From Michelle Vermillion: Shrijana Yonjan, who emigrated from Nepal to the United States in 2016, recently joined our library staff as a member of the stacks team, working with the team to help us prepare for the Alderman Renovation. Between her interview and our first week working together, as I have learned more about her professional background and some of her life experiences, I kept thinking that some of my colleagues might also enjoy having a conversation with her. So I asked Shrijana if she would be open to coming together with interested members of our staff to talk about her life experience as part of our Understanding Difference activities. She graciously accepted my invitation. I have asked her to address the group to begin with and then we’ll just open the floor to casual conversation with Shrijana.

 

About Shrijana:

Shrijana Singh Yonjan migrated to the USA in October 2016 with her family. In her home country Nepal she is known as a creative consultant. She has conceptualized, organized and managed programs and projects of various nature ranging from glamourous events to social projects. She has extensive experience working with stage, television and radio programs and coordinating workshops, conferences and seminars. Her special area of focus has been issues related to women, children and working with marginalized communities. Writing is her passion and she has contributed articles to several mainstream newspapers and has been a columnist for ECS Living in Nepal. She has also made a mark as an anchor and moderator of national and international programs.

Shrijana's brainchild Celebrating Womanhood Navadevi Awards (www.celebratingwomanhood.org) is an endeavor to honor women who have risen above social and cultural practices overcoming barriers to achieve a breakthrough in their field of work making a positive impact in their lives and in their communities. These amazing women represent diverse geographic, socio-economic, cultural, ethnic and professional backgrounds.

Celebrating Womanhood is based on the belief that positive and possible examples are crucial to bringing about positive change and is committed to finding real life examples of strength and accomplishments made by women to inspire other women to aspire to do the same. 126 women, 6 women's groups, 8 men and 7 South Asian women have been honored by the Celebrating Womanhood Awards since 2002.

The inspiring stories of 25 women have been recently included in the sociology department curriculum of Liverpool John Moores University, UK. https://issuu.com/saradidi/docs/celebrating_womanhood_nepali_women_?e=32868293/62335088

Shrijana currently lives in the United States with her husband and three daughters.

Tea and coffee will be available.