Zynab Finds Her Voice

When Zynab took my First-Year Seminar, she had thoughtful ideas but spoke so softly that her classmates often couldn't hear her. Because she regularly came to office hours, we had the opportunity to work on a topic that wasn't in the syllabus: confidence. We talked about speaking up, trusting her own voice, and recognizing that her ideas deserved to be heard. Over time, she did exactly that. Near the end of her senior year at UC Davis, Zynab brought her mother to my office so I could tell her this story myself. Years later, I noticed that Zynab had become mutual Facebook friends with several poets I know from the Davis spoken-word community. That made me smile. Finding your voice in a classroom can become finding your voice in the world. This video is part of my year-long project to tell 365 stories about former students before I retire from UC Davis. If you've ever had a teacher, mentor, or friend who helped you find your voice, I'd love to hear your story in the comments. #Teaching #UCDavis #Confidence #FindingYourVoice #OfficeHours #PublicSpeaking #DiaryOfAQuizmaster #Education #Storytelling #LifelongLearning