My journey with the DC began at the start of this year and was filled with hope and passion at what would be accomplished during my time at the center and beyond. I started this project with the prospect of meeting and interviewing the many people who were involved in the movement and the activism at the heart of the center. What I did not know is how these interviews would influence my work and impact the many aspects of my future. As I near the end of my time at the center and look back I what I have achieved, it’s clear that it wouldn’t  have been possible without the support and effort of all individuals involved to bring forth the stories and history of the place around us.

Through my time spent working on this project, I met and collaborated with an enormous number of exceptional people that created, led, and progressed this project alongside me. The many interviews, artifacts, photos, videos, and other contributions that I compiled are what make up the archive and the content within. I learned and grew alongside the center through this project and gained the most valuable first-hand experience on how group efforts and communication are truly the most important skills to master when creating an impactful piece of work.

This project is meant for the community and at the heart of it, is truly adhering and reaching out to the UW Bothell community to look out and remember the stories that make each place possible. A space is made up of the people and stories it holds and this archive is meant to preserve the many stories that in many instances get lost in the time that passes. To be a part of the history of the place that I spent the last three years of my life in has been a pleasure and it has been an even greater opportunity to sustain the stories it created. Seeing the impact that even the most minoritized can have, has propelled me to have a glimpse in the passion that fuels many projects and can create the change truly needed to move forward. This work have given me a passion to see the true importance of the preservation of history and the work that goes into it. As I move forward, I can only look back to this as a time of great learning and understanding that will support me in my journey forth. A big thanks to all that encouraged me throughout this project, as it would have not been possible without them. I hope I have been able to present the vision of the many people who worked endlessly in the DC movement through a transparent and truthful account that will be presented for future generations of UWB students to come.

With all due respect,

Mariam Ashmawi

 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.