Angelina has lived throughout Europe but it was when she got to Hong Kong that she realised she was in the racial minority for the first time.
In an effort to give voice to young people from all walks of life, Angelina started the On My Mind podcast and joined the Inclusivity Hong Kong student-led organisation.
In this episode, we chat about her experience as an international student, how to start a podcast and the positives that can come from not knowing what you want to do after high school.
Interested in STEM? Download the Ultimate Resource Bank for Science Students with the favourite resources from young scientists featured on the Top of the Class.
Angelina has lived throughout Europe but it was when she got to Hong Kong that she realised she was in the racial minority for the first time.
In an effort to give voice to young people from all walks of life, Angelina started the On My Mind podcast and joined the Inclusivity Hong Kong student-led organisation.
In this episode, we chat about her experience as an international student, how to start a podcast and the positives that can come from not knowing what you want to do after high school.
Interested in STEM? Download the Ultimate Resource Bank for Science Students with the favourite resources from young scientists featured on the Top of the Class.
Podcast Host 00:00
Hello, and welcome to the top of the class podcast. I'm your host, Alex Cork. And today I chat with Hong Kong based student Angelina. Angelina is the host and creator of the on my mind podcast and is a member of inclusivity Hong Kong. Being an international student, Angelina has been educating herself about race and diversity. We chat about her experiences in Hong Kong, how to start a podcast and the positives that can come from not knowing what you want to do after high school. Let's chat with Angelina. Hi, Angelina, it's fantastic to have you on the show. Can you tell our listeners a bit about yourself?
Angelina 00:50
Yes, hello. I'm glad to be on. My name is Angelina. I've come from Germany and Switzerland. And now I live in Hong Kong. I've been living here for one and a half years. And I'm currently in 11th grade doing the IB Diploma program. Um,
Podcast Host 01:08
yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well, the short synopsis of what you've been or where you've been living all this time, you're an international student in every sense of the word you've kind of lived everywhere. What do you think that has given you in terms of like, a different perspective on the world?
Angelina 01:24
Yeah, that's interesting, because I think the the really the international part came in when I moved to Asia, because I think living in Europe was was obviously it was great, but it was, it didn't really offer a totally new perspective. Obviously, I met a lot of friends from around the world. And I have friends from around the world, which is always great, because you just see things from different perspectives. And like one of my friends right now, she's Swedish. My other best friend is from Turkey. And but I think living in in Asia now. One, I think it's um, this sounds kind of strange, maybe. But one of the biggest things I started becoming more aware of is, I guess, race, and where I stand on that. And it's, it's interesting, because I was never like a minority before. And obviously, I'm a privileged minority here. But it's given me a lot of insight into the the topic of race and racism, discrimination. And it's really sparked my interest in it, because especially it's, it's funny, because I, when I moved here, I got a lot of our I got some comments from some of my friends saying, Oh, that's such a white thing to do, or Oh, you're so white, which I had never gotten before. And at first it was it was a bit weird, because I was like, like, What do you mean? Like, how is this? How are they meaning this? And, yeah, so I think that that has really shaped my perspective on on the issue of race specifically?
Podcast Host 02:50
Yeah, it's something that I'm sure a lot of international students in particular feel whether they are, you know, Asian students or any other ethnicity in or basically a minority within a majority population type of thing. Is it something that you feel as though as a student, you have the power to make a difference in or raise awareness of I mean, I get I feel like you tried to raise awareness of the discrimination that you're potentially feeling as a white person. Do you think people might be like, oh, Jay, sorry, you know, discriminated white people. Oh, my gosh, how sad and how tough you must must have that type of thing. Do you feel like that? Is that kind of backlash if you're trying to create change as a white person who feels discriminated against?
