Hi! My name is Ayana and I graduated from Columbia University in 2016 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. I stayed in New York City upon graduation and have been working, learning and growing ever since.

Compelled by the increasing deficit of real news, an interest in the psyche of fellow millennials, a sincere belief that data solves all, the hope to inspire more meaningful conversation and a dire need for a hobby, I started Correlated!

Here’s the backstory:

Ever since graduation, I have been doing what millennials do best. I made the rounds at the bars on the Lower East Side, ate at trendy brunch restaurants, tried overpriced boutique fitness classes and dedicated myself to my ergonomic-desk job (all the while capturing everything on social media).

Whether on my mat at yoga, over coffee or grabbing drinks with college friends, coworker or my day-ones, I noticed these ever-cyclical trends in conversation…

“Is everyone else dating but me…”

“How do I stay motivated in an unfulfilling career?”

“Is everyone else as happy as they claim to be?”

“I’m the only black person at my company, are other companies as diverse as they claim to be?”

“How homogenous is our friends group?”

“Is it cool to talk about politics at work?”

“Do protests really make a difference?”

“Do you understand how health insurance works…or taxes?”

My goal for Correlated is to crowdsource my peers and make siloed conversations more transparent. You’re NOT the only one who can’t actually afford rent or that $45 bottomless brunch every Sunday, and wouldn’t it be nice to know how other millennials deal with workplace conflict?

adawkins

Writing since December 2017 · 1 story contributed