What went well?
This week was a turning point for in-person engagement. I attended the Juneteenth event at ONE DC’s Black Workers Wellness Center and the Annual Peace Jam hosted by ANC Commissioner Ashley Ruff. These spaces gave me the chance to speak about the initiative . I also visited several key organizations in person and via zoom : The DBH Office, East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Marshall Heights Community Development, and BHG Recovery to share the program and seekpotential interest. These visits helped move conversations forward in ways that email alone couldn’t.
What could have been done differently?
I wish I visited more places.
What did I learn about myself when working with others?
I practiced openness,. Listening to people’s stories required me to be fully present and grounded. I followed up in person even when emails were ignored, and that persistence built trust.
What did I learn about leadership?
This week taught me that leadership often means stepping into spaces of discomfort. It is not always about providing solutions but it is about listening and building trust. I became more than an email or flyer.
What do I want to develop or focus on next?
I want to build on the momentum from these visits by formalizing follow-up: confirming interest, commitments, and helping these sites move toward onboarding. I also want to explore ways to process the emotional weight of this work while staying grounded and effective.
My name is Fathia Fasasi, and I am a rising sophomore at Georgetown University with hopes of majoring in Global Health and minoring in sociology. A fun fact about me is that I was hit by a motorcycle at five years old (I'm fine now, lol!).
I am involved in a faculty project called The Black Central Americas (BCA) this summer. I am primarily engaged in the first phase, "Constellating Black Central America," where we focus on researching cities and documenting their histories, cultures, and migration patterns. Our primary aim with this project is to fill in the historical gaps of these cities and create a valuable resource for future researchers interested in this history.
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