Angelina 03:33
Yeah, I mean, I never feel discriminated against. And I'm always very careful about how I phrase things, because I'm very aware that reverse racism isn't a thing. Like you can't really be racist to a white person. I'm just given the historical context. That's not a thing. And I've really just worked on I've read a lot of books about this issue. And I think that's really helped me to understand better, what what is racism? What is race? How do actually, you know, people who are discriminated against feel? And often you know, there's there's a book that I recently read called why I'm no longer talking to white people about race. And the title really sparked my interest. Yeah, so I think it for me, it's been about Yes, obviously, raising awareness. But I've always I've been very careful. I've been tiptoeing a little bit, trying to educate myself to make sure that I don't do anything that's insensitive. And I guess that comes along with it.
Podcast Host 04:29
Yeah, well, I think that's an incredible Well, a very important first step right is to educate yourself on the topic. And I guess for myself, like it's an area that everybody around the world has been exposed to, at a greater extent due to the BLM Black Lives Matter movement. Yeah. And I think everybody is kind of recognize their privilege, or whiteness or ethnicity or diversity or sense of religion or all these different things that have certainly come to light It is important, I think, to educate yourself. Is there ever been a moment where you felt like you had overstepped or said something out of turn or perhaps use the wrong language, right? Because there's such power in language, particularly around race at this point, you just pointed out to me discrimination versus exclusion versus SAT, you know, all these different subtleties around language that are involved with race, is there been a moment where you're like, oh, gosh, I really need to educate myself. So I don't make this mistake. Again,
Angelina 05:32
I wouldn't say there was a specific moment, I but I think I've just been around people who are very aware of those little subtleties. And so that's opened my eyes to it as well, that I can't just throw all these terms around interchangeably, or say things like, Oh, that's, you know, you're being too sensitive or whatnot. And I've really tried to listen to other people. And I guess that also comes in with my podcast. And just seeing, seeing what other how other people see it and try to educate myself through, for example, I did a podcast with a guy who's also in Hong Kong, and he's Indian. And so he in Hong Kong, in his school, felt some a little bit of discrimination. And it was mainly how, like language, his peers used Little things like microaggressions. And I was never so aware of how what impact those comments can have on others. And that really opened my eyes to it.
Podcast Host 06:35
Yeah, I think there's a lot of people who can walk blindly through the situation, particularly if they're not necessarily the target of these microaggressions, or these kind of little moments that they might not pick up on unless they hear it from someone else. And as they hear that, Oh, no, these microaggressions definitely affect me. It's something that I notice every day. Like, it's something that's a part of my life, but it's something that I wish wasn't a part of my life. Yeah. So it's definitely something that I'm really happy that you're at least raising awareness of it. And I think it's a topic that a lot of people just prefer to tiptoe around it or not mention it, for fear of saying the wrong thing. Yeah. How has your experience been in addressing the situation or addressing the topic of racism?
Angelina 07:19
Yeah, as I mentioned before, I think listening is really important. Don't, especially if you're a white person, don't assume that your answers are right. But I also think it's important to, once you have you know, educated yourself a little bit on it, that you do form your own opinions, and that you, you definitely speak out about it, whether that be through little things such as just initiating those conversations with your family, which is something that I've done, and which has been really interesting, because my family has, you know, also brings in some different perspectives as well, which I like to hear. So you can either do that, obviously, you can initiate bigger conversations, you can advocate for it. And I think it's really important to start locally as well. And and try and yeah, I guess, I mean, I can't say you can't like change or eradicate racism as a whole. But I think starting with those uncomfortable conversations is a good place to be at.
Podcast Host 08:18
Yeah, well, it's something that I commend you for. And I think most students should try and raise the topic and educate themselves or one or the other. You know, educate yourselves and then raise the topic potentially, or speak to someone who you feel does know more about this topic. I think it's a really important thing. And obviously, you're having broached the subject on your podcast, we're going to be talking about how to start a podcast in high school, which I think is an awesome leadership project and an awesome way to connect with a wider community. Yeah, let's get into that. So first thing, what's your podcast call? Let's give it a let's give it a shout out.
Angelina 08:53
Yeah, my podcast is called on my mind podcast. You can find it on Spotify and Apple podcasts.
