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Essentials Diversity & Inclusion MyName project
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Each name has a story behind it. What's yours? 

 

What is a name? 

Have you ever come across a name you’re not sure how to pronounce? Does your name have a story behind it? These are a few of the questions which we explore with the MyName project, led by the Student Success & Engagement Team within Student Services. 

The MyName project showcases the University of Reading’s diverse staff and student community, through a series of blogs, videos and stories. The aim of the project is to raise cultural awareness, tapping into the story that lies behind a name and to encourage conversations, helping build connections with both fellow students and staff.  

Our names are so much more than just a label that is assigned to us. They play a prominent role in our identities, are part of our culture, family history, beliefs, goals and more. Whether it is the name that we were given at birth, or one that we chose for ourselves, our names are a part of who we are. 

Learning the meaning behind our names can be an enlightening experience. Our names are a core part of who we are; be proud of it, own it, live it!  

Get involved: tell us the story behind your name

The project accepts submissions from students and staff, and there are many ways you can get involved:

  • Record a short video of yourself talking about your name, how to pronounce it and what it means. Feel free to explain the background of your name, any interesting stories about it and what it means to you on a personal level. 
  • If you don't want to record a video, you can also submit an audio recording, blog or other style of written content exploring the points above. 

The Student Success and Engagement Team share regular videos and stories as part of the MyName project across our Student Life channels, including the Student Life Blog, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter (lookout for the #MyNameMyStory handle). Videos will also be collated in a dedicated YouTube playlist. 

To find out more or to make a submission, please email studentcomms@reading.ac.uk.

 

MyName Project Resources

    Listen to our MyName stories

    Anju Reji

    Eloise Barnes
     
    Esosa Oduware
     
    Florencia Botta
     
    Graham Philpott
     
    Marie Loanna
     
    Parveen Yaqoob

    Pok Lim Lai

     

    The MyName project trailer

    Download our MyName Toolkit

    Download our MyName Toolkit now to...<insert link and text>

    Need a plain text version? See our accessible version <insert link>.

    Additional resources on the importance of names

    Supporting Articles & News

    Here is a list of articles and news stories that we have found surrounding the MyName project:

    Do people pronounce YOUR name incorrectly? - BBC Newsround

    If You Don't Know Know How to Say Someone's Name, Just Ask - Harvard Business Review

    'My full name is Tanyaradzwa’: the stars reclaiming their names - The Guardian

    ‘My name is Yewande’: Mispronouncing or changing people’s names is just another form of racism - The Independent

    Names That Are Unfamiliar to You Aren't "Hard," They're "Unpracticed" - Teen Vogue

     

    Supporting Videos

    Here is a list of videos & TED Talks that we have found surrounding the importance of the MyName project:

    Do Names Matter? | Lion Lee | TEDxRiverdaleCountrySchool

    Getting it right; why pronouncing names correctly matters | Gerardo Ochoa | TEDxMcMinnville

    Name, Nam, Nombre: Psychology of a Name | Kate Mathew | TEDxSaintFrancisHS

    The Hidden Power Behind Our Names | Graci Kim Cribbens | TEDxYouth@AvonRiver

    The power in your name | Erikan Obotetukudo

    What’s in a Name? | Isha Marthur | TEDxYouth@WestVancouver

Make a submission

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Why do names matter?

Why do names and how they're pronounced matter? 

UoR's very own Professor in Phonetics, Jane Setter, has collaborated with BBC Newsround, to help create an article and a video on the the importance of names and their pronunciation.

The article is called "Why do names and how they're pronounced matter?", and is available on the BBC Newsround website. 

MyName Toolkit

<INSERT TEXT AND LINK and let me know when ready - I have an idea for this tile>

I'm very proud of my name, proud of my identity. My name is Anju and I am very happy that this project exists, for all of us.

Anju Reji
Current student

If you do not know what to call someone, ask them

Florencia Botta
Current student
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