How Is A Diamond Made?
By Lizbeth Fuentes Ascencio, Writing 360 Mentee
When you sit down and reflect on your life, you might think life is unfair. You feel weak and hopeless. That, however, is not true. Sometimes you have to be easy on yourself and thank those hard situations for building that stronger version of yourself. Diamonds are shiny and pretty but they weren’t “born” like that. They went through immense pressure and heat to become what they are now. That’s how you should think of yourself.
Process
Initially, I planned to create a video showcasing how people change based on situations that make them reflect. Then I had the idea of showing that although a situation in the past was painful and grey, it was worth it because it helped make you a better version of yourself. I used my personal college essay as a guide for the making of this short video. A challenge I faced was deciding which clips could best represent what I was trying to convey. It feels great to have my personal videos and pictures in the final project; it’s more meaningful.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE LIZBETH FUENTES ASCENCIO & MENTOR DEIONA MONROE
Lizbeth’s Anecdote: Coming into this program, I was very anxious but ready to take a step and give a voice to my writing. At first, the thought of having a mentor scared me. I had many insecurities about my writing and if I would be understood. However, I’ve lost that fear with Deiona. When I first met Deiona, I was greeted with a big smile. She helped me feel more comfortable expressing myself, and every week she highly motivates me to be successful. She empowers me to make decisions and overall makes me want to be a better version of myself.
Deiona’s Anecdote: As a first-year mentor, I was terrified but felt led to give back—specifically to our girls. I was a Girls Write Now mentee in 2007/2008 and, I must say, it planted a seed in my life. And when I met Lizbeth, I wanted to keep planting those seeds. At first, she was very reserved—as was I when I was a mentee—yet she was willing to open up to me. Now our space is much warmer. She’s a phenomenal young lady, growing into an even more amazing woman. Through her, I’m watching more seeds get planted and marks being made in history.
Lizbeth Fuentes Ascencio
Lizbeth Fuentes Ascencio is a class of 2020 Girls Write Now mentee based in Bronx, NY.
