Today I watched the Congress testimonies and trials of President Gay, the president of Harvard University. She, along with two other Ivy League Presidents, were being asked to step down from their positions in light of their inability to address antisemitism on their campuses.
This came as quite a shock to me. President Gay was inaugurated into Harvard’s office just a few months ago. Everyone loves her; in fact, most of Harvard’s staff has signed a petition to keep her in office. Even I had met President Gay this past summer and immediately knew why everyone loves her so much: she inspires people.
While in this post I talk about what in President Gay is admirable, I can’t really take sides on the debate about whether or not Harvard, and other Ivy’s, have failed to protect their students (as I don’t attend any of these colleges and thus don’t know any of their politics).
Firstly, I’m extremely grateful to have many role models in my personal life who I see as my inspirations– mostly my mom and dad. They’ve come through many challenges in their personal and professional lives and I’ve seen how they’ve used their experiences to become the amazing people they are today. While many challenges can break someone, I’ve seen my parents become stronger and more passionate people about their work, family, and personal growth. I admire them so much. They inspire me to face my own challenges with a certain rigor as well. Passion in others, I’ve realized, is the quickest way to realize your own as well.
President Gay is also someone who’s faced many barriers in the field of politics and education, so seeing her with so much success while still being humble with students like me and others is admirable. It’s also her passion that gives many the hope that they, too, can reach their goals. So while I don’t know President Gay very well, I’ve seen how her passion for her work has made her an inspiration to so many people.
That’s all I have for this post! Till next time,
Moesha.
SASS 