Throughout the year the Global Scholars Cohort has discussed a variety of global issues and topics. We meet on a consistent basis and share information, along with debriefing and dissecting events which we have attended and gained insight from. However, all of this is done with the same group of people. While this surely has benefits one area which had been missing from this program is significant avenues to discuss with other members of the community. Flintridge Prep's Border's class provided an opportunity to do just that. This semester-long class held a panel discussion which I attended and received a great range of information from. Whether this was discussing cultural clashes or economic comparisons this class's presentation of the information they have been studying was outstanding. Even more amazing however was the fact that this event took place, and from talking to people who were there seems like only the beginning. Albeit short, following the presentation, I had a chance to interact with some of the students and faculty. With the students, I was able to exchange ideas and thought, while with the adults I was able to get a sense and reflect on the program as a whole. Both parties foresaw this trend of getting nearby schools and communities to participate in these events growing incredibly over the years. It is this idea that I found most inspiring. Being a part of this program means you want to make some sort of lasting change, and cleary this class took the right first steps, and hopefully set a good precedent for next years class to follow.
Poly has had the privilege of having Mr. Pond speak on its campus twice in the last four years. While I, unfortunately, was not present for the first, I was enthralled at being able to attend the most recent one. Pond is someone who can be presented as a role model for just about anything. He started off the night by sharing some details from his past and revealing many of his experiences to the audience. As someone who has survived a horrible atrocity, the fact that Pond is able and willing to share his experiences is inspiring in it of itself. He focused on his survival of the Cambodian genocide and the bullying that ensued after he arrived in America. His own experiences were a true testimony to how powerful stories are, an idea that he has been trying to teach for some time. However, what particularly struck me, was what Pond was doing in his communities. This side of him which takes what he knows and puts into action concrete solution is even more inspiring. He mentioned some work...
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