While driving to work today, running through the endless to-do lists knocking around my brain, one of which was writing a post for today, I settled in on an email conversation I recently had with a colleague.  I mentioned to her that I am a graduate of San Diego State University since her office is in San Diego, and I wanted to compliment her on my love of my college town.  Turns out she was an Aztec too, and we bantered back and forth about women going to college.  She is my mom’s age and said her parents looked at her as if she had three heads when she announced she wanted to go to college.  They assumed her only reason to go was to land a husband!  Yikes!  Today, her two daughters have since gone on to college, at UC San Diego and Univeristy of Southern California respectively.

Sensing an opportunity, I brought up public service and told her I was a teacher for several years, and I considered it my effort to give back to the public school system that had given me so much, from Kindergarten through college.  She told me that she is a Rotarian and her club matches seniors with kids who need an adult buddy whether the kids are underpriviledged, have only one parent, or have one parent serving in the military.  I love the idea of the cross-generational relationship and she said it is a huge success kids and seniors.  Naturally, I told her about the Academy, and naturally she flipped!  I steered her to our petition (and will be sending another email reminding her to sign) and have been invited to come to her Rotary meeting next time I am in San Diego.

Everyone can serve.  Everyone can make a difference.  And everyone can talk to strangers and find common ground about the need for the Academy.  So today and everyday, TALK IT UP!!