I keep a five-year diary where I write one sentence a day, every day, over a five year span. Starting March 13, 2020, I began a quarantine tally to see how long we would be living from home, telecommuting and tele-learning and tele-living. I made it as far as 450+ days before I gave up counting, depressed by how seemingly permanent the pandemic has felt.
And yet, and yet, and yet: My big kid started in-person (masked and socially distant) kindergarten this fall! And my 1-year-old is in daycare. And Ryan is teaching in person. And I am occasionally on campus and have even started conducting the first of many in-person interviews for stories. I got both doses of the Pfizer vaccine as soon as I could and eagerly await my booster shot. I can’t wait until my kiddos are both vaccinated as well.
The weather is finally starting to change, and though I know fire season is far from over, I can’t help but feel hope. Play On Words’ first-ever virtual show was a huge success! The persimmons on our tree are changing colors. And I have renewed my focus on fiction by enrolling in Lighthouse Writer’s Book Project, where I’m working with a small cohort to complete my manuscript by 2023. (Fingers crossed!).
And finally, there are the achievements of SJSU students, faculty and alumni that I’ve gotten to interview recently. A few highlights:
Transforming the Way We Teach: San José State University’s Connie L. Lurie College of Education encourages students and faculty alike to reimagine the future of education.
The Metamorphosis of Recovery: Community leader and alumna Kathy Córdova’s desire to serve started at San José State University.
How Can Educators and Parents Prepare for the K-12 School year? A Q&A with Lara Ervin-Kassab
San José State University’s Reed Magazine Earns Its First Pushcart Prize
Grateful for the opportunity to shine a spotlight on these wonderful Spartans.