Podcast Host 09:00
Great, fantastic. So on my mind, and why a podcast I know, like 2020 was, you know, the year of the podcast, boom, it's the year that I started to become a podcaster as well. And I don't know if anyone else any of our listeners or yourself Angelina are on LinkedIn. But it felt like every second post was either someone who was promoting their podcasts or telling people about an episode that they were featured on like it, boom, obviously, because of pandemic and people just became so much more familiar with zoom and online calls and everyone just became more contactable. But what was your decision between you know, starting a podcast versus starting a blog versus a YouTube channel or perhaps doing nothing like why did you see the value in a podcast?
Angelina 09:41
Well, first off, I I really enjoyed listening to podcasts. I don't know how many other teenagers my age, listen to podcasts, but I thought it was a really great way to educate myself while on the go, you know, it's like I can be on the bus and I don't have to be like reading a book. And I also think that So many teenagers have really great things to say have really super interesting stories to share. But I just feel that there's not really a platform to do this. And obviously, yes, we have social media, we have Instagram, but you're always limited to like one post or a short paragraph on someone's story. And I just felt like it wasn't valuable enough. And I just, I mean, I like speaking as well. And I like speaking to others. I like having conversations. And so I just thought, I don't know podcasts is a great way to combine all those things.
Podcast Host 10:35
Yeah. So take me through your from idea to execution. Right, that timeline. I'm always fascinated by this whole kind of like, starting having the idea to actually getting the first podcast published and out into the world. What was that timeline? Like? And can you talk me through some of the major steps?
Angelina 10:53
Yeah. So honestly, it's hard to say when exactly I pinned down that idea. I think I remember telling my parents, this was summer of between 10th and 11th grade. So it was summer break. So I was a little bit bored. Like I didn't have that much to do, especially because of the pandemic. And I remember, I like quickly pitched the idea to my parents. I was like, Oh, I'm interested in starting a podcast. And they're like, okay, yeah, like, they didn't think I was gonna go through with it. And then I remember one of my friends, she's, she's really good at like, artwork. And she, she takes classes. And so I kind of asked her, like, Hey, I'm thinking of starting a podcast, like, what do you think? Would you want to help me maybe do the cover, like the design, and she was really enthusiastic about it. And so together, we we made the the artwork for it. Um, which that didn't take too long. And I think the whole process was maybe like, two weeks or something from really getting it up. And then, yeah, I just did a little bit of research. There's a ton of websites out there that explain how to start a podcast. And I kind of just loosely follow that. And, and yeah, and then I put up a quick introduction episode. And then I set up an Instagram, I tried to promote it a little bit. I'm still working on that. Not the best at it. But yeah, and then I started posting the episodes. So that's Yeah, that was kind of my process.
Podcast Host 12:31
Yeah, I think it's probably easier than a lot of students think. I think a lot of people think, Oh, I gotta start a podcast, my gosh, it sounds like a big thing to do. But really, once you've got the idea, and once you've got the artwork, you're most of the way there, it feels very real. When you've got the name, the idea. And the podcast artwork, you're just a couple of steps away from like, having a host, which you have buzzsprout, as also top of the class is hosted on vast grounds. For those students who are out there, basically, when you have a podcast host, which is something like a buzzsprout website, then when you publish your episode on buzz, Brad, it automatically gets published to, you know, servers like Spotify or Apple podcasts, or like you have to list the podcasts in those in those spaces. Yeah, but if you do list it, it will pretty much immediately appear, wherever you want to list the podcast. So but yeah, the promotion side of things. I think for any students who are wanting to start a podcast or interested in starting one, that's a challenge, and something that I'm still working on as well. And I heard one experience podcasters say that if you're spending an hour on an interview, you'd be spending three or four times that on promotion.
Angelina 13:42
Wow, that's crazy. Yeah, don't do that.
