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New Year, Smart Goals!

It’s the start of a new month and it’s never too late to wish everyone a Happy New Year! 2021 had its share of ups and downs but it is a New Year and this comes with the usual hope, dreams, and resolutions.

Everyone wants to start the year strong; unfortunately, most people don’t really know where to begin. Most start with high hopes and unrealistic expectations and then abandon their goals before the confetti has time to settle. If you want to succeed in your academics, career, and in life, you need to set goals and then do everything in your power to achieve them. Here are some proven strategies to help you FOCUS and set SMART goals to start the new year strong.

FOCUS on Your Goals
To achieve what you want, it’s important to write clearly defined goals. Written goals have three powerful advantages:

1. They clarify what you want to achieve. Committing your goals to paper is a powerful way to get clear about what you want to achieve. Plus, the act of writing encodes it in your brain.

2. They create a mental picture to focus your energies. When you have a visual of what you want to achieve, you’re able to FOCUS: Follow One Course Until Success.

3. They unlock the power of the subconscious mind. When your goals are written down, the power of your subconscious mind is unlocked. You constantly think of how to get what you want, even while you sleep.

Get SMART
Often, we miss our goals because we lack motivation, we can’t see progress, or we drift off course. To avoid this, we need to get SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. By writing goals with these themes, you’re far more likely to achieve them.

Specific: Instead of writing a broad goal, such as “I want to be the best among my peers,” take the time to really drill down. What does “being the best” mean to you? Getting specific gives you a boost of powerful momentum.

Measurable: To know you’re headed in the right direction, it’s vital to consistently track and measure your progress. At the moment, it’s easy to feel discouraged or believe you’ve achieved very little. By tracking every activity and small win, you’ll be able to see how far you’ve come and what you need to do to keep moving forward.

Achievable: If you don’t have the right skills and tools to achieve your desired outcome, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Realistic: When setting goals, be realistic. For example, it’s unlikely that you’ll make your fortune in your first year of business. However, if you’re consistent with your activities and you stay the course, you’ll be on track to meet every important milestone and achieve your dreams.

Time-Bound: Give yourself enough time to reach your goals. If you don’t, you’ll end up feeling disheartened and frustrated. Some goals take longer to achieve than others, so be patient.

SMART goal setting can transform your life. Once you start setting goals, you’ll start reaching them, and your confidence will grow. The more your confidence grows, the bigger the goals you’ll set and the greater your accomplishments will be.

To our existing ‘yellow roses’ and all the young girls out there, we repeat the slogan ‘Dream big because you can do it’

Happy New Year!!! everyone and may the road ahead be bright.

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INSIDE GIST WITH THE YELLOW ROSES(The Series)

We caught up with Courage John Meizeh, one of the 2019/2020 beneficiaries of the YellowRose Launch Pad scholarship Scheme recently and below are highlights from our conversation.

Hi!

Can we meet you please?

My name is Courage John Meizeh

What’s your level of education?

I just took my Waec examination this year 2020 which means I’m already in my last stage of Secondary School(SS3)

That’s great to hear, Congratulations!

Please tell us, how did you hear about YRLP?

I got to know about the Yellow rose launch pad scholarship from parents ,my dad to be precise who was told by a lecturer who resided in Canada.

That’s really interesting for us at YRLP to know. I know that you were delighted to receive the sponsorship, so tell us more about how this has impacted you.

It meant a lot to me and my family as it went a long way of relieving the load on my parents. It also gave me hope of getting more scholarships as I have actually started from somewhere.

We know many young girls shy away from studying Science and Maths, so we would love to know what exactly sparked your interest in STEM?

My interest in STEM was sparked by my desire to do something beneficial and the encouragement I got.

Can you share your views on attracting more females into studying STEM?

I do think more females should study STEM because from what I’ve noticed so far, most females have proved wrong the mentality that only the males can take any career in STEM.

If you could have any superpower,what would it be and how would you use it?

If I could choose a super power, it would be one that can make me do anything and go anywhere I ant to go. This super power would help me to minimise the sufferings of people as I would be able to do anything for humankind as long as it is legal. I chose this super power because I want to in one way or the other be of help to people. It is commonly said that the good you wish or do for some one else will be done unto you because people will remember you for doing something good and impactful.

Any advice for other young girls planning on studying STEM?

My advice to other young girls who are thinking of taking a career in STEM is to stay focused and have a target on what they really want without allowing any thing to make them back down or sway their attention from what they really want. I would also advice them to make God their topmost priority irrespective of whatsoever religion.They shouldn’t let other people’s decision influence them negatively; ‘If you have made up your mind to choose a career in STEM, fine, go for it and of course it won’t be a thing to regret’.

Thank you for your time!

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YRLP Ambassador,Glory Ugo speaks about her journey into STEM

GLORY UGO, YRLP AMBASSADOR

Glory Ugo is a graduate of Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria,Nsukka. After her graduation in 2018,she went ahead for her National Youth Service Corps programme which she concluded in March 2020.

Shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic,she got employed in an engineering firm in Lagos and ever since,she has been improving herself with different learning platforms, volunteering and gaining more job experience.

She is also the first ambassador of YellowRose Launch Pad (YRLP)

1) Hi Glory, Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Glory Ugo and I’m an indigene of Imo state. I’m also a graduate of Civil Engineering from the University of Nigeria,Nsukka.

2) Ohh wow! That’s quite nice. Was Civil Engineering always your childhood dream?

Not really, to be very honest as a child I just wanted to do great things, I really didn’t have something in mind but I always knew I wanted to be a frontier.

3) Amazing! So when you finally got older, why did you choose STEM?

I chose a career in STEM because I didn’t want to study what everyone else was studying in my family.

4) What was it like when you finally started studying STEM as a female in Nigeria?

I was excited but a lot of people both male and female students outside and within STEM were surprised I was an engineering student. They kept on saying I was supposed to be in the Arts faculty where the pretty ladies were (lol).

On the part of the lecturers, they were really good to us especially the male lecturers. We were always asked to seat in the front row in class.

5) So from your experience and journey in the Nigerian STEM field, do you think there’s more space for females in STEM?

There is definitely a place for more females because we are advancing so much in technology and STEM is growing along side it. There is definitely so much innovation going on in STEM and girls need to be actively involved to achieve a gender equal society.

6) What would you say your greatest achievement in life has been so far?

My greatest achievement in life, I will say is self discovery. I’ve been able to find out more about myself, who I am, what I want to really do in life and how to use engineering as a tool to fulfill my purpose.

7) Great! So if you could acquire a super power to make use of for girls in STEM or those aspiring to be in STEM, what would it be?

If I could choose a superpower it would be the ability to control their minds. I will then make them understand that they are as much human as the boys,so they should learn to take charge.

8) Before we round up this session, what advice would you like to give young females who’ll love to venture into the STEM aspect of education?

My advice to any young girl aspiring to be in STEM would be to consider Engineering as a choice and she should also know that she can be absolutely anything she wants to be if she puts her mind to it.

Thank you so much for your time Glory.

It was really nice talking to you.

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Teenage Pregnancy – It is not the end

Teenage pregnancy – It happens, more than we know. The impact on the young girls and their families is huge. Uncertain futures and the reality of giving up ones youth to care for a child is what faces girls who get into this situation.

A friend of mine runs an NGO to help empower gilrs in impoverished areas of Lagos. She recently told me about one of their wards, a young girl showing great promise who has become pregnant. She has been excluded from her school and will not be able to take lessons with her mates, even though she is preparing for her final year exams. The boy who is the father of the child totally denied it, and only under police investigation agreed that he was involved. Her community stigmatizes her and her family for falling pregnant.

Thankfully, she has the support from my friend and her team. They have provided her and her mother with counselling and given some much needed funds to take care of herself and prepare for the baby coming. They negotiated with the school to allow her to take her final exams, and they have also organised for her to have extra lessons to ensure that she is prepared to take her final exams. With help from this team and the counselor, she is able to keep a positive mindset and have hope for the future.

Girls who become pregnant need support. Teenage pregnancy can and will slow down the girls development for a short period, however we must recognize that it doesn’t have to be the end of their lives. As in the above example, with the right support, a young mother can go on to thrive and achieve academic and professional excellence.

I would also like to stress here that we can prevent teenage pregnancies. It is simple. Educating our children and teenagers on sexual health, on who to speak to if they feel pressured to have sex, and where to get preventive birth control measures if they do choose to have sex will go a long way. A lot of parents and a large sector of society believe that if teenagers are educated thus and given access to birth control, they will take advantage of this and have sex. I believe the contrary. I believe that if young people are educated early enough and taught about choices, consequences and the potential impact to themselves from having sex, when they are still learning who they are would probably help people make better choices. Most teenage pregnancy is easily preventable. I encourage parents to overcome their embarrassment and find out how to speak to children from when they are old enough to understand using age appropriate language. Better for the children to learn the right thing from parents, than the wrong thing from people who could take advantage of them.

However, if teenage pregnancy occurs, it isn’t the end. Parents or carers should immediately seek help from health care professionals who will be able to refer the family to the right institution that can provide the support and advice needed and will help to ensure that the young girl can still access a bright future.

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section or contact yrlaunch@gmail.com

Anuli – February 2020

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Application for 2019 Award Closes

We Are So Excited!!!

You are probably thinking ‘why’? Well, I will tell you. We have just concluded the application phase for the 2019 scholarship award, and guess what? We received more than double the number of applications this year compared to last year. That is absolutely amazing.

The team have put in a lot of work into this and we are so pleased with the young ladies who are interested in a STEM career, taking on the challenge to prove to themselves and to us that they are high caliber academic performers, and are willing to dig deep into themselves to tell us who they are and why they are worth the investment.

