Yiyang with her cat Eggie
In February 2024, Words Alive excitedly welcomed Yiyang Hu to the team as our Curriculum Development Intern! A Baylor University alumnus, she is currently pursuing a master's degree in Developmental Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her graduate studies have deepened her interest in curriculum development and instructional design, particularly how educational content and teaching strategies can significantly impact learning outcomes. At Words Alive, she hopes to explore these interests further and contribute to creating engaging and effective educational programs.
Fun fact: Yiyang is originally from Chengdu, China, also known as the hometown of pandas!
Now, a few words from Yiyang:
What intrigued you about Words Alive? Why did you want to join the team?
As a first-generation college student, I have a profound appreciation for the importance of education. The diversity and inclusivity of Words Alive deeply resonate with me. The organization is committed to making reading an integral part of everyone's life, especially for those families and individuals with limited economic, educational, and social resources. To me, Words Alive's efforts to enhance students' reading skills and promote reading awareness are crucial. In today's society, reading is not just a skill but an ability—a way to connect with the world. Innovative programs like the Adolescent Book Group and the Early Literacy Intervention model, to ensure that every individual, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has access to literacy and the benefits it brings is truly inspiring.
Furthermore, I am deeply moved by your dedication to the Family Literacy Program. Providing parents with tools and techniques to encourage their children to read help ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to access books and pursue their dreams. Knowing that Words Alive reaches thousands of students and families, helping them to develop critical reading and cognitive skills, and fostering a joy for reading, aligns perfectly with my own values of education and community service.
What are you most excited about in your new position?
In my new position, I am most excited about refining my technical skills, specifically enhancing my proficiency in instructional design with an emphasis on improving quality control for educational materials. My experience so far has been centered on creating lesson plans for classes of around 30 students. Now, I aim to further develop my skills in monitoring and enhancing the quality of educational content, ensuring alignment with best practices, and identifying areas for improvement. I also look forward to advancing my abilities in managing, organizing, and analyzing curriculum-related data to make well-informed recommendations for curriculum enhancements.
Additionally, I am eager to improve my program management and interpersonal skills. By actively engaging in the planning, execution, and evaluation of educational programs, as well as in post-program analysis, I hope to learn how to effectively match program objectives with educational outcomes, optimize program delivery, and employ data-driven strategies to measure program impact. Currently, I thoroughly enjoy participating in weekly meetings at Words Alive. The community here is incredibly supportive and kind, sharing successes, challenges, and priorities. I truly appreciate the collaborative atmosphere and the opportunity to contribute to our collective goals.
What is your relationship with literacy and learning?
My relationship with literacy and learning is itself a journey. From learning how to pronounce letters and words to reading my first sentence, I've built a valuable foundation and platform that would ultimately guide me towards success.
Hans Christian Andersen’s Selected Fairy Tales
This love I speak of is my passion for reading, writing, and literacy skills. From a young age, my parents instilled in me the value of reading, guiding me towards picking up books in my spare time. Growing up without the distractions of a cellphone, I found joy in the pages of books. Despite the increasing demands of academic life as I grew older, I've maintained the habit of reading, often indulging in books before going to bed. One of the books I cherished most in my childhood was Selected Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen. His tales, brimming with whimsy and intrigue, such as my favorite, The Emperor's New Clothes, for its humor and fun. The story is not only entertaining with its engaging plot and vivid characterizations but also easy to read and joyful. It imparts a profound lesson: truth and honesty are more valuable than superficial splendor and insincere flattery. This story taught me to value authenticity.
In essence, my relationship with literacy and learning is more than just a means to gain knowledge; it's a lifestyle that leads me to explore the world, understand humanity, and inspires a passion for education and personal development. Through my experiences and efforts, I hope to inspire others to also experience the joy and value that literacy and learning bring.
What are you currently reading?
Recently I am reading a book called The Courage to Be Disliked. There's a passage that resonated with me deeply, which I'd love to share:
"Life is not about measuring up to others' expectations, but about striving towards the best version of oneself. We do not live to meet the expectations of others, but to live out our own lives. Being spoken ill of or disliked is nothing to worry about because how someone views you is their issue to deal with."
The Courage to be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga
As someone who often finds herself caught between sensitivity and a concern for others' opinions, this book has been a mirror, showing me the depth of my self-conflict. If you've ever felt paralyzed by worrying about what others think, if you're a people-pleaser who struggles to assert your own needs, or if you find it difficult to reject requests from others, I can't recommend this book enough. It offers a fresh perspective on how to navigate the world while being true to oneself.