Podcast Host 13:45
Yeah. So that's like creating clips that's like, you know, sharing the maybe kind of a prior post up on LinkedIn or Instagram, when the episode gets published on Twitter, you want to be able to make sure that your guest is also sharing it with their network as well. To try and find relevant Facebook groups potentially or relevant other, you know, organizations that might share the post or might share that the episode. So it's all these bits and pieces that really come into it building an email list. If you're going to do that. I think it's a really good marketing exercise and a communication exercise. But I'd love to hear from you. What have you got out of it since starting the podcast?
Angelina 14:23
Yeah, I'm so on the social media and like marketing sides of things. It's, it's that's been, I think, one of the biggest challenges because, yeah, it's interesting because numbers, like the number of listeners always fluctuates, and I, I try to see, well, like why could that be? Is it because I didn't promote it that much. Is it because that's a topic that's maybe less interesting to people. And I've tried, I've tried to get a little bit better at it. What I've done, what you mentioned, is uh, have little clips and post those because I think that can be really interesting for For people who are just scrolling through and then see a short clip, and they're like, Oh, I want to listen to it. Yeah, I mean, also just telling people in real life, I guess, yes, I
15:10
have a podcast.
Podcast Host 15:11
Yeah, I was doing it just this weekend. I'm doing a dance rehearsal at the moment for a wedding that's coming up. So one of those things that you know, when you're in your 30s, I guess, but anyway, one of the one of the other guys in the retains a younger guy, 17. I'm like, how are you? 17? Do you listen to podcasts? I've got a podcast. And so yeah, always. I mean, like, it's one of those things as a podcast, you're always pretty keen to grow your audience, because traditionally, you don't put too much budget behind the advertising. So if students are out there thinking, Oh, a podcast sounds pretty expensive. You can actually do it fairly cheaply, right? You can have the bus route subscription, which is, you know, a couple of dollars a month. Yeah. And if you're doing it via air pods, like I've got a microphone and headphones, and
15:53
you don't have I don't have the fancy technology. Yeah,
Podcast Host 15:55
you don't really need all that stuff. Right. And you can do the editing software for free. I use Audacity. I'll put all links in. Yeah, I use Audacity as well. Right. Right. So I'll put a link to the blog article I wrote about, like how to start a podcast in high school. And that covers a lot of these bits and pieces as well. But yeah, it's actually pretty cheap to start and pretty easy to get going. But it's really interesting that you, you're getting a lot of experience with the marketing and social media side. How about the idea of like growing your network, contacting guests finding questions to answer because you're actually becoming like, a bit of a journey at the same time, like bit of like journalistic skills that you're building in this process? How have you found that side of things?
Angelina 16:34
Yeah, well, in the beginning, and so far, it's been mostly my friends, but often also people that I I know, but I'm not like super close with, but that I know, have, you know, certain, I guess, skill set or are educated on certain topics, or are involved in some things so that they could Yeah, speak about this? And I've kind of tried to contact speakers that I've heard from and some workshops, contacting people over email, Instagram, and yeah, it is tough, because a lot of the time I don't get any replies, which is okay. And it's, it's part of the process, I guess. And so, you know, I just keep reaching out to people pitching what my podcast is. And hopefully, that's something that I can improve on in the future as well and get more, I guess, yeah, high profile speakers on. But I think I also, I also really appreciate the insights that my peers have.
Podcast Host 17:32
Yeah, well, I'm gonna put you on the spot right now. What's the pitch for the online podcast?
Angelina 17:38
Well, on my mind podcast is a podcast that speaks to a young audience that has issues that are relevant to a young audience. So that includes things like Black Lives Matter, movement, mental health, how to not go crazy at school, how to take care of yourself. And it's a it's a safe space to have discussions to grow, and inspire people through dialogue.
Podcast Host 18:07
Nice. I love it. Well, if any of our listeners are interested in being on the show, I don't know if any of your guests from outside of Hong Kong or if that's a usual thing, but
Angelina 18:16
yeah, I mean, a lot of them are also my friends from Switzerland. But I've had a couple people, ya know, from outside Hong Kong.
