I am inspired

Capacity for change is greatest in our youth. They are not so invested in the status quo that change seems overwhelming for them yet they are invested in the future and so feel a sense of obligation to make tomorrow theirs. This capacity is often contained and limited by the structures put in place by adults whose investment is in the past and have grown cynical of the future. Fortunately, as a teacher and an advisor, I have witnessed such acts of courage and initiative in my students that I am inspired.

Inspiration is such an incredible sensation. It suggests something more purposeful than hope and more tangible than dreams. What inspires each of us varies greatly. I know that many draw inspiration from faith or spiritual sources. Many others still are inspired by stories. This has been true for thousands of years and is at the core of many oral language traditions. We humans, social and creative, must be inspired to reach higher, to move faster, to carve out our place in the world - and stories of greatness can do that for us. I prefer the everyday stories, the everyday choices, for my source of inspiration.

• I am inspired by the student who speaks kindly, even though he never hears a kind word at home.

• I am inspired by the student who gives freely of time and resource, even though the world around her screams "acquire, buy, hoard".

• I am inspired by the student who risks a newly begun adult life to donate a kidney to his mother.

• I am inspired by the student who is accepting of diverse lifestyles, not because she would choose that life, but because she sees how much it hurts the other to feel so alone.

• I am inspired by the student who take risks by questioning hypocrisy and who helps me see things more clearly.

• I am inspired by the student who challenges peer expectations by speaking up and out for a friend headed down a destructive path... perhaps saving a life or at least a future.

There is something so powerful about a young person who refuses to conform to the limitations set up in front of them.

Thank you to all of you who inspire me, and others, with your courage, strength, passion, audacity, insight, and capacity for change.