Rep. Gary Gates, R-Richmond except for the half-year he spends in Colorado is back for a second legislative session with his self-help bill. This time some of his opponents are saying his moves ought to be illegal.

As Gates has acknowledged, his HB 183 would help him destroy several state-created management districts in parts of Houston where he owns sprawling apartment complexes.

As a commercial property owner, Gates and his companies must pay an annual tax of about 10 cents on every $100 of property value to the district in which his property lies. In return for the 0.1 percent levy, the districts provide economic development services such as extra police patrols, surveillance cameras, graffiti and litter abatement, neighborhood beautification, long-range planning, etc.

State law gives property owners the right to petition for the strangulation of a district with signatures that represent two-thirds of the value of the commercial property within its boundaries.

Gates deploying a team of young and persistent employees to seek such signatures in person and by phone, e-mail and postal mail has tried and failed to hit the two-thirds goal in districts that serve the Chinatown area in southwest Houston and the Hobby Airport area in southeast Houston. Both areas have heavy Hispanic, Asian and Black populations.

So, he wants to lower the threshold from two-thirds to half.

In 2021 testimony to the House Urban Affairs Committee, of which he is vice chair for the current session, Gates freely admitted the bill is intended to make his destruction campaign easier.

I happen to be in a number of these districts because of some of the property I own and I have actually been trying to disband (them), he said.

But its been too tough a climb, he continued, partly because some of the owners might live abroad and/or speak languages besides English.

You also have challenges in finding the owners of many of these businesses . . . and the owner may live in another city or maybe another state or maybe even another country, he said in 2021. And then you run into problems with trying to get people to sign that speak different languages and different cultures.

But Gates took a different tack when he testified to the same committee on March 14 of this year.

Almost all of his remarks focused on how elections and most legislative votes are decided by a majority rather than by two-thirds. His secondary line was commercial property owners are being taxed by unelected officials.

(Under state law, management district board members are appointed by their mayor and approved by their city council. District members operate like all other government agencies that must hold meetings in public and maintain open records).

Another factor thats different this year is that some Houston management districts are pointing out what they say are Gates true motives.

In a letter to Urban Affairs members, Gulfton Area Management District Chair Tammy Rodriguez pointed out that some of Gates companies have been suing for years to block her district from operating based on alleged legal flaws in the way it was formed. The district denies the allegations.

Gates did not disclose the lawsuit in his testimony to Urban Affairs.

Please do not involve yourself in this lawsuit by giving Rep. Gates additional leverage over our district, Rodriguez wrote. If Rep. Gates use of his position as a House member to further his personal and business interests is not prohibited by the law or the House rules, it ought to be.

The Gulfton district is among the many districts that have paid for an increased police presence and other anti-crime tools in its area. Gulfton is thought to be the states most dense and most diverse area, with a significant population of immigrants and refugees.

In the adjacent Southwest Management District, which includes Houstons suburban Chinatown, district Chairman Kenneth Li wrote a similar letter, saying Gates legislation was an act of self-dealing that should be prohibited.

Li beseeched the committee to please do not involve yourself by giving Rep. Gates additional leverage over our district. To be sure, Mr. Gates does not reside in (the district) and does not represent any part of it in the Legislature.

While the Urban Affairs Committee is now aware of Gates crusade against the District, some of his employees at the apartment complexes he owns apparently are unaware.

Late last year, photos published online by the Southwest Management District show Alice Lee, then a district staffer, providing anti-crime materials to Gates leasing office employees at two such complexes where the district had already deployed security cameras and private security patrols at the request of Gates people.

Gates might have missed such events because of the time he spends in Colorado. Coloradocitizenscoalition.org, the website for a group he founded, says he owns a home in Crested Butte CO, and is active in the community and a church there.

Until ReformAustin reported about it several months ago, the website had said Gates spends about half his time in the state to the north of Texas.

As of this writing, Gates HB 183 was pending in Urban Affairs, where the city of Houston filed a letter against it.

Continued here:
Rep. Gates Vendetta Bill Runs Into Opponents Of Self Help - Reform Austin

The Broker-Dealer / Investment Adviser (BDIA) Division is continuing an annual online examination for certain registered Investment Advisers, in accordance with DFPIs authority under California Corporations Code Section 25241, subdivision (c). This mandatory examination consists of an online examination for Investment Advisers registered with the DFPI, who have their principal place of business in another state.

