This was my 4th CGI U in as many years; I have been there since the first meeting and I hope that I can continue to go. Each year, although I know the basics of what will happen, I walk away feeling rejuvenated, reaffirmed in my beliefs and passions, and knowledgeable in so many new ways. This year, I served as a commitment mentor for a group of amazing students working on projects that focus on campus sustainability. Based on my experience with DU's sustainability movement, I was really excited to learn from other students what's going on in their neck of the woods and share what I've learned. I met two groups of students working on bike sharing (woot!) on opposite coasts. I also met students who are working on reducing paper waste, water usage, and energy use on their campuses. I also met leaders looking to galvanize the power of the numbers on their campus to move state and national policy. And these are just some of the ideas that I learned about in my area as a mentor.
At the conference, I also served as a summary writer in the education sessions. I took notes during the two workshops and made two-page summaries that moved on to President Clinton's senior staff as a brief on what happened. The morning session was about rebuilding education in post-disaster contexts (i.e., Haiti's earthquake, Pakistan's flood, tsunamis in Asia, and Hurricane Katrina). The second session was a conversation about building positive pathways for disadvantaged students.
I had three major realizations this year between my work, the sessions, and conversations and personal reflections:
1. We can always learn something.
President Clinton has been an inspiration to me since I was five. I used to think it was about his charisma and his politics. As I have observed him over the past few years, though, I realize I really admire his power. It's not just that he can gt things done, and that he is passionate about change, it's that he is knowledgeable about everything he does (which is, everything). Knowledge is truly power, and President Clinton harnesses his mind and his skills for the better every day. He can speak at length about every topic that came up over the weekend, from physics to college affordability, disaster relief to education reform. His ambition is met with a thirst for more knowledge, and he absorbs information as easily as a sponge. The first plenary was over my head -- it was all about science. I am not a scientifically inclined person, but I was on the edge of my seat in that session, eager to hear more and learn. The first education session was about an issue that doesn't affect my teaching in Oklahoma, but I learned so much about international school systems and reaffirmed by beliefs in children's rights and the importance of education. These two experiences reminded me to never stop learning; to be open to topics that at first don't seem interesting or relevant; and to always be open to gaining knowledge.
2. Be passionate, be courageous, and make things happen.
In the closing session, actor and humanitarian Sean Penn said, "This is the century where you will see the accounatability of what you did and did not do." I am not shy with my beliefs or passions, and I know what I want. I also know that what I want to see change in the world will take a lot of courage, from me and from whole communities. This weekend taught me that it's ok to spread that kind of courage, and by giving what you can (time, talent, skills and/or money), we can build courage in others. We can make things happen when we use our strengths to make others stronger.
3. We aren't just the future, we're the present.
In the closing plenary, Sean Penn discussed so much about what our generation can do. Every year at CGIU, President Clinton reminds us of the power we, as young people, have in today's world. From social media, to innovation, to passion, and everything in between -- we have all the tools and skills, more than any previous generation. We also have so many problems to solve. During the conversation, I thought of generations past -- iconic in terms of wars, struggles, big eras of change and movement. But, if what Penn and Clinton say is true, we are the cusp of even greater change, and it's our generation that's in charge of it. We are the Change Generation...and I love it.
There's so much more to discuss and reflect on from this year's CGI U. I hope I can continue to work with this organization and all the young leaders that, like me, are not waiting on the world to change -- we're making the change.
Back to Tulsa. Can't wait to see my kids and colleagues and rock the world.
~MJ
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