They've Got the Whole World in Their Hands
Dear Leading Ladies,
“It seems preposterous that we would omit, as players, those who have the most energy, the most long-term interests, and potentially the best ideas, to change what is happening in the world, and the people within,” said Dr. Andre Morgan, Director of Opportunity, Access and Equity for Beverly Public Schools at our Students as Changemakers event last week at The Cabot. “In a time when students are seeking careers with impact, and employers are seeking graduates with core skills of problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork, it is important to consider how schools and communities, can equip every student with the changemaking skills, to tackle complex social issues, and future challenges that are not yet imagined,” he emphasized.
Fortunately, Dr. Morgan believes, “Today's students have an instinct to act. No other generation has experienced as much technology, innovation, despair, awareness and an immediacy to take action.” Unfortunately, however, he thinks that “we live in a society that encourages young people to be seen and not heard. We do a disservice to young people when we leave them out of conversations that are about them. If adults begin to elicit student voices and create opportunities for collaborations, perhaps together, we can begin to reduce the number of dismal causes that are plaguing our society. If we bring students to the table, we may find that some of the most creative solutions to the world's problems will come from their ideas.”
He encouraged schools and communities “to give students opportunities and experiences to learn about, and get better, in engaging in transformational work. Students as changemakers, armed with a capacity to do transformative work, could come to the table in a way where the net benefit to society is enormous.”
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The students on the panel that Dr. Morgan moderated were exemplary models of the kind of changemaking that young people are capable of when supported, encouraged and heard. One of them was our Leading Ladies intern, Mackenzie Holian, a senior at Pingree School in South Hamilton. She and others from Beverly High School and The Food Project in Lynn shared their views about how young people can and should be leaders in creating positive change in our world.
We asked Mackenzie if we could share an adapted version of one of her college essays that discusses her commitment to social justice and the role of education in developing leaders. It appears below.
“Being educated is not a bar one reaches, a diploma one earns, or a status one achieves. It can never be completed. Being educated is a mindset of curiosity, an ongoing process, and a constant effort to learn more. And there is always more to learn. Always.
But learning is more than just reading a textbook; it is exploring the world and the virtually infinite number of stories it contains. People of different races, genders, sexualities, religions, ethnicities, and family structures have diverse experiences, and listening to each story provides a fuller picture of the world. I believe people have a duty to constantly question, examine, and observe the world around them.
That is the essence of education. We learn, learn, learn until, eventually, we learn that knowledge is actually a paradox — the more we uncover about the world, the more questions we have to prompt our learning. The question then becomes, what does a person do with the knowledge she gains? If the privilege to learn is available, that comes with the obligation to help others and inspire them to learn. Humans can and should use their knowledge to fulfill their ultimate capacity for good. The first step in taking action is an in-depth inquiry to create a more just society.
I first formally inquired into what it means to strive toward a moral and just society by examining Socratic thought in my ethics class. Suddenly, I had a name for my personal philosophy. And while I have learned it can never hurt to memorize the periodic table song (it definitely saved me during chemistry tests) or the Presidents’ song (which helped me on the AP U.S. History exam), I believe Socrates would not consider learning rote facts to be a true examination of the world around me. To be truly educated, we have to continuously absorb information, think critically, reflect independently, and then make the good choice.
Last summer, I participated in the School of the New York Times (SoNYT) at Georgetown University as the Supreme Court announced its decision in Roe v. Wade. My initial reaction was anger and disappointment, and I went to the Court with other students and my Georgetown journalism professor to protest. While I was there, I took a step back and spoke to several women with various beliefs. One woman did not support abortions because she had gone through eight miscarriages, and she wanted a baby more than anything. I talked to another woman who was encouraged to abort her disabled son, but she chose not to and is grateful every day. While my thoughts on abortion were not necessarily swayed, my learning transcended the classroom in a way it never had before. It taught me that giving respect and kindness to those with whom I disagree — seeking to truly understand them — is the right thing to do.
So, while it can be daunting to think about an education that never ends, at my core, I am a life-long learner. I am excited to continue developing into a leader and change agent…and to following my passions unapologetically.”
As the nightly news too often leaves us depleted of hope, the voices of young people like Mackenzie and all of our panelists renew our optimism.
Thank goodness for youth!
Therese (she, her, hers)
Judy (she, her, hers)
Didi (she, her, hers)
Mackenzie (she, her, hers)
Ladies@leadingladiesvote.org
leadingladiesvote.org