Podcast Host 18:23
Awesome. Awesome. So if any of our listeners out there who are interested on ballenas podcast, we'll put your contact details to that. Class,
18:31
please reach out.
Podcast Host 18:32
Yeah, of course, it was always good to give a podcast a shout out. I think it is a really interesting medium for students to use. And you did mention that you probably not too sure how many teenagers actually listen to podcasts at this stage?
Angelina 18:45
I agree. I saw definite like a gap there as well.
Podcast Host 18:48
Yeah, yeah. So for any listeners out there, I think the podcast space for high schoolers, teenagers is something that's really interesting. And it's an area that I think has a lot of potential to grow. It's just a matter of starting it. And as we've both kind of attested to, it's actually not that hard to start one. So yeah, no, it's not reached out to us if you have any questions about starting a podcast as well, which is always good fun. Now, one thing I did notice about your podcast is the podcast release dates vary a little bit. Some you've got within like a week of each other, and then somebody like two weeks, three weeks, I think that actually is a good thing, particularly if you are a student, because I think a lot of people would say, Yes, I want to do a podcast, but I don't want to have the pressure of having to release a podcast every single week. Did you originally approach the podcast with that intention to have a podcast every single week and then it kind of fell by the wayside exams or something got in the way, and then you were like, oh, every third week, where every second week or just when I've got an episode to publish, I'll publish.
Angelina 19:53
Well, since I started it during the summer, I had quite a lot of free time on my hands and so that's when I was posting them quite frequently. And then school started up and I was like, I have a lot to do. And so I just yeah, I couldn't keep it up doing one every week. And so it started becoming less frequent. And I, I told myself, I don't want to just like drop it, you know? And then because I feel pressured to do it every week, and then I don't do it at all. So I was trying to be easy on myself and tell myself It's okay, if I do one, maybe just every month? Because also, I think listeners don't always tune in every single week. Yeah, I think sometimes it's good to give people like time to, like, finish the episode. But yeah, I tried to be less harsh on myself.
Podcast Host 20:36
Yeah, exactly. And I think also understanding you know, what your audience is likely to do or their habits, as you said, most audiences probably won't listen to a full episode in a week. I know, some of my episodes fluctuate, you know, massively depending on the topic, or depending on who shares it. All kinds of factors, depending on the length or duration of the podcast, I'm actually thinking of doing some, like shorter versions, all kinds of things. But I think it's a great way to, for students. I mean, like, 10 years ago, everyone was blogging, everyone had a blog. Yeah. And now I feel like it's one of those things that you could start up a podcast fairly easily. And it's a great way I particularly found it a great way to expand a network. So for me, like I've been in contact with students from all around the world, and have really, you know, tapped into some great organizations, some great high schools and learned so much from all of my guests. We've been awesome, you know, and as I'm learning from you today, as well, you know, diversity and the experience of an international student, which I never had myself. So I think it's, it's a really great way to engage with the wider community and doesn't matter if you're in year seven, or you're in year 12, or whatever it is, the podcast is a good place to start. Now, I want to get back to the diversity side of things is I understand you've got another project that's specifically related to that area. Can you talk me through that at all?
Angelina 21:51
Yeah, so I'm actually part of an organization that's founded in Hong Kong and based here called inclusivity, Hong Kong, and it was actually founded by one of my friends, and I joined the team fairly recently. And it's been really cool because it's fully a student led organization. And we kind of aim to, I guess, address discrimination in schools, make learning spaces more inclusive. So as part of inclusivity, although I'm not quite working on that side of things, we actually have a podcast. And right now we're in the midst of charting, starting up chapters, at different schools, as well as Hong Kong University, which is really cool. So that's been a really fun experience.
Podcast Host 22:36
Yeah, no, that's fantastic. And I think student led organizations have so much opportunity for growth. I think, traditionally, students look to big organizations and say, Yes, I'm going to join that organization, because they've got volunteer opportunities. But generally speaking, there's very little chance for upward movement in those organizations, right? Like, if you start as a volunteer, and you're a student, that's where you're going to stay. Yeah, at least for a little while. Whereas in a student led organization, you could get in and then very quickly be like, Vice President of lead organization, right.
