Conscious Empowerment Series: Meet Rehana Paul
Interview with Rehana Paul
What inspired your career choice?
Necessity is truly the mother of invention. Overachiever is the platform and community that I always longed for growing up: a place that is truly inclusive of all Asian women, not just East Asian women, or those in STEM, or creatives, or those in a certain geographical area. It is the most inclusive, diverse space for Asian women online, and we are working every day to make it even more inclusive. It is a community that I not just wanted, but needed - I learned relatively late in life to appreciate my culture and my roots and to take pride in where I come from. I don’t want any young girl to ever feel ashamed of where she is from or who she is - that’s really my inspiration for starting the magazine and working on it everyday.
What intrigues you about the book?
I’m really interested in seeing the practical advice offered in the book! We can have discussions all day, but the actions you take and the impact you create matters more than anything that can be said at a roundtable.
What is your best advice for individuals who work and live with girls?
Support them as much as you can. Short of discouraging destructive or harmful behavior, you must also support your girls in everything they do. Nearly every day at work I encounter someone, whether it’s a manager, professor, or peer, following misogynistic patterns of putting me down. I’ve been objectified, condescended to, and harassed, and I have barely been working for two years. There is no way I would’ve gotten through any of these challenges without the support of people like my mother, my magazine staff, and my mentor. Whether it’s sharing advice with girls, standing up for them, or just listening at the end of a long day, having support or lacking it can make or break a self-reliant young woman.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I’ve seen a lot of people say that the advice they’d give to their younger selves is to breathe and relax, because everything will be fine and work out; however, unfortunately, that isn’t always true. I am at where I am because I worked endless hours and put my blood, sweat, and tears into chasing connections, building my magazine and constantly keeping my ear to the ground for the next project I could jump on. It was an exhausting and draining process, but it paid off. So, the advice I’d give to my younger self is to keep at it, because it’ll be worth it one day. And fine, maybe I’d also try to tell 14 year old Rehana to take a breath every now and then!
What makes you Empowered & Poised?
Empowering other women!
Rehana Paul is the founder and editor-in-chief of Overachiever Magazine. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in international relations and business from American University in Washington, D.C., where she is assisting in producing research materials on abortion access, the Global South, health worker rights, and foreign policy. In her free time, she can be found drinking copious amounts of coffee, shopping for her signature earrings, or hanging out with her dog, Buster.