The online examination for this year is scheduled to commence on April 3, 2023. If selected the advisory firm will be notified on April 3, 2023, and required to complete and submit the online examination by May 19, 2023. The Division is structuring the exam to be conducted on this population on a four-year cycle. However, an Investment Adviser may be selected for a future examination sooner or later than the estimated four-year cycle.

To communicate the online examination, as well as any follow-up communication, the Division will use the Investment Adviser email as disclosed on the current Form ADV. The business e-mail address must be dedicated to receiving DFPI communications and be monitored by the executive staff of your firm, to ensure prompt attention is paid to communications from DFPI.

If you have any questions or inquiries, please contact the Division atCADFPIexams@dfpi.ca.gov.

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March 2023 Monthly Bulletin | The Department of Financial ... - California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

Every March, the nation celebrates National Womens History Month to honor and celebrate the undeniable contributions women have made throughout time. Look for the stories of other exceptional women at thebottom of this report.

Growing up, Jessica Johnson always knew she would have a career helping others and working in health care.

The Brooklyn-born Tar Heel has lots of memories shadowing her mom during her schools Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day experiences both of Johnsons parents had careers in health care.

I learned early on that a job in health care meant you got to make someones day a little better. I didnt know exactly what I wanted to do then but knew I wanted to work in a hospital and take care of patients and hopefully make a difference in peoples lives, said Johnson.

Fast-forward to 2013, having completed her Master of Healthcare Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she soon saw her path. During her junior year of undergrad, she volunteered at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, which helped her to realize the business side of health care beyond the direct clinical roles that supported her strengths and interests, especially problem-solving.

This side of health care felt more like an organic place for me to make an impact. It didnt feel forced, and I didnt feel stressed out about getting through the hard science courses anymore.It was the best decision I made for my career and life path, she said.

It wasnt until the summer of 2014, when Johnson put her career on hold and bought a one-way ticket to Vietnam, that she discovered her true passion. She took a temporary break to travel and study specific areas of the world she was interested in and immerse herself in life and cultures.

During that time, she connected with a grassroots health care group whose focus it was to discuss health care barriers for various Vietnamese patient groups and offer solutions. Problems with HIV/AIDS cases around the country, especially those affecting infants and children in orphanages, touched her heart. Although the country was striving to provide universal health care to residents, in reality, she found that Vietnams health care system was poor and almost nonexistent in rural areas.

I may not have been a clinician with this group, but I had the experience and interest to help them organize, schedule services, coordinate efforts to help these patient groups. It was a small part compared to the labor of love demonstrated by these committed professionals. Honestly, thats how I see my role today Im here to remove barriers for our clinicians and ensure our health care teams are able to show up to be their best selves in their jobs, she said.

Johnson returned to America with newfound energy, direction and a purpose. She shifted her perspective to create new personal goals: Dont sweat the small stuff. Focus on what you can control. Make it easy for people to do the right thing and remove barriers.

With a renewed mindset, she committed to making contributions that would change health care in manageable ways.

She worked in revenue cycle in New York City before accepting a strategic services associate operations manager position at Duke University Hospital in 2016. The opportunity was a homecoming, returning her to the Research Triangle area, while she worked closely with several of Duke Hospitals experienced leaders.

From 2018 to 2021, she served as Duke University Hospitals director of medical, surgical and critical care services and then as administrative director of surgery for Denver Health. Shes particularly grateful for the mentoring and guidance she received during her career.

Rarely does a person get things done by performing high-level tasks quickly and efficiently without recognizing and bringing people along the way. Theres nothing more valuable than collaboration with others and fostering team spirit among groups to get one to the goal, she said.

Upon arriving at MUSC Health in July of 2022 as the chief operating officer Johnson quickly saw its strengths as a statewide health care provider especially the organizations long-standing commitment to ensuring that communities with little to no options for health care have the ability to receive quality care. Johnson is a staunch advocate for health equity and addressing the barriers that limit access to health and wellness for all.

A person can get the best clinical care in the world inside of a hospital but once they are discharged and go to a food desert or home with internet insecurity or a neighborhood that lacks sidewalks, parks or areas where an individual can exercise or work out thats a problem, she said. As an organization, we can do more outside of our walls. Those events pushed a lot of initiatives engagement with community champions and others we are trying to impact. Its a reminder that were more than just a hospital.

