Community Connection: Meet Amanda Symmes
We are thrilled to launch our blog interview series called Community Connection!
Community Connection will share perspectives from people who are involved in inclusion work, across diverse careers and community volunteer roles, as well as through personal experiences. We hope that through reading about experiences and ideas from people in your community, you feel inspired to continue on your own journey towards building a more inclusive world.
Please share a little about yourself.
Hi! My name is Amanda Catherine Symmes. I am married to Tony Lombardi and have three children (Ezra, 20, Remy 17, and Asa, 10). I live in Danvers which is where I was born and raised and I love having my amazing parents and three awesome siblings nearby. I graduated from Providence College in 2000 with a year "break" half way through to complete a year long Americorps service program called City Year in Boston. My degree was in Public and Community Service Studies with a minor in Asian Studies. Following graduation, I worked for The Key Program with teenage girls in Providence before Tony and I moved back to Danvers. While I began the work of raising my family, I also provided home child care for family and friends. Eventually, I added in "get masters degree" to the list, and completed my Masters in Social Work through Boston University. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, seeing live music, writing, knitting and macrame, as well as mindfulness and meditation. I happily serve on the Danvers Human Rights and Inclusion Committee in Danvers as well as various school based committees in Salem as well.
What is your current profession and what influenced you to do the work that you do?
I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW). Currently, I serve as a School Adjustment Counselor at an elementary school in Salem, MA which I LOVE. I also have a small private therapy practice. I am grateful to have recognized the value of the Masters in Social Work. Having the ability to provide therapy and counseling, but also having the "macro" and systems thinking lens allows me to integrate my work in a way that aligns with social justice. I have always been influenced by both of my parents who have both engaged in service in a variety of ways throughout their lives. The combination of this and my service year in Boston have shaped me and informed my path tremendously.
What is the most common challenge experienced by the young people that you speak with, and what advice do you offer them?
I think the most common challenge I am discovering more recently is that young people have less and less awareness of their strengths and talents, which has led to anxiety and unhappiness. They seem to be well aware of their insecurities and limitations, but less cognizant of the things that will pave the way for resilience. Some of this seems connected to the pandemic. Opportunities for connections with others and exploration of the self have become seriously limited, which is why Inclyousion Sports is needed more than ever!
How can parents best support children who may be struggling with feelings of being different from their peers?
I think normalizing that experience is essential. Often I find that young people truly don't realize that everyone has feelings like this from time to time. Also teaching children that our brains can create "stories" that are not true. I remind kids "thoughts are not always facts" and we can notice them and challenge them. And, more than this, the world would be a super boring place if we were all the same. I know it is not easy, but if we can sit with and discover our truest self and then openly offer this to others, everything will come together.
What motivated you to get involved in inclusion work within your community?
I think leaving Danvers and finding a larger world outside of Danvers both in my time in Providence and Boston has motivated me quite a bit. I was able to see that while Danvers is a lovely place to be, it can also contribute to less awareness and perspective. We don't know what we don't know. However, once we sit in spaces with people who have been marginalized, we cannot deny these lived experiences. We have a responsibility to illuminate these stories and magnify these voices in the name of justice.
What tips would you offer someone who wanted to get involved, but didn't know where to begin?
First, sit quietly with that question, "where do I begin?" What comes up in this reflection? Is there an area that you are called to? There are so many areas where we can effect change and if we have an area of interest, we should follow that! Next, I would just show up for something. The internet has so many places to find opportunities to get involved. Sending an email can be a nice way to create that initial connection and touchpoint if you are nervous. Connection is the cornerstone of everything. Establish this and then follow that thread. Think global, act local.
What is one book/movie/podcast that changed the way that you understand inclusion?
Hmmm, this is a tough one, as there has been so much that has helped me bounce around on my nonlinear continuum of becoming more inclusive. I will never forget reading Peggy McIntosh's 1989 essay "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack" early in my undergraduate years and thinking "oh my goodness, I had no idea". It was like a light was turned on for the first time. Most of us like to think we are good and inclusive people. And generally that can be true, while at the same time, we can be wildly uninformed (or misinformed) about the lived experiences of others.
What is one action that readers can take today to be more inclusive?
I think the work we do on ourselves can be transformative and ideally happens first. Everything flows from this. So one action I would recommend would be to consider adopting a mindfulness practice that builds awareness of our habits (thoughts and otherwise). Once we are open, we can begin to take note of all that makes us wonderful, helpful and important, while also being concrete about the additional things we'd like to examine or change. The and/both lens is useful in this work, so that we are able to stay with the cognitive dissonance and move through it with self-compassion.
A big thank you to Amanda for sharing her inspiring experience and ideas!
Are you interested in sharing your inclusion experience? Email us!
