Writing and Business

25th June 2020: Over 100 days ago our world was flipped upside-down. We were all ripped away from any sense of normalcy and we had to construct a new reality. We had to figure out what school, work, family, and friends all looked like and meant in this new reality. And this was no easy task, it continues to be something we are struggling to manage. In the 11th grade business and management class, we were challenged to use our business knowledge to strategically construct a pillar of this reality somewhere within our community, enriching the remote experience of distance for distinct stakeholders. As I tried to figure out what I could offer to my community I began to think about the things that enriched and brought joy into my life at the beginning of quarantine. I immediately thought of creative writing. At the beginning of quarantine, I spent a lot of time working on creative writing pieces and in them, I found a distraction and an escape from the monotonous fear and insecurity of the world around me. So I decided that for my business project I would try to extend this feeling to others in my community. For the project, I was able to work with the middle school English teacher, Ms. Amy Snodgrass. Ms. Amy was my teacher in the 7th and 8th grade and she still continues to support my writing, so I couldn’t think of a better person to work with. Ms. Amy opened the virtual doors of her classroom and helped me put together a creative writing “Plus 1” for her 6th-grade students. As I created this project I learned how business concepts like planning, organization, and strategy are also essential components in teaching and how they are a huge part of what makes or breaks a project. From the 6th grade class, two students were interested in my project, Regan Gross and Ashley Sanchez. We had weekly meetings where I guided them through writing a short story, focusing on character development and plot. At the end of 6 weeks, they both have imagined and written short stories. It was inspiring to work with these two girls. Creativity is a magical thing and I’ve seen that as we get older we push it to the side, too consumed in reality. However, these girls jumped right into creative worlds full of aliens, purple hair, surfing accidents, friendship, and forgiveness. They reminded me of how important it is to relish creativity and they have inspired my writing. Working with them and watching their creative writing process further emphasized my belief that writing provides an escape and makes the reality of the real world more manageable and more fun. One of the key concepts we learned in business this trimester was theories of motivation. This was ironic since lack of motivation has characterized this time. I worked to apply these theories in my project but instead, the project applied them back onto me. By that I mean the design of the project engaged me and gave me autonomy, mastery, and purpose; all key concepts in Pink’s motivational theory. Through this I was able to understand the reality of the theories and now will have real-life experiences to connect back to when I sit taking the IB business and management exam. Thanks for that Miss Amy :). So as this project comes to an end, I am reflecting on how grateful I am for it. It gave me an excuse to share what I love and support others who share that love. It has also helped me learn and understand business content on a deeper level and it has given me the chance to work with lovely inspiring people. So as we continue to trudge through the restructuring of reality I am grateful that I got to play a part in making distance a little sweeter. Sincerely, 
 Grace *Identify strengths and areas for growth, Challenges were undertaken showing that new skills are learned, Plan and initiate an activity, Show perseverance and commitment to your project, Work collaboratively with others, Engage with issues of global importance, demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.