My winter break was great. By the end I had forgotten what it feels like to have a schedule and responsibilities. One highlight is that I saw the elephant seals in San Simeon. Every winter they settle onto the California coast to mate and give birth, and what a sight! Hundreds of blubbery, beautiful seals nestled together, just 10 feet away from Highway 1.
The start of this semester feels very different than the start of the last one. I remember starting last fall frenetically trying to figure out which career trajectory I wanted to focus on – I thought it would be important to do this to get the most out of the program. This semester I’m more laid back. I see that most skills are transferable from one industry to another, so I’m focusing on gathering these general skills and absorbing as much public health as I can.
Geoffrey Canada, founder of the Harlem Children’s Zone, is a leader who inspires me. Canada had a strong vision: he drew a line around a poor 24-block neighborhood in Harlem and vowed that all the children born in the neighborhood would graduate from high-school, because he would build a web of programs and resources so supportive that they couldn’t fall through it. His programs have been enormously successful . I admire Geoffrey Canada as a leader because he has an inspiring yet concrete vision. An important lesson to learn from his example is that as a leader you can set expectations very high if you also give a community the resources it needs to succeed.
I'm so glad you're break went well. I'm really excited you saw the elephant seals- I saw them too! My husband and I drove down Highway 1 to Morro Bay for a weekend and stopped to check out the blubbery, silly creatures. If you get a chance, visit Ano Nuevo, just south of Half Moon Bay. They have an incredible network of beaches that the elephant seals lounge about from January to April.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard Canada's story before. Wow. The idea that someone could just draw a line in the sand and say from this point on, we will not accept health disparities or inequalities. So incredible!
Great photo -- I looove that area of california. Piggy-backing off Lauren, my personal favorite place nearby is Pigeon Point Hostel in Pescadero (a HI-Hostel with a lighthouse AND the most incredible hot tub perched on a sea cliff).
ReplyDeleteGeoffrey Canada is an inspiration; I remember hearing interviews from parents who were enrolled in "Baby College" on This American Life. It sounds like they are really using a multi-faceted and holistic approach to improve health, educational, and economic outcomes.
Hi Santhi, nice blog and posts! I went to undergrad in Santa Cruz, and used to go up to Ano Nuevo to see the elephant seals from time to time; they're amazing! I also was turned onto Canada by the This American Life episode. Did you know Obama is funding a pilot for him to attempt to scale it out across the country? So cool, and I really hope he is successful....
ReplyDeletematt