{"636235":{"#nid":"636235","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Conversation: ISyE Alumna Ndeyanta Jallow on Current Events","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn early January, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/news\/isye-undergraduate-ndeyanta-jallow-gtsbe-president\u0022\u003Ewe interviewed Ndeyanta Jallow\u003C\/a\u003E, a fourth-year undergraduate student in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE). Jallow, who graduated from Georgia Tech in May, was at that time serving as president of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtsbe.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Society of Black Engineers\u003C\/a\u003E (GTSBE), and we discussed with her her view of leadership, what her participation in GTSBE meant to her Tech experience, and the importance of GTSBE as an organization on campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the events of the past few weeks \u2013 the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis policeman and the subsequent protests around the globe in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, we spoke to Jallow again. In this interview, she shares her thoughts on the current moment and why GTSBE is more essential than ever. Now at home in Connecticut, Jallow is spending the summer studying for the GMAT and will begin full-time work with Accenture Strategy in Atlanta this September.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThank you for speaking with us, Ndeyanta. Can we start out by talking about what\u2019s been on your mind these past couple of weeks?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019ve been doing a lot of reflecting, worrying, and praying for change. I have two younger siblings \u2013 including a little brother \u2013 and I\u2019ve been having important conversations with them about everything that\u2019s happening. And honestly, these are conversations I wished I didn\u2019t have to have.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI\u2019m encouraged to see how people are responding to these events \u2013 people who are speaking out when they\u2019ve previously been silent \u2013 and I\u2019m hoping that there will be real change. But we have a long way to go, as the problem is bigger than just police brutality.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat do efforts like last week\u2019s #ShutdownSTEM and #ShutdownAcademia accomplish, if anything?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGiving dedicated time and space to have conversations about what is happening is good, but it\u2019s also important to give Black people time and space to talk about these issues outside of when traumatic incidents occur. Many of my Black friends have said they\u2019re expected to go to class or into work and engage as if these protests and this social upheaval isn\u2019t happening. And that\u2019s certainly emotionally difficult.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn our previous interview, you talked about the significant underrepresentation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E and the lack of recognition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E of Black people in STEM fields. Do you see this topic gaining currency, and what effect do you expect it to have?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI was just talking with my friends about this. The representation of Black and African American students at Georgia Tech is already low, but the work we do in spite of this is incredible. But it doesn\u2019t get showcased unless the work is really \u201cbig,\u201d and there are so many \u201csmaller\u201d stories about Black students that are worth amplifying. These can be showcased in addition to the diversity organizations and platforms our campus has.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOutside of being recognized for awards won, I\u2019ve seen how a Black student in class may answer a professor\u2019s question, and their input will go unrecognized. But then a white student will say the same thing, and they receive the recognition. My friends have also told me that this happens to them, and it\u2019s quite troubling.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the very least, conversations about these issues that needed to happen for a long time are finally starting to happen. For example, over the past few weeks, President Cabrera and Dean McLaughlin have contacted GTSBE\u2019s executive board. Rather than coming to us in a stance of, \u201cHere\u2019s what we\u2019ll do for you,\u201d they have said, \u201cWhat do you need us to do?\u201d which oftentimes results in a very different outcome.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI hope that the increased support of Black and African American students at Georgia Tech continues, as I truly believe it will ultimately lead to a stronger community overall at the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat would you like to say to the current GTSBE community and GTSBE alumni in this moment? \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo the GTSBE community, I will say that we are at the very beginning of all this, as many of you would agree. However, as always, our organization will always be here to support you in whatever you choose to do, whether now or in the future. You are not alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ETo alumni, it\u2019s been amazing to see your generous financial contributions to the Black community at Georgia Tech \u2013 especially supporting the fundraisers held by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.campuslabs.com\/engage\/organization\/african-student-association\u0022\u003EAfrican Student Association\u003C\/a\u003E over the past few weeks. This money has gone to supporting petitions demanding justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and for causes like providing bail funds for protestors.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAll this helps affirm to current student members that they have a community \u2013 a family \u2013 within the Black student organizations. In times like these, that\u2019s even more important to be emphasized.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EIn our earlier conversation, you talked about your leadership style being one of serving people and why that\u2019s important to you. Has your perspective on this shifted at all in response to current events?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI want to provide safe spaces for my community to have these important conversations. Even though I\u2019m an alumna of the Institute now, I have told the current GTSBE leadership that if they need anything at all, I\u2019m available for them \u2013 I will meet them for coffee, have lunch, or even talk on the phone with them to discuss about what they\u2019re experiencing and how they\u2019re doing. I care for the GTSBE community and its executive board immensely, and it\u2019s important that I demonstrate that. Not just as a leader, but also as a friend \u2013 whether someone is feeling happy, sad, or needing to vent, I\u2019m here.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere \u2013 if you are \u2013 are you finding spaces for joy and self-care in the middle of all this?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERight now, there are so many documentaries to watch on Netflix, for example, and TV shows that explain the history behind these protests and this movement. And of course, it doesn\u2019t just stop at TV and movies. There are so many books about this that can help instruct every single one of us. I\u2019ve taken it upon myself to continue watching, reading, and educating myself as I continue to have important conversations with family and friends. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAside from this, it has also been important to take time for self-care and joy, as you have asked. My normal go-to activity for relaxing and enjoying time to myself would be getting a manicure and pedicure, which I obviously can\u2019t do right now! Luckily, we have a pool in our backyard, so I\u2019ve been getting some sun every day since returning home from Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs I mentioned earlier, I have two younger siblings, so I\u2019ve also been able to spend more time with each of them. My brother and I enjoy setting aside time in the day to get in an outdoor workout, and my sister has tried hard to get me to join in on her dance videos. As of late, spending time with my family has been extra special.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E-----\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe GTSBE website has resources for Black students, including mental health resources \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtsbe.org\/actions-for-black-lives\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehere\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. Allies of the Black community can also find there petitions to sign and ways to donate to the Movement for Black Lives.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWe spoke to ISyE alumna Ndeyanta Jallow, who served as GTSBE president while a student, about her thoughts and hopes for the current moment.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"We spoke to ISyE alumna Ndeyanta Jallow, who served as GTSBE president while a student, about her thoughts and hopes for the current moment.  "}],"uid":"28766","created_gmt":"2020-06-15 17:39:50","changed_gmt":"2023-05-17 16:35:41","author":"Shelley Wunder-Smith","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2020-06-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"636233":{"id":"636233","type":"image","title":"Ndeyanta Jallow","body":null,"created":"1592241014","gmt_created":"2020-06-15 17:10:14","changed":"1592241014","gmt_changed":"2020-06-15 17:10:14","alt":"Ndeyanta Jallow","file":{"fid":"242085","name":"ndeyanta_newSQ.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ndeyanta_newSQ.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ndeyanta_newSQ.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":252811,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ndeyanta_newSQ.jpg?itok=kHheFp54"}}},"media_ids":["636233"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/news\/isye-undergraduate-ndeyanta-jallow-gtsbe-president","title":" In Conversation: ISyE Undergraduate \u0026 GTSBE President Ndeyanta Jallow"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2GyCLNdxJ-o\u0026t=12s","title":"Video: Ndeyanta Jallow on Her Involvement with GTSBE"}],"groups":[{"id":"660354","name":"Center for Academics, Success, and Equity"},{"id":"1242","name":"School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:swundersmith3@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["swundersmith3@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}