Georgia Tech Student Takes First Prize

Written by Jan Jaben-Eilon Thursday, December 30 2010

Snapshot: Madison Lee

Madison Lee, right, with U.S. Ambassador Melanne Verveer

In November, Womenetics hosted the “Global Women’s Initiative: Creating the Ripple Effect” event. At that time, Womenetics announced the winners of its college essay contest, with the five finalists summarizing their essays. The winner was Madison Lee, a 19-year-old student at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.

Her essay on human rights noted that “violence against women is a devastating global crisis that not only demoralizes and violates individual freedoms, but cripples families, communities, and nations.” Lee wrote in her essay that the “most effective means of contending with the problem of violence against women worldwide is to support international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that work at the grassroots level.”

Georgia-Pacific LLC partnered with Womenetics to encourage future leaders to learn about global women’s issues including education and literacy, health and hunger, economic empowerment, and human rights. Thanks to Georgia-Pacific, Lee won $5,000 for taking first prize in the essay contest. The other four finalists each won $1,000 from Georgia-Pacific.

Lee lives on the Georgia Tech campus, but she was reared in Marietta, Ga, with her two brothers.

Womenetics: When I was your age, I didn’t know anything about the concept of NGOs, non-governmental organizations. How did you learn about them?
Madison Lee: When I was considering the focus of my essay I knew that I wanted to discuss the dedicated organizations that work to help women around the world. As I researched their efforts I became aware of the fact that these agencies are all functioning independently of the government. And I think it is very significant that the majority of NGOs lack any kind of political affiliation. Their commitment to social goals supersedes them.

Womenetics: How did you learn about the NGOs that you wrote about, like Women for Women International, Iraqi Al-Amal, and Coalition Against Trafficking in Women?
Lee: Well, I think that the best way to understand such a broad subject as the social, political, and economic empowerment of women is to address the specific issues that they face in their communities. It was my desire to gain a thorough knowledge of the problems that they confront. In doing so, I could incorporate this information into my essay and give credit to the amazing organizations that are working hard to improve the condition of women, particularly in nations enduring great political strife.

Womenetics: Your essay was incredibly well-written. Where did you learn to write so well?
Lee: Thank you very much for the compliment. As they say, practice makes perfect. I have had to write some very extensive essays in the past, so I can honestly say that it comes naturally to me at this point. I’m also an avid reader, and I think that the eloquence of literature really has an effect on the way we express ourselves.

Womenetics: How did you learn about the Womenetics Essay Contest?
Lee: My academic adviser Stephanie Jackson regularly sends emails to all of the international affairs students regarding scholarship opportunities. I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the essay contest that Womenetics presented because there is so much to be done toward improving the prospects for women abroad, and it was an excellent means of presenting my ideas on the subject.

Womenetics: How did you learn so much about women’s issues in Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Sudan?
Lee: The sociopolitical issues in these regions are especially relevant as far as what the United States is and is not doing to advance efforts toward peace and security overseas. I did a lot of research on each of the three countries specifically in order to understand the diverse battles confronted by women and girls in each area. Their problems are different, and the solutions will have to correspond to these differences.

Womenetics: Do you read newspapers or do you get most of your information on the internet?
Lee: I enjoy reading newspapers for local and national reports, but I would have to say that I go to news websites most often. There is a great variety of international viewpoints to be found online, and as an international affairs major I need to stay up-to-date on as many perspectives as possible. BBC World News is my favorite source for information concerning current events.

Womenetics: Your intended majors are international affairs and modern languages. How did you decide on these two majors?
Lee: Well, when I was in high school I had two favorite subjects, history and English. International affairs is the perfect combination of the skills necessary to succeed in both, because it is writing-intensive as well as analytical. I love that it’s such an extensive area of study and that there is a lot of room for exploration into individual interests. The modern language in my joint major is Spanish. My passion for it also started in high school, and I hope to become fluent someday.

Womenetics: What languages do you speak?
Lee: My native language is English, and I would say my Spanish speaking skills are at an intermediate level right now. I would love to learn German and/or Italian as well.

Womenetics: What do you plan to do after you graduate? What career do you hope to follow? Have you considered working for the U.S. State Department?
Lee: I have looked into the work that the U.S. State Department does, and I am certainly intrigued by it. I am also very interested in the field of international development, and I hope to pursue a career with USAID. I think that humanitarian work would suit me because I want to be a part of our nation’s efforts to help those struggling to make a better life for themselves in foreign countries.

Womenetics: Your concerns for the world are quite serious, and you attend a very serious university. What do you do for fun?
Lee: Yes, my downtime is very important to me! I love to read, and I’m actually currently working on a novel of my own. I try to get involved in as many on-campus activities as possible, and of course Atlanta is such a vibrant and exciting city. I enjoy experiencing the best that it has to offer.

Womenetics: Why did you choose Georgia Tech?
Lee: Georgia Tech has a reputation for unlocking the potential of its students. I wanted to be a part of such an amazing environment, and though I must confess that science and math are not really my strong suits, the university is committed to improving the human condition, which is a goal that I can truly identify with.

 

---

Jan Jaben-Eilon was a founding staff writer of the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Since then, she has been the international editor of Advertising Age magazine and has written for such publications as The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Washington Journalism Review, and Consumer Reports. She is the author of soon-to-be-published (There is) Life After Cancer. Jan and her husband have homes in Atlanta and Jerusalem.