We Are All Angels
One of them is the tradition of playing the "angel-mortal" game where seniors are angels to the juniors who take on the role of mortals. The objective of the game is for angels to help mortals whenever they had questions or meet challenges in school. This game helped juniors settle into secondary school life.
Wouldn't it be nice if we had angels around us helping us as we progressed through different stages not just in school but in life? Especially since the adult world is so much more complex than that of secondary school.
It was my belief that we all can be angels to one another as well as my faith in humanity that led me to launch Project "Our Stories. Your Opportunities" (Project OSYO) in January 2016.
On Project OSYO, we share stories from working professionals on the undergraduate education they received and how it guided and shaped their careers. The aim is to help prospective undergrads make informed decisions about their choice of studies and be aware of the career options and opportunities each choice presents. It also features stories from university students and their experience carving their own paths.
I wanted to make the task of helping others easier to do and make receiving the help easy too. With the wide use of technology, I thought this was doable and within my means.
During the development stage, these were some of the things I considered:
• Data privacy
Respondents need to be assured that there are no repercussions from sharing their views and experiences. Some people might be uncomfortable with even releasing their names. To protect the respondents' privacy, they were given the option to use initials.
• Truthfulness
The stories will only be useful if respondents answer truthfully. That is why on this platform, interviews are raw and edited. Juniors using this resource get a more objective picture of the many undergraduate courses and career opportunities.
• Convenience
As the stories are curated on an online platform, they can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Respondents can also easily share their experiences through an online form. This ease of access makes juniors receptive to learn and seniors interested to share. Should juniors have questions about a senior's story, they can reach out to them via email.
It has been a gratifying experience to see the support for this project grow. Even I am learning in this work that I wouldn’t be able to make this possible without the angels around me.
Oh, I believe there are Angels Among Us,
Sent down to us from somewhere up above.
They come to you and me in our darkest hours
To show us how to live
To teach us how to give
To guide us with a light of love.
-- Alabama "Angels Among Us"
If you would like to contribute a story to Project OSYO, fill out this form.
