Alice Graduates

Remember our first class picture?! I can't believe the year is already over!

I cannot believe that this year is already over! This year has been amazing, and I never would have believed that I could learn so much. I will never forget all of our great birthday celebrations, discussions outside, meditations, excursions, and so much more!

Of all the things that we have learned this past year, our exploration of leadership and ethics has definitely changed me and will stay with me in the years to come. For the most part, I have learned that proper leadership requires more than just guiding others and being incredibly charismatic and articulate. Being a leader is about finding out who you are. It’s about knowing who you are, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and improving upon them. Like Alice, we all have to start out and answer the blue caterpillar’s strange, but entirely appropriate question, “Who are you?” (Carroll 47). And, I will abide by the Queen’s advice to Alice in the Looking Glass, to “remember who you are!” (Carroll 166). Moreover, I have learned that leadership requires an open mind. When dealing with others we must be able to hear their opinions and respect their thoughts. Like Alice, traveling through the strange world of Wonderland, we too are just beginning our own journeys through our own “Wonderland.” In this new world away from home and from all that we are familiar with, we will indubitably be challenged with different beliefs. Above all, we must seek to understand the differences we share with others.

Like Alice, we have entered a whole new world.

The greatest part of this class, I believe, was our study of various cultures. I have never had a class before where exploring a different way of life was stressed outside of the textbook, outside of the classroom. This year, I learned and experienced so much more than I have in probably all four years of high school! I watched and participated in a Native American Powwow. I celebrated Divali at Barsana Dham and ate delicious food with my family. I meditated at the Japanese gardens and experienced nature through my bare feet. This list could go on. Experiencing the variety of cultures in this class further strengthened my passion for culture and has inspired me further to continue exploring and appreciating the world’s diversity.

Lauren, Alice, and I with Mr. Fallen at the UT Powwow.

In addition to finding our identities and keeping an open mind, this class has taught me the importance of being a compassionate leader. Unlike This leads me to the question of ethics, another major aspect of this class that I will carry with me in years to come. I will ESPECIALLY never forget watching Earthlings. Every time my friends or family members ask me about how college is going, I immediately tell them about watching the documentary, about the positive effect it has had on me, and about this class. For the first time, I am learning to act on my beliefs. If you had asked me a year ago whether or not I could ever give up meat, I probably would have laughed. Now, however, I try my hardest to eat responsibly. Now, I have a greater awareness and appreciation for all of life and feel much better for it.

Earthlings is a movie everyone should see.