HOCKADAY EDUCATION

Raheela Ahsan es una estudiante de Hockaday Education en la Ciudad de Dallas, EUA, que en septiembre del año pasado visitó el colegio para entrevistar a algunas de las alumnas del quinto semestre de CCH.  Durante su último año de preparatoria trabajó en un proyecto sobre la Percepción sobre la Educación de las Niñas alrededor del mundo.

Esta es una carta agradeciendo el apoyo a su trabajo por parte del Colegio Madrid y compartirnos, que por ser tan completo el mismo, le permitieron presentarlo a su comunidad como parte de la celebración de los 100 de su colegio, Hockaday.

Dear Colegio Madrid AC,

I am writing to you to first express that you have been a huge factor to my research project investigating the Perceptions of Girls Education. I had the opportunity to visit your school last September, to which you so graciously took up my offer to help spread my project to Mexico City. The look on my face was unimaginable when I heard that you’d be willing to let me come to your school. Not only was it a culture shock for me, but it also created an international contact for both of our schools. I am so grateful that you assisted me in a project where so many other people couldn’t or wouldn’t. The fact that you took this upon yourself voluntarily to help out an average high school student means volumes to me.

The main reason I waited so long to send this email was because I wanted to send you the finished project as a «thank you.» This project was the summary of a year’s worth of work that went to four different countries and surveyed over 80 girls around the world. As such, I used the basis of it in my college applications as well. The project became the academic highlight of my senior year, morphing from a half-hearted attempt at «research» to a full-blown analysis into the depths of human behavior. I began first with a research abstract, which I submitted on behalf of my college applications. While I worked to gather and finalize all my data into a completed product, my mentor, Dr. Katherine Downey, was working with Hockaday to allow me to present this on behalf of the Centennial Celebration (this past year honored 100 years of Hockaday Education, so it seemed fitting to present a girls education project). Our headmistress Mrs. Kim Wargo granted me an opportunity to present my finished piece a week before graduation to all my peers, teachers, and faculty. This research study was completely voluntary, and was not required as a Senior Independent Study or for extra credit.

Again, I cannot take credit for it alone without generously thanking each and every person who aided me. This would extend to you Colegio Madrid, Ms. Stern, along with my mother, my mentors, teachers and Hockaday in itself. Such is the power behind a girl’s education.

Attached in this email I have included the final powerpoint, my research abstract, and a picture of me giving this speech.

Thank you so much for all your kind work and assistance,

Raheela Ahsan

Hockaday Class of 2014

Carnegie Mellon University

A continuación está su resumen y presentación en powerpoint.

Hold The Torch: Bringing Young Minds Together On Education

Abstract A study employing a phenomenological research design and social media, this senior independent project investigates how girls around the world perceive the value of education and what facilitates and constrains their pursuing an education.

Data Collection Using a snowball sampling method, I collected qualitative data from girls in both socioeconomically privileged and disadvantaged circumstances in countries representing four different regions of the world, and employed NVIVO-organized analysis to discern major themes in their responses to my survey questions. I conducted the interviews through surveys and phone calls. Relying on a network of local and international acquaintances (“snowball”), I was able also to distribute scores of paper surveys (of which 20 were selected) in each country. Teenaged girls in both socioeconomically underprivileged and privileged regions answered the survey questions; some were electronically uploaded and emailed, while others were physically shipped to the US. I compiled all the data electronically, tallied the quantitative responses (yes/no), and collected the qualitative responses using NVIVO software.

Preliminary Findings The responses from girls in Pakistan, Mexico, Thailand, and the US (Dallas) suggest that underprivileged women in developing areas are discouraged from pursuing an education from a young age due to socioeconomic limitations. One surprising finding that is emerging is that many of these girls do not feel that there is much gender disparity with respect to who is generally required to receive education, though 39% of girls interviewed did admit that boys receive educational preference. The responses suggest that contrary to general belief, there is no shortage of educational facilities; rather, the hindrance to receiving an education is that both privileged and underprivileged girls do not perceive the added value in being educated. These findings build upon the United Nations millennial goals for making education accessible for children worldwide, and advocate for equal educational opportunity for women.

Intriguing Statistics: – 93% agree that education has benefitted and improved their family’s life – Only 38% of respondents receive a totally free education – 66% of subjects have educated parents – 98% would agree to educate their own children – 100% of all respondents agreed that educating parents on the importance of education is the most crucial step in creating educational availability for their children Intriguing

Intriguing Observations: The data provide rich insight into particular nationalities. For instance, underprivileged teenagers from Zimbabwe included pictograms in their responses, a mode of expression unique to these students offering a thought provoking perspective differing from that of privileged students and those in other countries.

1) Farmer         2) Car Driver         3) Teacher        

Projected Completion As a preliminary study limited to students in only four countries, the findings will not be generalizable to any one country or socioeconomic group, nor to a general population, but suggest general trends and provide a foundation for further research. This study will provide preliminary insight into how girls around the world themselves perceive education, their access to it and its value to them, an important factor that has been largely unremarked in the modern fight towards educational availability. As of February 28, 2014, the data have been collected, I am conducting the thematic analysis of the qualitative responses, and the final report of my findings is projected for April 15, 2014 submission.