In her role, Johnsons looking at new opportunities, innovations and sustainable solutions to improve operations and processes.

An area that she sees as a priority is building employee resilience, well-being and self-care especially for the clinical care teams.

All of us at some point at work need to decompress, especially since the pandemic. Everyone has different thresholds and are on different levels in which they need to decompress, and thats OK. We need to identify stress factors and enforce processes to help people do the right thing, while eliminating barriers that prevent them from doing what they do best, she said.

Last November, Johnson was named among 21 national women health care leaders to the 2023 Carol Emmott Fellowship class by the Carol Emmott Foundation. The class is part of an elite 14-month experience designed to support and increase gender equity in health care leadership within the communities and institutions they serve.

Looking ahead, Johnson hopes to see a health care workplace where everyone is keeping each other well.

Its my goal to ensure that all of us can do our best at our jobs. I want to give people what they need to be successful in their roles and make it easy for them to do the right thing so that everyone can be their best selves, she said.

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Leader has passion to solve problems, help others 'be their best ... - Medical University of South Carolina

GLEN BURNIE, Md. She's turning tragedy into charity.

'Amy's Baskets' are named after a woman who lost her life to intimate partner violence.

Each one is a care package for Maryland House of Ruth, a charity that supports women and children affected by intimate partner violence.

The baskets are made by Amy's sister Michelle.

"To create some happiness out of some bad memories. So today, we have baskets for the moms at House of Ruth and we have some baskets for the children so on that Easter morning, they will have something cheerful and happy to have in their lives that day," said Michelle Salb, creator of Amy's Baskets.

Michelle's been making these baskets for five years now.

Each one has things like blankets, gift cards, self care products, and toys all donated by staff at KCW Engineering.

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Amy's Baskets aims to help women and children affected by domestic violence - wmar2news.com

Peer Support training is offered monthly and open to all UI Health Care employees who would like to learn how to support co-workers after adverse events. For registration information, contact UIHC-COPE@healthcare.uiowa.edu

Sessions will follow the schedule below:

Monthly sessions will continue to be offered.

Objectives:

1. Describe some of the causes and effects of acute and chronic stress in healthcare workers.2. Recognize high risk clinical events which could evoke a stress response.3. Understand the five needs of stressed workers.4. Learn listening skills and interventions to support a colleague after a stressful event.

Presenters from the UI Health Care COPE Team: Laurel Crusinberry, MDiv, BCC, Karyn Robertson, MA, Matt Hall, MDiv

Who should take Peer Support training?

Anyone who wants to help create a supportive work environment, improve communication, and help retain employees. If youve received support in the past when you felt overwhelmed, learn to be that kind of support to others.

Nurses may register on ERMA (3.0 CEUs available). No registration fee.

Others may register on through Employee Self-Service (My Career -> My Training -> Enroll in Courses -> Find a Course -> search under course title Peer Support).

Questions? Contact Laurel Crusinberry at laurel-crusinberry@uiowa.edu or 319-678-8966.

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COPE team offers monthly peer support trainings available - The Loop - University of Iowa Health Care

By Brittany Joyner, publisher of Macaroni KID Kinnewick-Richland, Wash.March 23, 2023

I've been a single mom since my son was born.

Nate and I have done so well, thanks to a ton of help from my family, but we've had our fair share of challenges. While it is incredibly fulfilling to watch your child grow and develop, it can also be overwhelming to handle the responsibilities of raising a child alone.

Here are three of the challenges I've had to work to overcome as a single parent:

Brittany and Nate.

One of the biggest challenges of being a single parent is financial instability. Raising a child is expensive, from paying for childcare to buying food and clothing. Doing it alone makes the costs seem overwhelming at times. Unexpected medical bills or car repairs can wipe out savings quickly. It's so hard to build up savings when you're just surviving.

I worked in the education/childcare field throughout Nate's entire childhood, and it's not the most lucrative field. Thankfully, we lived with my parents, so what would have been spent on rent could go to childcare/school and fun extras like zoo trips, sports, and fun restaurants. I know many single parents are not lucky enough to have the fantastic support system I do, so I truly recognize how lucky I am.

Even with my support system, there have been times as a single parent I've felt isolated, overwhelmed, or exhausted. There still feels like there's a stigma attached to being a single parent, so that's something I struggle with too.

