Inspiring Day!

I left for work at 6:30 this morning, as usual. It's almost 11 PM and I just got home -- and I'm so energized and inspired, I'm SURE I won't be able to sleep for a while yet!

As you all know, I can no longer discuss details of my job on my blog (sigh), but I'm pretty sure I can still speak in generalities. So... generally, I'm so inspired about what we're doing, why we're doing it, and the impact it will have on high school education reform in America! I think I can still mention that the organization I work for is partnering with the Gates Foundation to reverse the dismal 50% high school drop-out rate in inner cities and at-risk populations, and that I'm the Senior Program Manager in charge of that effort.

Thing is, as we've been starting up the Seattle office, we've been so mired in procedure and hiring that I think we've run the risk of losing sight of the very important work that we're doing. I've had to concentrate so much on things like invoices and interviews and inception that the inspiration of what we're doing and why has sometimes been lost. But today I found it again!

Today was the first day of a two-day training to really get into the nitty-gritty of what we'll be doing for this initiative, and I realized as we delved into it all that we really are going to have a profound impact on education and educator in America -- that it's NOT all procedure and policy after all! As an educator, I was completely inspired to have made that (rather obvious) realization. THEN someone from the Gates Foundation whom I admire greatly (brilliant,articulate and passionate) spoke to us about the Foundation, its core values, its mission and its philosophy.

By that time, I felt almost giddy with purpose and resolve!

The Director and I then took our guests to dinner at a restaurant in Seattle's International District. What fun! Us mommies talked mommy talk (toddler and teens!), we all talked biz... but we also just really enjoyed each others' company and hearing about each others' interests outside work.

Pictures? No way! This post is already probably pushing it! (C'mon, boss... how can I NOT write about work?!)