University of Pittsburgh junior Isabel Lamb has been keeping secrets since her senior year of high school. She’s been on her Disney+ show. The new docuseries Growing Up tells the coming-of-age story of a diverse group of young people. The second episode, directed by Brie Larson, focuses on the beginning of Lam’s advocacy journey.
20-year-old Lam and her best friend Claire Della Valle started a club to address physiological poverty in high school. “Physiological poverty” refers to lack of access to menstrual hygiene tools and education, exacerbated by stigma that menstruation is “horrible” or should not be spoken about in public. These stigma made it difficult for Lam and Valle to join the student community. But eventually, they were able to raise money for period products, gift them to classes, and even lobby the Pennsylvania legislature.
The show sheds light on the lives of 11 young people through interviews and roundtable discussions. Lamb and Della Valle, who are now attending Cornell University, were the first two teenagers selected for the project. After a year and a half of sending producers vlogging him, Lam was finally able to visit his set in May 2021, as COVID-19 halted production. I know you, but I don’t know anything about me! “
On the show, Lam also talks about her experiences growing up as the daughter of Chinese immigrants in her tiny Pennsylvania hometown of Clarks Summit and how it was often isolated. She says she feels much more empowered since she started working at Pitt.
“I can honestly say that I have never been happier in my life. It’s so amazing,” she said. “Growing up, I felt a lot of social pressure. I was the first in my family to go to college. Both my parents are immigrants.”
In Pitt, Lam has continued her advocacy by working for the Student Union and participating in cultural organizations such as the Asian Students Union. She shared that being a college student and taking part in this project can sometimes be difficult to make ends meet, as was the subject of her series documentary when she was told about the premiere of “Growing Up” in Los Angeles. There was a reaction.
While Pitt’s students may be thrilled to see familiar faces, Lam thinks the show will resonate with many young people.
“I think the moral of the story is what the show taught me: When you walk into random people’s rooms, like I did at the roundtable, you realize how much you have in common.” You will be amazed at how much you have.”