I struggle the most with feeling like I've failed because Nate doesn't have two parents.

When he was younger, I spent a good bit of time dating and talking to everyone I could, desperately trying to find someone ... for him. It was a really dark time and so unhealthy. It only got worse when he was old enough to ask questions and express his own sadness at not having a dad.

A year or two ago, I started listening to self-help podcasts and doing a lot of work on myself to reframe my mindset: "I am enough for him. I am more than enough. He has a great life, with or without a dad, and if I find someone: Great. But if not, we're doing fine."

If you have a friend or family member who is a single parent, here are four ways to show your support:

1. Offer to babysit or trade babysitting nights.2. Cook them a meal.3. Listen.4. Include them in plans like playdates, trips, or a night out.

If you're feeling a calling to help a single parent who you know, just offer. The worst they can say is no thanks!

I think I've done well juggling all of the responsibilities of being a single parent, but I also just like to keep myself busy in general. I've always had two or three side hustles going, and love a good schedule and to-do list. Of course, I've definitely dropped the ball a few times, but who hasn't?

I think asking for help and having a solid organization system is key because single parents have to balance a huge number of responsibilities, from managing finances to providing emotional support to their children. This can be challenging, to say the least, especially while also working full-time. Asking for help is definitely something I struggle with, no matter what it's for. If help is offered, though, I try to jump all over it.

While there are challenges, being a single parent can also be incredibly rewarding. I have a unique bond with my child, as his primary caregiver and provider. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I feel that closeness has made it difficult for him to accept affection or direction from men. Strong, independent women surround him at home and school, which I love. But I don't want it to affect his relationships with men moving forward.

As for me? I have a sense of resilience and strength from learning to navigate the challenges of raising a child alone. I've had to learn to prioritize self-care and seek support when needed. Self-care and support can come in so many ways: Asking for help from family and friends, seeking out counseling or therapy, or joining a support group for single parents.

Remember, you are not alone! Being a single parent is a challenging journey, but every day, I'm reminded when those little hands wrap around me in a hug that the rewards are far greater.

Brittany Joyner is the publisher ofMacaroni KID Kinnewick-Richland, Wash.

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The Challenges and Rewards of Being a Single Parent - macaronikid.com

Eating disorders

Exclusive: doctors surveyed say young people forced to endure long waits as NHS services overwhelmed

Wed 22 Mar 2023 14.31 EDT

Young people with eating disorders are coming to harm and ending up in A&E because they are being denied care and forced to endure long waits for treatment, GPs have revealed.

NHS eating disorders services are so overwhelmed by a post-Covid surge in problems such as anorexia that they are telling under-19s to rely on charities, their parents or self-help instead.

They are so threadbare in some places that young people who are struggling to function normally because of their eating disorder have to wait more than a year to start treatment.

The truly shocking findings about the help available to young people with often very fragile mental health emerged in a survey of 1,004 family doctors across the UK by the youth mental health charity stem4.

The shortage of beds for children and young people with eating disorders is so serious that some are being sent hundreds of miles from home or ending up on adult psychiatric wards, GPs say.

The provision is awful and I worry my young patients may die, one GP in the south-east of England told stem4. Another described the specialist NHS services available in their area as virtually nonexistent and not fit for purpose.

Urgent help for eating disorders is so patchy that 60% of the family doctors surveyed fear that sufferers will come to harm before they get it, the charity found. Almost one in three (32%) GPs have seen a young patients condition worsen so dramatically that they have had to seek help at A&E.

A pronounced postcode lottery means that many GPs believe that access to treatment has become impossible (23%) or difficult (53%) for under-19s with early, less severe physical symptoms.

Youth mental health experts warned that a young person with an eating disorder who had to wait for help could see their mental and physical health decline and face a heightened risk of suicide. Some who are already dangerously underweight become even more so as they wait.

This GP survey tells us that young people with eating disorders, who will be most responsive to treatment at the start of their illness, cant access treatment, said Dr Nihara Krause, the consultant clinical psychologist and founder of stem4.

Young people with complex mental illness such as eating disorders will experience deterioration the longer they are made to wait for treatment, and this is why we are seeing record numbers of young people presenting at A&E, she added.

