"If you're committed, you're committed."

I thought it'd be good to publish this letter that I'm sending to folks from my yesteryears...

Hello folks--

It's been long overdue, but it's about time that I updated you on my life situation. =) I hope everything is well for you all and that things are going well with your families and careers.

Let's start with everything after high school........ I attended UC Santa Cruz, home of the Banana Slugs, and really hated it for my first 2 years. I stuck with my girlfriend (Trisha, if you remember) until the end of the summer before my junior year. [It worked for so long because I spent a lot of (my AT&T scholarship) money on plane tickets.] After breaking up with her, I returned to what I loved the most: student involvement in community service. This all morphed, however... I guess you could say that I found a concentration: I got involved in issues of diversity and access at the University of California.

I'm certain that you all know about the issues that people of color face at the UC-level. There aren't many of us, and the barriers that people of color face in gaining access are many. Low-performing schools, a lack of good teachers and mentors, a divide in educational funding for various schools, inequality when it comes to standardized test preparedness... I never really realized the issues that communities of color face in education, but through my involvement in student-initiated recruitment and retention efforts, I learned so much. My junior year, I became involved with outreach and recruitment programs that afforded opportunities to learn about the University and advocated for (high school) youth of color. I was involved in elections campaigns, negotiations with University administration, and organized outreach programs with other students at the UC... There were lots of avenues for me to find refuge and a true passion in life at UC Santa Cruz--ultimately, I found that I wanted to address these issues in my career.

I continued this work my senior year, but also participated in a Public Policy fellowship at the Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon University. While I was a Business major at Santa Cruz, I felt a disconnect, as I was searching for ways to connect my "student activism" with a future career. This fellowship opened doors for me and enabled me to discover that i can pursue a career in addressing these access issues in the not-for-profit, public, and private sectors by changing the policies that affect us all.

In mid-June, I graduated from UC Santa Cruz. I applied to a number of graduate programs in Public Policy/Administration throughout the country. Of note, I received acceptance to the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon, the Wagner School at NYU, and the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. Carnegie and Syracuse offered me full-tuition scholarships and stipends for attending, so I chose Syracuse. [It's also the number one-ranked program for Public Affairs, so who wouldn't say no?] To be fair, NYU doesn't give its students much funding, but I considered it anyway.

With 4 pieces of luggage, I flew across the country, got stuck in Chicago O'Hare (of course) and made it to the first day of class late. It's a good thing that this past week was primarily orientation, however. It's an amazing Master of Public Administration program that I started this past week.

Things at Maxwell are really nice... The program is fairly small (130 full-time students), super-intense (with it being only 1 full year), and the caliber of the faculty, staff, and students is truly impressive. There are other individuals from the fellowship that are here at Maxwell, both of whom were in the 2003 cohorts at Berkeley and Princeton. The 3 of us do notice, however, that there is a true lack of diversity within our program, and further, a small number of individuals are a bit ignorant to the issues that face people of color. It's quite scary. Moreover, since the Maxwell program is only 1 year, the student coalition for people of color is also... Well, let's say that it's in development--it's nothing like what we had at the UC system. The representative for the student of color coalition during the student organization presentations was the director of admissions (an administrator, not a student); yet, in that representation, strong commitment to diversity is present at Maxwell.

The weather and town are quite different from the San Francisco Bay: humid/sticky/hot summers, a winter that I can't even fathom [Syracuse is the snowiest metropolitan area (or something like that) in the United States.... Bottom line: it gets the most snow in the USA.].... I just keep on telling myself that it'll be a good environment for studying and learning and that it's only 1 year.

Along this road, I stayed true to myself and the things that drive me. And, as you'd expect, I found mentors and people who took me places that I never imagined. Who'd have thought that I'd be going to the top graduate school in my field with a full ride and money to spare? I know that I didn't, nor did my parents.

I guess from all of this, there are a few things that I've learned:

1. OUR WORLD FACES MANY CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. Whether it's the fight to end poverty, the constant threat of terrorism, the lack of accountability within private institutions/businesses, the lack of equality for people of color, women, and homosexuals... Good people need to step up to the plate to buck the trend. We need to make positive and progressive change in our society and nation to make our world a better place for everyone, not just certain groups.

2. PUT YOURSELF IN UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATIONS. Addressing these problems is challenging in itself; yet, putting yourself in these situations, in new places with different people, can be a learning experience. I've found that by placing myself in uncomfortable/new situations, I have grown and learned much more than I could imagine. [Take for instance my experience at Carnegie Mellon and now at Syracuse.]

3. FIND MENTORS AND PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE YOU. These individuals really push you the furthest, taking you places you never imagined. Whether it's a counselor, family friend, or good friend, these individuals are the ones that will open doors for you. These are the people who can help you make connections and open your eyes to new opportunities that can change your life. To be honest, without my friends and mentors in Berkeley and Santa Cruz, I wouldn't be where I am today.

I'm pretty certain that these are things that you already know. I guess I thought I'd let you know that I've finally figured them out. It's really interesting how much I grew over these past 4 years. And, I owe it to you and your inspiring me in high school and college.

in regard to new challenges I'll face... I worry that I'll forget where I come from in this new world of "professional" life. Today in class, the honorable Catherine Bertini, the former Under-Secretary-General for Management and executive director for the World Food Program at the United Nations, who now is faculty in my Masters program--talk about "wow"--talked about the issues of ethics that she faced in her career and that we may face in our careers as public servants. There will be many opportunities to sell out in my line of work... And that in itself will be a huge challenge to face. I questioned her about this challenge, and she gave a pretty simple, yet profound answer. She said, "If you're committed, you're committed." I guess I took this as: in your heart of hearts, if you remain committed to the cause that guides and pushes you, you will continue the fight and make the progressive change that is needed in our world.

Truly, pursuing graduate school will be a daunting challenge and an incredible opportunity to prepare myself for the public service questions that our world will face in the years to come. Yet, I am excited by the questions that our field faces and look forward to gaining the tools I will need to create unique solutions with the future leaders of our world. And again, it's because of you that I've gotten to where I am... For that, I am most thankful.

I hope this e-mail was good and that it provided you with a nice update on my life... I hope to hear from you soon... And, if you're in the New York City area July 29-31, I'll be in town. =) Otherwise, I'll be back in the Bay from August 18-25.

Apologies for this being long overdue, but I thought I'd let you know that I'm doing just fine. Really, thank you for your support throughout the years.

Sincerely,