Some of the applicants may not make the final stage to get the financial award, however they are still champions. They are champions because they took on the challenge, they are champions because they said to themselves, ‘I can do this’. So well done to all our champions and we at YRLP are wishing all applicants the best of luck. Alright champions, see below information on the timeline and what to expect next:

Applications sorted and reviewed – 16th July to 5th August.

Interview of selected candidates/requests for additional information – 10th-25th August.

Successful applicants informed – 26th to 31st August.

Successful candidates submit payment details for schools, payments made and candidates informed – 1st to 15th September.

Due to the fact that YRLP is run by a group of volunteers in full time employment, we may not be able to advise applicants if they have been unsuccessful. However, if you have been successful in the first stage, expect to hear from a member of the team early in August to set up an interview with you.

All the best.

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The need for Vision and Strategic planning in attracting more female representation in Technology

I read an interesting article in the Evening Standard written by Harriet Brewis in which she quotes a leading female figure in technology in Britain ‘Carolyn Dawson – Managing Director of the UK’s London Tech week’ who is of the opinion that promotion of a career in technology should really start during a child’s education. The need to move the needle to get more girls involved at a young age. She also mentions requiring teachers to be brought up to speed to understand the significance of technology in today’s world and in the future in order to provide the necessary guidance at school. The argument is rather than just focus completely on the industry and how it can do more to close this gender gap, focus should also be on the educational system how the system should encourage interest in this field. With a clear vision, strategic planning on how this vision can be achieved can commence.

During a recent public holiday, I flew to visit family and on the return leg which was an early morning flight, I was still half asleep when I was dropped off at the airport. I wondered why I couldn’t see properly and blamed this on a smudged pair of glasses. As I reached to take off my glasses to give it a good wipe, I realised I had forgotten my glasses. Without my glasses to see signs and instructions, it took me 2-3 times longer to find the right gate and make my way there. What could have been an easy task became so difficult indeed. In order to tie this story to the section above, What is the vision for the technology sector as a whole? With a clear vision of what the sector wants to achieve to close the gender gap in the industry, the easier it becomes to strategically plan around this vision for deployment around the world.

I do agree with Caroline Dawson that focus needs to move to introducing Technology in the classrooms during a child’s early development as well as at home with parents providing support. Coding classes need to be added to school curriculum and learning kits provided for use at home. There are already positive strides in achieving gender balance through education and via a supportive industry as highlighted in the Financial Times special report on Women in Technology in 2018, with some countries way ahead than others, however a stronger message around a clear vision and timeline for achieving this still needs to be provided for without a clear vision and strategic plan, the road to gender balance will definitely be longer than it should be.

Yvonne 22/04/2019

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Application Closes, Excitement Mounts!!!

Its been five days since the application process for the 2018 intake closed. now the fun begins.

At Yellow Rose Launch Pad are excited to start reviewing the applications to find out what gutsy and brave girls have sent in their applications.  We look forward to learning all about these brave girls, to discover what their big hairy goals are and to be inspired by their thoughts for the future.

Successful applicants will receive a notification from us at the start of September, so watch this space to find out who the first set of yellow roses, and a set of future leaders will be.

 

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Problem Solver

 

What does it take to be a good engineer?

The answer is simple. It takes a person who is passionate about solving physical problems, and a person that is willing to dedicate themselves to understanding how to apply physical laws to provide safe and long lasting solutions.

Are you passionate about solving problems? Do you apply objective thinking and logical arguments to solve problems? Are you able to look at a problem and think of a solution using the material around you? Are you good at taking things apart and putting them together again? Do you enjoy finding out about how things work and testing that your knowledge is correct?

If you have answered yes to most of these questions, then a career in engineering or STEM might be for you. Throughout history, engineers and inventors have changed the way we live. From generating and distributing electrify, to building the tallest man made structures on earth. From discovering how to extract natural resources, to exploring the harshest and most remote places on earth.

Convinced? Speak to someone today and get some power behind you to achieve your dreams.  Connect with us on twitter @yrlaunch

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We Are Here

Welcome to the Yellow Rose LaunchPad. If you are reading this, then it is highly likely that you are interested in finding out more about us, and possibly thinking of applying for a grant. Great!

The Yellow Rose LaunchPad has been set up to encourage young girls into studying STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects, and to support young females who lack the finances to achieve their dreams of studying to become a STEM professional in the future.

In addition to providing financial support to successful candidates, we aim to work with industry to give young females a chance to gain valuable work experience. Another one of our key objectives is to help participants to develop leadership skills and drive candidates to work on self-development, as a means of achieving personal effectiveness. From our experience, we know that personal effectiveness can go a long way in helping people to achieve their full potential.

From our experience, we know that personal effectiveness can go a long way in helping people to achieve their full potential.

If you are interested in applying for a funded place, refer to the requirements and apply if you meet the criteria. By September 2018, we would have selected our first set of yellow roses. We are so excited, and can’t wait to walk with you on your journey of development.

If you don’t meet the criteria to apply for a funded place, don’t despair,  we would still love to help you through sharing useful information that could help you to think differently about yourself. Find us on Twitter and Instagram, and share your thoughts or ideas with us.