A Day in the Life of a Master(s) of Education

The other day I was training a new employee and as we talked they mentioned that they weren't going to get a covid vaccine. At first I was annoyed by that,  so I asked why. I figured if they had a sound reason I had no problem with their choice. Initially, they said that their parent (who lives abroad) said that they shouldn't.  At this point I had the thought about how we all tend to follow our parents advice, especially at that age. Then the said that there's a microchip in the vaccine as they texted on their phone and told me how their maternal and paternal grandparents have suffered from covid. I'm talking ventilator. Weeks in the hospital. Damn near dead suffering.  The logic behind it didn't make ANY sense. So I stopped talking about it. It felt like a losing battle.  However, they are not alone. Every day there are battles being waged against the vaccine, against calling it a vaccine, against disinformation, against masks, against restrictions, against EVERYT...

After almost a year of Covid-19 we caught it. And it sucks. We've been sick for over a week but seem to be on the upswing. The draw of normalcy was a huge temptation. We're not sure where we caught it but have a few theories. In any case glad to be feeling better.  In my grad school friend group of 11 folx, 6 of us got it. And we're all over the world (various UK cities, various US states and Germany). I'm just glad my parents have only one dose of the vaccine to go and I have antibodies. Maybe I'll get to see them this year 😞  Until next post...laters

 Well, it's October. Crazy to think we're in the 10th month of 2020 and it's been a rollercoaster of a year. Between the health crisis, the social justice upheaval and the political climate I am starting to feel older than my years. What started off as such a hopeful, expectant year has been a series of really high highs and low lows. I am not making jest of the serious issue that mental health is but this year has been personally very bipolar.  After not going since February and desperate for some normalcy and the ideal of maybe seeing my parents, I attempted my first out of state long trip to Disney World. Several things happened over the last few days. 1) J & I closed on our first home together. We bought property...so we're in this now, this being our relationship hahahaha. 2) I have gotten into a wonderful flow of working out and managing my workload after a tough transition in the beginning of the pandemic that allowed me to continue to work though not in the ...

I recently read an op-ed article entitled "America’s Most Unequal City Doesn’t Trust Black Women to Lead" (here's the link to read it yourself) and it really hit home. Instead of trusting Black-led organizations in this moment, the overwhelming majority of that capital was committed through a closed-door process to almost 200 white-led organizations.  My job is tied to philanthropic work. I work within a system where I seek to support those who are trying to build food equity. At times this work comes with a heavy burden.  The burden of adjusting how grant and funding letters are pitched in order to have access to the type of capital needed to make a realistic impact. It is a constant challenge. Really I just wanted to make this post as a reminder to myself. A reminder to keep fighting. A reminder that I am not alone in this fight.  Until next post, laters

2020 has been a wild one to say the least. But it's also been one of self discovery and growth.  In this year I've become more outspoken,  learned more about my thoughts and what forms my political and personal stances. I've also done better with money management and curating personal relationships.  The person I am now is nothing like the person I was this time last year or anything near what I thought at the start of this year. And that's ok. It's a whole new world.

So I have been on WFH/ Social Distancing guidelines since March 14th. I've been able to work at a Farm 3 days a week, help do grocery deliveries and do other things to help create a schedule and keep busy.  I've been thinking though of all the things I want to do when the world feels manageable and safe again. I'm going to list them here for reasons: Get a new tattoo   (got one! It's a rose by Bree at City of Ink. Made an appointment for another in Feb, wore a mask) Get a new bike (got one! Her name is Shuri and I love her) See a live musical/concert (I should have said "in person", virtual concerts have been a staple) Get my hair braided or start dreadlocks ( got faux locs...seriously thinking about locing my hair, wore a mask) Dye my hair (I did a home dye job which turned out fine but I am aching for a real drastic change) Get a new ear piercing...maybe another nose piercing  Get a massage  (After several months got one in Oct to celebrat...

I just wanted a place to put this Atlanta Journal Constitution article in regards to Govenor Kemps decision on the shelter-in-place and to slowly start to open up GA. This is purly for my future referecne. I am hopeful that people will make the right decisons for their familes and situations, empathically.  Here are the highlights I especially want to remember and want others (no one else reads this but...okay) to as well: Q: The governor just last week said it was too early to talk about reopening the economy. What changed? A: Kemp cited reports of declining emergency room visits for flu-like illnesses, expanded hospital bed capacity and projections that show Georgia’s peak may be in the rear-view mirror. He also said documented COVID-19 cases have “flattened and appear to be declining.” There are other factors, too. President Donald Trump has pushed states to begin easing the restrictions, and Kemp has faced urgent calls from some of his conservative allies to start rolling ...

A few posts ago I talked about the ongoing pandemic coronavirus/COVID-19.  Since then not only has the city been on lockdown, the Governor went ahead and issued a shelter-in-place decree. This whole situation has been a mess to watch. On the one hand, there's the part of me that worries for those I may encounter who may be more susceptible to the effects of COVID. On the other hand, there's the part of me who worries for the financial and mental health of others who are losing jobs, healthcare, homes, food businesses and more due to things like the shelter-in-place. My brain is swirling and so am I. I am not generally an anxious person but I can't tell which way is up right now and I can't help but wonder if my actions have or will lead to the ill health of another. Have I been outraged enough? Have I helped enough? Am I being thoughtful? Empathic? Selfish? Today during a briefing , the Governor claiming to rely on a team of medical and other experts has decided that ...

In 2007 while I was in undergrad a terrible tragedy happened. In 2020, the world is currently dealing with another tragedy.  Thousands are dying from Coronavirus. The US & world governments are all over the place with their efforts to contain the virus and slow its spread. However, there is a light at the end of this dark tunnel. Much like to Hokie community coming together for that tragedy,  I am seeing friends and strangers alike joining together to support those who have lost their jobs, have limited resources towards food and shelter, sharing and caring for each other. I am heartened to see this, much like 9/11 & April 16th, we will prevail. Until next post laters 

Wow-what a month it has been. I am going to try and catch you up but it is A LOT. So the entire world is currently dealing with a pandemic named Covid-19 better known as Coronavirus. Here is a link to some information but for record-keeping sake highlights: What is a coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause disease in animals. Seven, including the new virus, have made the jump to humans, but most just cause cold-like symptoms. Two other coronaviruses – Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) – are much more severe, having killed more than 1,500 people between them since 2002. The new virus, officially called Covid-19, is also dangerous - so far, around 20 per cent of confirmed cases have been classed as severe or critical. So far, around 15 to 20 per cent of hospital cases have been classed as "severe" and the current death rate varies between 0.7 per cent and 3.4 per cent depending on the locatio...