Inspire and Empower Change
#teacherappreciationweek đ It was an absolute honor to interview Peter Glasser, a teacher from Pioneer High school. San JosĂŠ Unified School District His unwavering dedication and love for his students is truly inspiring. Hear how he is creating a safe and inclusive space for diverse students to enjoy being themselves. Thank you Peter for impacting so many young lives. Our world needs more teachers like you.
“It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.” – Albert Einstein
Hey KIND humans! Oh my gosh. This interview was a tearjerker. Laurie has been an art teacher for almost 30 years! Her dedication and unwavering passion brought us to tears. Happy tears, of course! There is no question she is deeply committed to her students and her job. Can we all have teachers like Laurie?! San Jose is a mixing pot of cultures and demographics, how does a teacher not only teach, but also connect with each and every one of her students? Take a listen…
This FB memory describes our lives perfectly. Three years ago, we left it all in Tampa, packed up, moved into an RV and traveled the country to follow our passions of photography/travel/nonprofit work. Thus, NomadiCam (nomads with cameras), our photography company, and Finding HumanKIND were born. After our 2017 road trip, we settled in Portland for a hot minute then Cali for a couple months… with no idea where we were going to live or what we were doing .. we just knew it felt right (story of our lives). The past 3 years weâve hustled harder than ever and made a business, we had no experience in, into a thriving company sustaining our lives! And what was supposed to be 2 months in Cali tuned into our new home 8 months/year.
Life can be crazy, uncertain, and sometimes scary. Through all our challenges, weâve learned NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOURSELF! You are capable of achieving anything you put your mind and heart to. Follow your passions and do what you love bc life shouldnât be spent chasing a fat paycheck or a prestigious title! Donât let societyâs unrealistic and ridiculously high standards shape your life, stop comparing yourself to others bc letâs be real…no one is as perfect as social media makes us out to be! We all have our own struggles and it shouldnât be taboo to talk about it!!
Do you! Itâs never too late to start over & youâre not too old! Someone once told me that they want to make the leap of faith for an âunconventionalâ life when it makes âsense.â Chasing your dreams/passions, most of the time, doesnât make âsense.â Thatâs okay, itâs more fun! When I told my mentor/boss I was quitting to travel indefinitely, he said, âthis is the dumbest financial decision youâll ever make and the best decision youâll make for your life.â
Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream no one can see but you! â¤ď¸â¤ď¸â¤ď¸ Happy Friday loves!
When I was storyboarding and drafting interview questions for Peter’s documentary, I wanted to focus on the most highlighted issue that we (non-teachers) perceive based on recent teacher protests and media – the issue of teachers being underpaid.Â
When I worked at a food bank, we provided breakfast to students in low income communities for two reasons: 1. ) Students perform better in school when they aren’t hungry 2.) to alleviate the burden on teachers who were dipping into personal funds to provide breakfast for students, as some low income parents were unable to provide a hot meal for their children.
Based on my experience and knowledge of the education system, I began the interview with one goal in mind: to create a real testimonial of how teachers are really coping with the pressure of being underpaid and what our community can do about it. What I didn’t focus on and should have, was the passion and dedication that teachers have for their students. Teachers are an extremely important facet of any society for a number of reasons and their role is invaluable in children’s lives. Teachers educate our kids who in turn become the leaders of the next generation. Let’s shine a light on who teachers really are and what they stand for. Thank you, Peter, for helping us better understand and for being a guiding force in your students’ lives.
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Happy Kabuki Syndrome Awareness Day! What is Kabuki Syndrome you say? Itâs a very rare condition affecting 1:32,000 births worldwide and the symptoms are similar to those with autism. Our nonprofit Finding HumanKIND is so excited to share a recent video we created with a special needs family to raise awareness & educate. Many of us whoâve never met a special needs person, may or may not know how to act or what to say. I always thought, âWill that person be able to communicate back, will I offend someone?â Who can relate đđ˝ââď¸? My reactions were understandable, but my ignorance was not. We have a duty to educate ourselves about special needs because those who are different only seek acceptance and to be treated like everyone else. Hear what Julie and Trevor have to say about breaking down barriers to finding a diagnosis and proper care for your special needs child, what itâs like to live a day in their shoes, and how those with special needs should be treated. Together, letâs overcome disabilities and embrace capabilities because thatâs when change is made. đ
To learn more about Kabuki Syndrome and to join the movement in finding a cure, visit All Things Kabuki!
Meet Cam – a sweet, adorable, funny, and playful 3-year-old who copies his older sister in everything she does and pretends to be King Kong, stomping on sand castles and roaring as loud as ever! What you may not know by his appearance is that Cam was diagnosed with Kabuki Syndrome. This rare genetic disorder affects 1 in 32,000 births worldwide. Children and adults affected by Kabuki Syndrome experience a variety of symptoms from intellectual impairment, growth delays, and autistic-like behaviors. Despite his condition, Cam is no different than any other 3-year-old boy. Join Finding HumanKIND as we raise awareness of Kabuki syndrome, educate the community about special needs, and inspire those to make a difference.
