Lexi Batson1. Remember, online classes are “real” classes.Tell yourself: “I’m going to sit down and work on this.” Classes are flexible when you can do your work, but you cannot put the work off indefinitely. It is easy to forget these classes are real when you are at home, but you must treat them as if you’re still going to school. 2. Time Management!2 How to make the best of online learning in a pandemic. 1.Remember, online classes are “real” classes.Tell yourself: “I’m going to sit down and work onthis.” Classes are flexible when you can do yourwork, but you cannot put the work off indefinitely.It is easy to forget these classes are real when youare at home, but you must treat them as if you’restill going to school.2.Time Management!Flexibility is great when it comes to onlineclasses, but it can also be detrimental! Followthese steps for improving your time management:Note any major assignments or projects comingup.Create a weekly schedule with reminders foryourself.Check in with yourself to see where you need toimprove! Ask: “Am I dedicating enough time forreading and assignments? Am I crammingassignments?”

3.Create a Study SpaceRoutine, routine, routine! Environments boost your productivity. A workspace will help you keep organized and get you to reach your goals! Consider taking up a space in your house for only studying and doing assignments. This is your own classroom in a way!4.Stop Distractions!Find out what is best for you! Listening to music to keep noise down, heading to a library, or going to a study space in your home are all great strategies to keep out distractions.Consider turning off your phone or leaving it in another room when you sit down to do work. Your phone is thebiggest distraction!5.Understand How You Learn BestEveryone learns different. If you work best in the morning, set a time to study then. Are you a night owl? Take time after dinner to study. Get your playlist going and do some studying!Remember, not everyone is the same! Do what is best for you and not what everyone else is doing!6.Participate!Engage with your classmates! If you do not understand something, ask your teacher! They are there for you. Do not wait until it is too late to ask for help!7.Do Not Forget You Have ClassmatesOnline classes are all about collaboration. Your classmates are a valuable resource! Make virtual study groups before exams. Chances are your classmates could need help as much as you do!8.Keep Yourself Motivated!Things may begin to feel isolated because your classes are all online, but you are capable of amazing things!Sometimes assignments may begin to feel tedious, but instead of putting them off, make it something fun to do. How can you make this assignment more engaging for yourself? Compliment yourself and offer rewards for the work you have done so far!9. Keep a Positive Frame of Mind!Giving yourself credit for the things you have done can go a long way. Be proud of yourself! Some projects and assignments are a lot of work and you have still done them during these difficult times!10. Take Care of YourselfIf you feel like you need to step away from the computer, then do it. Sometimes we feel like we need a break and that is okay! We need to recover occasionally, and you should not feel bad for that!These tips should have you pushing through online classes like nothing! Don’t forget to never give up! Practice makes perfect. If you do bad on an exam or forget an assignment, push yourself to do better! Online learning can be difficult, but you got this! You are so much more capable than you may think! You can do this!Sources: https://www.usf.edu/education/about-us/news/2020/tips-success-online-classes.aspx https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/tips-for-taking-online-classes/3

4Modern Black Women Changing History Source: www.theamandagorman.comSource: commons.wikimedia.orgIn 1990, Vice President Harris joined the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office where she specialized in prosecuting child sexual assault cases. She was then elected District Attorney of San Francisco in 2003. With many other elections and wins later, Harris was sworn into the United States Senate in 2017. In August of 2020, Harris accepted Joe Biden’s invitation to become his running mate. With the win for presidency and the vice presidency, Harris became the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected Vice President and is the case with other offices she held before then. Three influential black women changing modern history and forging a new path of what is capable. By: Lexi BastonAmanda Gorman: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Gorman paved a path for herself through her words in the form of poetry. At a young age, she began writing and never stopped. She was raised by her single mother with her two siblings and her twin sister, Gabrielle. Gorman has grown up with an auditory processing disorder and is hypersensitive to sound. She also has had a speech impediment since childhood. However, she has never seen her impediment or sound sensitivity as a problem. Instead, she sees it as a gift and a strength. After graduating high school, she went to Harvard University where she studies sociology. There, she went on to graduate cum laude. Gorman's art and activism focus on issues of oppression, feminism, race, and marginalization. She has gone on to become the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, as well as an award-winning writer. Her words have won her invitations to the Obama White House and to perform for Lin-Manuel Miranda, Al Gore, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and countless others. Her most notable appearance was on January 20, 2021, where Amanda Gorman became the sixth and youngest poet, at age twenty-two, to deliver a poetry reading at a presidential inauguration.Kamala Harris: Now Vice President of the United States of America, Harris was born in Oakland, California by two parents who were from India and Jamaica. Her parents divorced when she was seven. Harris has said that when she and her sister visited their father in Palo Alto on weekends, other children in the neighborhood were not allowed to play with them because they were black. Once she was older, her best friend confided in her that she was molested by her stepfather. From there, Harris made a commitment to protect women and children as a prosecutor. She went on to graduate from Howard University and the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Modern Black Women Changing History Cont' Laverne Cox: Laverne Cox was born as a male in Mobile, Alabama, and was raised by a single mother and grandmother. She noticed that she had developed feelings for her male classmates and had been bullied for several years for not acting "the way someone assigned male at birth was supposed to act." Laverne is a graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts in Birmingham, Alabama, where she studied creative writing before switching to dance. She then studied for two years at Indiana University Bloomington before transferring to Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, where she switched from dancing to acting. In college, Laverne stated, “I would soon start my medical transition and living and identifying as female. As I started my transition, I knew I wanted to continue to perform.”Now an Emmy-nominated actress, documentary film producer and prominent equal rights advocate, Laverne Cox, continues to make history in her career and significant strides in her activism. This includes being an having an empowering message of moving beyond gender expectations to live more authentically. Her impact and presence in the media led to a growing conversation about transgender culture, specifically transgender women, and how being transgender intersects with one's race. In May of 2016, Cox was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for her progressive work in the fight for gender equality. She also became the first openly transgender woman to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. Source: commons.wikimedia.org5