23:09
That's true. Yeah.
Podcast Host 23:10
What have you done so far? And has it been perhaps more than you expected? Well, it's
Angelina 23:15
interesting, because I think it hasn't been like a fully upwards curve, always. And I think I'm learning as we go, that it takes a lot to really grow and build and sustain an organization. And it's, it's not a simple task, which, yes, sounds obvious. But once you're actually amidst it, you realize how much effort really takes. And so we were kind of in a little bit of an off phase for a while. But I think now we've come back stronger, we've come back with, again, like I said, plans to start individual chapters and kind of trying to reach out to schools and find volunteers who want to start a chapter or initiative at their school, and then kind of oversee that. And then, in those chapters, are planning on kind of maybe inviting some guest speakers having some book discussions, watching some TED Talks. Yeah, and really have a space for for meaningful discussions and where people can come in and feel safe for work, people can come and just, you know, listen, and
Podcast Host 24:20
it's so important, actually, to for many students, school isn't a safe place. And even having that recognized and having a student organization, recognizing it, I think, is even more important than perhaps an official kind of like adult led organization because it feels almost a little bit forced, right? Whereas like to know that you've got allies in your school, who are volunteers of this organization. And, you know, the students who might be having a tough time could even become volunteers of the organization as well, to kind of have a voice to this issue, which is very, very real. Yeah, that's really interesting and in terms of getting involved is it something That other students could look into. I mean, they might not be able to start their own chapter unless it's kind of like related to the Hong Kong one. But I know that certainly students around the world would probably be interested in at least the model that you guys are following.
Angelina 25:13
Yeah. So it's if you're not in Hong Kong, it's hard right now, because we're still trying to get this done and get this right, if that makes sense, and then maybe later branch out to some other parts of the world?
Podcast Host 25:26
Yeah, well, we'll see how we go. Hopefully, a couple students can look at that model. And at least say, hey, yeah, that's something that I might be able to start in my own school. Yeah. Because if you've got issues at your school, or if you feel that that's something that you're interested in, I think that if you if you're interested in it, there might well be listening to this podcast. So yeah, it will be a thing that you want to try and get started in your own school as well. Now, one thing that I am interested in as well is Hong Kong, for those people who might not know, but for you, who have been there for the last year and a half, has had a lot of ups and downs over the last 18 months, you know, not just the current pandemic, of course, but everything politically. And it's been very, very tumultuous for a range of reasons. And we won't go into, you know, who's right or who's wrong. But obviously, like, there has been a lot of activism in Hong Kong. Yeah. Massive student activism in particular. People who aren't aware like, I think it was Hong Kong University, was it? Yeah, yeah. It was, it
Angelina 26:23
was a bunch of universities. Yeah. Yeah.
Podcast Host 26:27
So it was really, really full on and like student activism, particularly like young college student activism. Yeah. When sky high, like it became like the news around the world of what was going on in Hong Kong. How do you feel that has affected or impacted high school students, and their thoughts around having a voice and being more active in speaking out about things like inclusivity? speaking out about, you know, topics that you're addressing in your podcast? Do you feel like it's become more of the norm there in Hong Kong, because of what's happened over the last kind of 18 months?
Angelina 27:01
That's an interesting take on Actually, I never really thought of it in that sense, after sound pretty privileged, because the, obviously, the protests affected me, but less than maybe with other people. But I think, for me, and I, for a lot of other students, it's made us a lot more politically aware, just aware of politics in general. And then I think if you were in Hong Kong before, and like politics didn't really affect you. And you're like, Okay, I don't really care as much. I think now, that perspective is changed. And I know a lot of students now are, like, closely follow politics now, especially obviously, American politics. But yeah, and I'm not sure how, how does exactly change the high school activism, I wouldn't say it has had a huge impact on it. Because for a lot of students, I think this was an area that they have to tiptoe around. And it was so controversial, is so controversial.