To learn more and support the movement to find a cure, visit All Things Kabuki!
For most people, when women speak about their needs and anything to do with their body is “taboo.” Women feel uncomfortable, awkward, and judged when they talk about their body. We’re thankful to have interviewed Priscilla, a light to so many women in need and the founder of Better Period. This local initiative holds drives to collect menstrual and sanitary supplies for women who otherwise can’t afford them. Ladies, can you imagine it being that time of the month and not having access tampons/pads? This is the reality to so many women in our community and it’s Better Period’s mission to help women menstruate with dignity and comfort. Learn more on Instagram @Better.Period
Can you imagine a space where you can freely speak your mind with women who understand and support you, without judgement? This is RAWW, an organization creating a safe space for women to share and discuss “taboo” topics in nonclinical spaces. I posted Nikki’s interview a few days ago where she opened up, for the first time, about her sexual abuse. She was honest, vulnerable, and inspiring. She found the courage to tackle her suffering from a trauma that occurred 15 + years ago, when she attended a RAWW event. Can you believe that?! All it took was a safe space and support from women she’s never met. That is how magical safe spaces, like RAWW, can be. When women support women, anything is possible.
We had the privilege of interviewing Nikki, CEO of Ladies Leading Ladies, who shared her story of sexual abuse. It was such an unbelievable experience to capture her compelling story of strength and grace, as she shares it for the very first time. If you are a survivor, I encourage you to watch this and hope you will be inspired to find strength. Your past does not define you. If you’ve never experienced this type of trauma, I hope this story will make you more aware that sexual abuse can happen to anyone by anyone. These survivors have difficult pasts and are still suffering. Be open. Be loving. Be the person they need to find their strength to heal.
Nikki says, âItâs not easy to post this video. Iâve had it for a couple of weeks but have had trouble pulling the trigger because of how personal this experience has been for me.Iâve decided to post it not for sympathy or empathy, but instead to share my gratitude for the incredible, important work my friend @dianardiaz is doing with @therawwnetwork. The space they have created through RAWW Talks truly has to be experienced to be believed. Itâs so raw, real, beautiful, safe, and healing – and truly changed my life.My experiences, traumas, and healing have made me the leader I am today. So often we look at leaders as someone who needs to be perfect, when in reality what a leaders needs to be is AUTHENTIC. My mental health journey has made me stronger, but also made me able to connect with each and every unique person Iâve had the honor of leading in my career. We may not have been best friends, some knew of my struggles and some didnât, but I knew that each person had their own story and it was my job to understand how that made them who they are today. Thatâs how we create effective and healthy workplaces. If youâre a survivor, youâve been through trauma, youâre struggling with anxiety, you havenât been able to get out of a funk – ask for help. You are NOT alone. Youâre here to fulfill a purpose that only YOU can fulfill and each and every one of your experiences feeds into that.”
Throwback to our first camping trip together. Todd and I have been married for a long 1.5 years đđđ (together for 5 yrs) and the past two years weâve had a lot of âfirsts.â We traveled to all new places for the first time, weâve started a business together for the first time, we travel the country and live in a 300 sq for RV for the first time, almost everyday we experience a âfirstâ together because our road life is constantly moving and changing. Itâs exhilarating and also challenging. This past year, Iâve done a lot of soul searching and became frustrated that I wasn’t finding my ONE self. In my mind, after all these “firsts” we’ve experienced, I should’ve figured out life by now! As if, the Joyce I am meant to be would reveal herself and everything would just fall into place. LOL I know, I’m crazy and I proudly own every inch of it. I now realize it is important to constantly ask, “Who am I? What is my purpose? What do I want to do? What am I grateful for?” BUT, don’t seek an answer. WHAT?! Where am I going with this, right?! The answers to all your questions will be revealed when you are ready. If you demanded an answer immediately, would you have been ready for it? On top of that, answers always change based on the stage of life you are in and (get ready for it) what your soul needs to hear in that exact moment. You aren’t lost. You are GROWING into the wonderful person every day. Be patient. Be open. And love every step of this crazy journey of finding who you can be.
” ‘Finding yourself’ isn’t really how it works. You aren’t a ten dollar bill in last winter’s coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people’s opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you dream as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are. ‘Finding yourself’ is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.” – Emily McDowell
“Modern love and intimacy no longer means âtwo becoming oneâ â it means allowing yourself and your loved one the space to exist and grow individually so you can come together as a stronger unit.” –Â PREACH @shellyibach
