Forging My Own Path
By: Saumya Pandey, EHL’s Partnerships & Community Manager
Hi there! I am Saumya and I work on building Embrace Her Lead's community and partnership outreach.
Born and brought up in a small town in India, I grew up in a society that was patriarchal and dictated how women should behave and live their lives. But I also grew up with progressive parents, a working mother who showed me what it's like to be a strong, independent woman. So while the majority of my classmates were busy planning their lives with their high school sweethearts, I was busy daydreaming about the kind of life I wanted to lead and the milestones I wanted to achieve.
I always struggled to fit into a box or fit into the stereotype of being a ‘girly girl’. I was often told by my extended family members that I am too opinionated and bossy “for a girl”. But having a strong example at home who guided me meant that I never apologized for my ambition or tried to become someone I am not just to be “liked” by people around me. And that made me realize how important it is to have a role model, someone you can connect with or look up to. Also, how it's important to lead by example if we want society to change at large.
As I navigated my academic life and then later my career, I made it a point to work hard, create my own path unapologetically. I pursued higher education (STEM degree) in a foreign country (the first person in my family), even though there were voices that kept doubting my ability. I relentlessly went after my dream job and my dream city after I graduated, even though there were voices that kept discouraging me and my family from letting their only daughter take her own decisions and live so away from home.
When I got married, I decided to have a wedding that rejects all the patriarchal and obsolete traditions (in an Indian, Hindu ceremony) like “giving away the daughter” while embracing parts of my culture I wished to celebrate. I chose my life partner and was determined to create an equal partnership even though there were voices that kept prescribing what a woman’s role in a relationship should look like.
Currently, I live in New York City with my husband and work as a Technical Product Manager in a Fortune 200 Tech company. And as I reflect upon my journey so far, through each step and each accomplishment, there were women (and men) who gave me the courage to get to where I am today. While I have a whole lot of challenges ahead of me, I wish to leverage all the life lessons I have learned so far and put them to use in a way that helps another small town, big dreamer.
I used to be skeptical about my ability as a storyteller or community builder. But I have learned that storytelling has power. I received two hopeful messages from my personal network - one where a woman decided to forgo archaic traditions from her wedding and how she got inspired from my wedding ceremony to do so. Another one where a fellow South Asian woman who is studying abroad as I did, told me my journey encouraged her and showed her that it doesn't matter where you come from but what matters is where you want to go. These and many more examples led me to believe that mine and so many other's journeys and life stories have the power to create change.
With Embrace her lead, I hope to help create a community of women trailblazers who are unafraid, unapologetic, shattering stereotypes, and who lead by example. I hope you join me and this community in creating a brighter and just future for us all. It's my pleasure to get to know you!