6 Choosing Yourself – A Self Growth Series Do you feel you question yourself from time to time? If so, does that frustrate you? Do you know where your doubts or insecurities really stem from? This is a silent struggle to most young women, all women, as we grow. For me, I have new doubts and questions in almost every step of life. It’s hard enough trying to figure out what the “correct” way of thinking or living is, and combining that with millions of other people walking, talking, and thinking differently than you, can create some frustrations. To put it simple, there is no correct way to think or live. However, becoming aware of that, and becoming aware that ALL women (and men) struggle in different ways, can relieve you from feeling alone. More importantly, becoming aware of YOUR struggles, and how to balance them can help you even more. I am here to help you achieve this. I want to share my insight on what I have experienced regarding mental health and self-growth as a young woman. So, let’s talk about it.You should realize, there is only one you on this earth, no one else possesses the same qualities or abilities as you, and you have a specific purpose in life that no one else has. If you realize that, do you truly understand that? Understanding yourself is the best thing you can do, and it is the key beginning to self-growth. As we start working together, I want to be fully honest. At first, understanding yourself takes a bit of effort, and might not be as easy as you thought. However, you don’t want it to be easy, you are an amazingly complex person, filled with many unique qualities to learn about. If you aren’t going to take time to understand yourself, why should anyone else? After all, nothing worthwhile is really that easy. As you become more interested in this process, and more interested in YOU, it will become easier. "Make yourself a priority once in a while. It's not selfish. It's necessary. "-AuthorUnknown

This first discussion won’t start with how to understand yourself, but why you should do this. To preview some of the benefits in practicing this, the most important thing to realize is that understanding yourself can give you a happier life. Becoming comfortable with who you are, and the meaning behind your thoughts or actions can allow you to gain a sense of confidence, and a better ability to express yourself. Becoming happy and proud of the person you are is a right every woman deserves, and there is a strong power you gain when you live happy to be who you are. Internal conflict of why you think the way you do, or why you feel and react in certain ways becomes more peaceful when you are comfortable and confident in yourself. Another benefit is the ability to make decisions, and form opinions more clearly. When you know yourself, you become your own best side kick. You can help yourself feel more supported and confident in the opinions you choose, and the decisions you make. This in turn, can relieve inner conflicting thoughts, conflict interactions, or the time spent to decide something. Find your interests, find what triggers you (good or bad), and recognize those patterns when thinking through a decision. Make sure in any decision, you ask yourself what choice will benefit YOU the most. The end goal of any solution should prioritize your own health and happiness, without hurting anyone else involved. In life, following what is best for you will never lead you wrong. Another result to understanding yourself is the coping benefit. When you feel grounded and comfortable with yourself, you trust yourself more. You also have better self-control and resistance to triggering people or situations. You are aware of how you feel about certain things, and what YOU want to do or achieve out of a situation. Living in such an unpredictable world, we must learn the things we CAN control, and accept the things we cannot control. Learning this as soon as you can is incredibly important for your future, it is a skill, and it is powerful. There is no need to waste our energy on people or situations out of our control, because that’s someone else’s work to do. Don’t bring extra work upon yourself! Remember, there is only one you and your purpose is to be your own voice. It is our right to control what we can do for ourselves, and to choose our own happiness. This should not bother anyone else’s ability to choose for their own happiness. Ultimately, understanding what we are comfortable with, and what we believe is right for ourselves can help cope through situations and help achieve the most positive outcome.When we choose to become more aware of who we are, and begin to practice understanding ourselves, there is no perfect way to do this. We are continuously evolving humans, and we live in an uncontrollable world. We can never fully prepare for what is to come, but in the meantime, if we focus on ourselves and what we want to achieve, we can better prepare for each day. If you decide you want to learn more about this approach, we will continue unraveling ways we can understand and help ourselves progress as strong women. Always remember, putting effort into yourself is the best effort spent.Author:Raquel RichFor more information about Leading Ladies Inc. and upcoming events and workshops please visit Leadingladiesindy.org 7