Revolutionizing My History
By Ria Parker
What would you do if you found ancient eyeglasses on your commute to work or school? What if those ancient eyeglasses showed you your history and how you became who you are? Through this project, I am revolutionizing my history from my ancestors, who were probably activists and storytellers; to my parents, who had to struggle growing up; now to me and how I formed my identity in school, family, and society. This project represents who I am and how I am taking my place in history, including yours.
Process
The idea for this project came from what I wrote in my college personal statement about finding ancient eyeglasses and being transported to a museum full of my history, from my ancestors all the way to 11th grade. To create this project, I used the Stop Motion Studio application that I learned how to use at the Girls Write Now Mentee Mid-Year Workshop. Overall, this was challenging because of how tedious it is, but making this project was also fun. It inspires me to want to continue working on stop-motion animation.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE RIA PARKER & MENTOR AMY FLYNTZ
Ria’s Anecdote: For the three years I’ve spent with Amy, all of them have been my favorite because all were memorable, like seeing a tribute for Toni Morrison or just meeting up at Irving Farm. Amy has inspired me to continuously take my place in history, whether it be when I was in eleventh grade and I joined the New York Civil Liberties Union Teen Activist Project or in the first year as a pair, when I first showed my vulnerability in writing. Now, in my senior year, Amy is still inspiring me to take my place in history through my future career goals.
Amy’s Anecdote: Since meeting Ria three years ago, I’ve had the pleasure of watching her grow into a confident, unstoppable force of a woman who continues to inspire me every week. Ria has a clear vision of the world she wants to create—and I have no doubt she will mold it as such through her writing, activism, and empathy. It has been an honor to witness Ria’s incredible multiple successes, from summer programs at Ivy League schools and multiple Scholastic awards to full-ride scholarships at several universities. I can’t wait to live in the world as Ria creates it.
Ria Parker
Ria Parker is a class of 2020 Girls Write Now mentee based in New York, NY.
