Advice - WKTV Journal

Jánelle Marina Méndez Viera shares universal truths to empower women in 2024 (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

By WKTV Staff

Many women doubt themselves and stop moving forward (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

As the new year begins, many people are setting goals and resolutions to improve their lives. For some women, this means refocusing on their own dreams and aspirations. But for others, the start of a new year only brings added pressure and self-doubt.

Why is it that some women are so hard on themselves?

“Even at your lowest moments, you still need to move forward,” encourages Jánelle Marina Méndez Viera, who endured multiple adversities throughout her childhood and early adulthood. She is now passionate about helping other women overcome challenges.

“Maybe you’ve been told not to go for that risky job, or you’re afraid to relocate for your career because you’re a mom. It’s OK to be scared while you’re trying to figure something out. We all have moments when we don’t feel safe and comfortable. Risk taking throws you out of your comfort zone. As long as you’re not in danger, that discomfort will be part of your growth.”

Méndez Viera turned her adversities into a mission

Use negative experiences to fuel positive changes (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

Méndez Viera endured many obstacles as a child and young adult, including multiple forms of sexual violence and modern slavery, some of which happened while she served in the military.

Now in her early 30s, she is using those negative experiences to fuel positive changes.

Méndez Viera has lobbied for and achieved changes in nearly every level of government. She is an author, academic researcher, human rights activist, entrepreneur and public speaker. “This journey has cultivated a resilience and determination within me that I hope to use to inspire others,” she says.

Méndez Viera’s advice on how to overcome anything

For women who are struggling right now, Méndez Viera suggests taking some of the same steps she followed. They include:

1. Believe in yourself and don’t give up. “No one knows your strength and capabilities better than you. Remain assured in your abilities and potential, despite any negative voices around or within you. Read the stories of people who’ve come before you and overcame similar adversities. This is extremely helpful during moments of doubt and can provide reassurance when things are looking dim.”

Méndez Viera found role models in confident women, some of whom paved the way for her own technological and human rights achievements.

Take time for healing and self-care in all areas (Courtesy photo)

“In the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr invented the ‘frequency hopping’ technology that became Bluetooth,” said Méndez Viera. “Eleanor Roosevelt was instrumental in founding the United Nations. On a personal level, I had an aunt whose unconditional love and support inspired me to be a more compassionate person. And even though my own family was dysfunctional, I had friends who taught me how to have healthy relationships.”

2. Take time for self-care. “Healing emotionally and physically is integral to personal development. For me, this meant regular exercise, meditation, therapy and ensuring a healthy lifestyle. Find your go-to self-care activities and make them a regular part of your routine, especially during the points that you want to give up.”

3. Reach out for help. “It can be tempting to isolate oneself in difficult times, but I’ve found that reaching out to support groups, psychologists and networks of individuals who have faced similar experiences can be very helpful.”

4. Become an ambassador of change. “Activism provided me with a sense of purpose and passion. Use your experience to influence changes that can help others with similar struggles so that you are empowering others and making their journeys less painful and more about healing.”

Continually growing and learning is empowering (Courtesy, pxhere.com)

5. Never stop learning. “Continual growth and education served as a beacon of light in my darkest times. As an author and inventor, I found solace, purpose, and game-changing dynamism in the pursuit of knowledge and innovation. Resources like PTSD support groups, the Veterans Administration, counseling sessions, and various online platforms such as Veterans Crisis Line can be of immense help during troubled times.

“For me, reading research reports regarding various social sciences helped me understand the societal problems that caused my trauma. They empowered me to take meaningful actions for advocacy that led to me authoring the Restoration of Honor Act of 2019.”

She emphasizes, “Sometimes obstacles can be opportunities to learn more about yourself, and to create a better path for your life. You can learn to thrive even during hard times.”

To learn more about Méndez Viera, please visit www.JanelleMarinaMendez.com.

Seniors Luis Rodriguez, Tan Le and Joey Timm tell students to stop procrastinating

By: Erin Albanese — School News Network

Don’t procrastinate. Learn to manage your time. Do your homework. Work on getting and keeping your grades up.

Those were words of advice from high school seniors who visited sophomore classes recently to help steer their younger peers onto the right path to graduation and beyond. They explained what they would have done differently during their early days of high school, and shared what they wish people would have told them as sophomores. Wyoming High School is a 10th- through 12th-grade school, so the sophomore class is the youngest in the building.

About 50 seniors volunteered to intervene with sophomores because they noticed too many students not focused on their schoolwork, said Cheryl Small, accounting and personal finance teacher.

“My students get frustrated when they see them acting differently than they should be acting,” Small said. “They came to me and said, ‘We want to talk to the sophomores.'”
Seniors came up with ideas for connecting with their younger peers by talking about their own regrets and mistakes and the consequences of their actions.

Senior Luis Rodriguez gives advice to sophomores

“We are telling you guys to try hard in school,” said senior Luis Rodriguez. “When I was in your position I had Cs and Ds, and now I am like busting my butt trying to get all As. I have a 3.0 exactly, but I could have a 4.0 if I was trying in school like I do now.”

Senior Joey Timm added this: “Don’t tell yourself you’ll wait until next year to get better grades. Do as well as you can from the beginning, because it’s really hard to bring your GPA up than to keep it up.”

Destroy procrastination as a habit, said senior Tan Le.

“Students are the ones in control of what they do, how they do it and how they should do it,” Tan said. “What I wish my parents or my teachers thought to tell me was, ‘Put away your electronics for one hour and just do your homework.'”

Small said her students can be role models for the whole building and inspire younger students to be examples as well. They also shared information on applying for college, volunteering and extracurriculars.

Sophomore Lauren Kramer said she enjoyed hearing from the upperclassmen. “I thought it was nice to hear that point of view to get a perspective on what they felt they need to hear as sophomores,” Lauren said. “I feel like it’s going to help a little bit.”

Be sure to check out School News Network for more stories about our great students, schools, and faculty in West Michigan!