~Liz Coleman
This is one of my favorite quotes. It was said by Liz Coleman, a Liberal Arts School President. I always like to listen to her speech over and over again about reinventing Liberal Arts education. Even though her speech is directed to instructional professionals, I believe that this quote also applies to us, as mentors. This is how I would interpret it: No of us has the answers for the overwhelming challenges that the students (especially migrant students) are facing, but all of have the responsibility for "trying and participating in finding them."
I know that all of us are saying that we are eager to start to make a difference in the student's life, but interest alone cannot tell them what to do when it comes to building their own future. So our challenge is to take action in figuring out what it will take to actually make a significant difference in their life. And if at some point we feel overwhelm, we will be glad because we will know that we are taking a action to connect them to their future rather than further them from it.
AND always remember this: if at some point you feel overwhelm " you have two things: you have a mind and you have others. So start with those two..." and beginning making a significant difference in the student's life.
(I'm glad that we are connecting, and not dividing, for the development of the students.)
~Gloria Baez