Podcast Host 28:02
Yeah, well, it's interesting, because I think here in Australia, just, you know, from my personal experience, there's not as many like crazy, outrageous, controversial things that are going on in Australia. And so the students are generally less I would say, Please, students, if you're out there, correct me if I'm wrong. But I generally think that students in Australia are probably less politically aware, or even if they are politically aware, they're probably not as geared towards activism as such, right, or feeling as though that they can have a say in the matter, like they might be politically aware, but they might not necessarily go out and make a change. I was really impressed in Australia, actually, when they did the the climate strike. And I'm sure you know, yeah, Hong Kong, that was the thing potentially, as well, like around the world. Everyone was doing climate strike. Yeah. And you know, the politicians here in Australia were like, Oh, you should just go back to school type of thing. And I'm learning this is a great opportunity to learn about activism and to learn about having a voice and you can create art and make a lovely poster, or like slogans, and all these different things that can actually come from having a voice and protesting and having advocacy, which I think is super, super important. But yeah, I think it's a, I think a lot of students probably underestimate the power that they have in terms of their own voice. Is that something that you have? Or you previously thought that maybe coming around to the idea that students have like a really strong voice? You know, even through your podcast through inclusivity, you kind of understanding that student voices is a really important part of the landscape of communication in any particular city.
Angelina 29:36
Yeah, I definitely think so. I mean, that's like the whole reason I started my podcast is because I felt that student voice was so prevalent, so important, I think now, especially with social media, like we're all connected, right, and someone across the world could be listening to this podcast and somehow be maybe inspired by or influenced by it or have an idea and so I think that is really powerful in terms of connecting people, and really having a, I guess, a global movement of really engaged students, which I think is super cool.
Podcast Host 30:12
Yeah. And I think students need to realize that whilst getting grades are important and everything, sometimes being involved in activism and looking outside of your exam grades, can really help you figure out what you want to do after school and can really help you pave a path in whatever you want to do. Which brings me to my next question, what is ahead for you? Your you don't have long left of school? What do you see yourself doing after school? What are you aiming for?
Angelina 30:40
That's a good question. It's something I try and figure out every day. And I think about every day, because I think I have a diverse set of interests. I like science, I take biology higher level. But I also am very passionate. I mean, I take history and English. And so I love like the creative arts literary arts, I write poetry, which is, which I really enjoyed doing. And I think I'm also interested in politics. Like I mentioned, I became a lot more politically aware recently. And so I'm thinking I don't have the exact major pin down, but along the areas, maybe, you know, international development, politics, something along those lines.
Podcast Host 31:23
Yeah. And is there any particular university or college that you're aiming for? Again, I'm
Angelina 31:27
researching it? Yeah, I'm, I'm thinking of applying to the US and the UK. And to be honest, there's not one like dream university that I have. And I'm just very focused on like, trying to get the grades and trying to keep up everything else right now that I haven't had time to fully, like, find that one dream university that I want to go to.
Podcast Host 31:50
Right now you got plenty of time, I guess? Well, some people would say you don't. But you can, you can keep putting, you know, the college research on the to do list and get around to it, when you do have that more time to really figure out what you want to do. I always say to students as well, that sometimes not knowing exactly what you want to do is great, because it gives you an opportunity to listen to other ideas and to be open to new possibilities. I think some students kinda pick a path, and then put their head in the sand and don't want to hear anything else. Like that's going to be their path. And sometimes like there could be a great opportunity or something, you know, they'll learn about something new, or they'll read about something new. And if they didn't have their head in the sand, they would follow that opportunity a little bit further and see where it goes. So I always say like, the best part about not knowing what you want to do is you want all the doors open.
Angelina 32:45
I see that. Yeah, I see that so often here, especially in in Asia, where people are very, very driven here, which was that was also a big difference compared to Switzerland. People are extremely driven, and have specific career paths in mind. And that was like quite intimidating to me. I mean, obviously, I think it's incredibly cool. If you already have that passion, you know what you want to go for. But I also think that like you said, at times, it can hinder you a little bit because I think I listened to this TED talk once that was basically the message of it was like humans aren't just created to have one passion and to do one thing in life. Like, we have a diverse set of interests. And sometimes, you know, we want to pursue a range of jobs. Yeah. Anyway, I thought that was a pretty interesting approach on on that.
Podcast Host 33:36
Yeah, well, I I completely agree that students who pick a career, when they're like 15, or 16, I'm always thinking like, are you picking that career? Because you really want that curry? Or is that a suggestion from your parents? Or is it just kind of like, you know, I feel like a lot of students say that, to put themselves at ease to kind of lessen their internal stress that they don't, you know, because that is, I guess, still that firepower around not knowing what you want to do. And people are like, I would rather be externally viewed as someone who is aware and knowing what they want to do, rather than someone who does. And, you know, internally, they might be still saying, I have no idea what I want to do. But externally, they'll say, I'm going to be in financial medicine and this and everyone's like, oh, wow, they really know what they want to do. And no one questions it. No, one question. Yeah. Wow, that's so inspiring. Yeah, yeah, you've got your life sorted. Well, congratulations. And then they can kind of like, go to the back of the class and not get questioned anymore. Whereas like, if you don't know what you want to do, people are like, Oh, so what are you interested in? And they asked, like, 1000 questions, right? And you're like, hey, let's back off. I'm figuring it out as we go. Right? Definitely. But I think I think students really need to look at an embracing that uncertainty a little bit more and be more open to it because, like, Who knew that there was a right As a full time podcaster. But guess what? That's what I'm doing. Yeah. And it can, it can happen. So like, I would never have thought that I'll be doing full time podcasting, and they go, so, yeah, it's something that I think you should just be okay with in going forward that Yeah, you're not too sure what you're going to do just yet. Any kind of words of advice or wisdom that you would like to impart upon our lovely listeners from around the world?
Angelina 35:25
Well, first off, I want to say thank you for listening. And yeah, I just want to say, I guess, you know, believe in yourself. That's one of the biggest things that I see all the time is like, self doubt that so many students have, and I have as well. So yeah, believe in yourself, do what you want. Also, like, don't take shame in sometimes, you know, hanging out with your friends, and just having a good time, because I think that's so incredibly important, as well as obviously, you know, activism and extracurriculars in school is also to just balance it out with with having a good time as well. And, yeah, yeah, enjoy
36:00
life.
Podcast Host 36:00
Enjoy life. Yeah, I think if you're got that goal every single day, when you wake up to believe in yourself and enjoy life, then you're certainly on the right track. Well, it's been awesome having you on the show, Angela? Like it's, it's great to meet a fellow podcaster and chat about all things. Yeah, with inclusivity, which I think is a really interesting topic and something that, you know, hopefully our listeners get in touch with you. Speaking of which, what would be the best way to get in contact with you that we can live in the shownotes?
Angelina 36:28
Yes, probably my Instagram account.
Podcast Host 36:32
You can flick it to me. I'll put it in the show notes. Alright, people to get pen and paper out and ride it.
Angelina 36:36
Yeah. Okay. Cuz I thought that was Yeah, yeah. No, every time I hear people say I never like actually write it down and think about it. So
Podcast Host 36:44
yeah, now you've done the right thing. It will just put it in the show notes. So yeah, people can get in contact, ask questions about the podcasts and we'll put the podcast link in the show notes as well. And hopefully they can have a listen to some of your episodes and get a you know, a wide variety of different perspectives. But thank you so much again for joining us and look forward to sharing this episode far and wide as I said, three hours of promotion to every one hour of podcast recording. So I look forward to sharing it as much as far as I possibly can.
Angelina 37:14
Thank you.
Podcast Host 37:16
Thanks for listening to top of the class. subscribe for future episodes for show notes and to plan your best future head to Crimson education.org