People who have eating disorders are at high risk of mortality both due to physical complications and risk of suicide. All young people with poor mental health need treatment early or else their risk increases. Young people with an eating disorder often have another mental health problem, too.

NHS bosses needed to accelerate existing plans to expand the treatment available for sufferers, because patients who went untreated took longer to recover, Krause added.

The GP survey found that the thresholds for under-19s getting help for eating disorders are so high that patients in desperate need are routinely refused NHS care.

Last month the NHS ombudsman for England warned that people with eating disorders were at risk of dying because they were being repeatedly failed by a health service that has done too little to tackle the growing problem.

Olly Parker, head of external affairs at the charity YoungMinds, said that young people with eating disorders needed to get medical help quickly, but the majority face such severe delays that can put them at risk of getting worse and reaching crisis before they get any help.

He added: Children and young people simply should not be put in this situation. Often GPs and staff are doing what they can to support young people, but they are working with a broken system that cannot keep up with demand.

Earlier this month the Royal College of Psychiatrists said that eating disorder services in England had been flooded with under-18s being referred by GPs since Covid struck in 2020. The number of such patients was 51% higher then pre-pandemic, it found.

NHS England said the number of young people with eating disorders it was treating was rising.

While the pandemic has taken a huge toll on many peoples mental health, improving care for people with an eating disorder is vital, with the NHS treating 55% more young people for eating disorders compared to pre-pandemic, as well as rolling out a rapid early intervention eating disorder service for people aged 16-25, a spokesperson said.

We acknowledge that more support is still needed, which is why we are also rolling out mental health support teams as fast as we can, ahead of plan, and have doubled the number of children and young people we have seen, as well as establishing 24/7 crisis lines.

Quotes from stem4s survey

Frighteningly short of resources. Exasperating as a clinician trying to keep these patients safe.

Too many referrals are bounced or palmed off to charity and self-help.

Eating disorders [services are massively oversubscribed and [there are] huge waits. I dont doubt the doctors and teams are doing their best but essentially they need huge numbers more.

A local charity is good. But there is no NHS provision. Child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) reject every referral we do.

The threshold for seeing patients is too high, so illness is entrenched by the time any meaningful support is given. The treatment received is too little and too late/

Camhs is woefully under-resourced to manage eating disorders and cannot cope with the workload.

The services are nonexistent in my area, with patients having to travel hundreds of miles. It is completely unacceptable.

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I worry my young patients will die: UKs eating disorder services not fit, say GPs - The Guardian

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Have you ever doubted your worth, or felt the heavy weight of comparison creep in and destroy your confidence?

In my fourth spiritual guidebook You Are Enough: Activate Your Angels & Live a Soul-FULL Life I share exercises, guided meditations, and countless examples of ways you can overcome your limiting beliefs, your tendency to self-sabotage, and those ever-creeping doubts that have you questioning your innate value.

Those doubts are planted (and often fertilized) by a society that stresses success and hustle over true fulfillment. In this book, I help you let go of those doubts and work towards a Soul-FULL life. Living Soul-FULLy is about celebrating and welcoming in every form of abundance those things that really matter: peace, connection, vibrant health, contribution, and, yes, financial flow.

Discover your blocks when it comes to feeling open to all of the goodness available to you now, and heal them without overthinking or over-analyzing. Bring more love to your relationships, and shift your perspective of the challenging people, situations, and struggles you have experienced.

Feel seen, heard, and understood as you read my own personal examples and the examples of many clients I have helped on my journey as a healer, coach, author, and motivational speaker over the last decade.

So many of my clients and the sensitive souls I meet feel that their sensitivity and intuitiveness is a weakness. But, in this book, I will show you how to embrace all of your emotions, experiences, and relationships to help you grow into the person you are meant to be. Use your intuition and empathy to help you welcome in a richer, deeper experience of life.

Feel empowered and much more confident as you embrace your divine worth and connect with your angels, ancestors, and your own inner knowing. Feel the love and light that surrounds you, encouraging you to let go of the past and all the pressures you feel. Free yourself of distractions, honour your flaws, and embrace the simple joys that surround you.

You are loved. You are supported. You are enough.

This book will help you believe in yourself again.

(Lisa Driver was born and raised in Regina and now lives in Medicine Hat. You are Enough and Lisas other three spiritual guidebooks are available online at http://www.lisadriver.com or http://www.driverworks.ca, and in various metaphysical and book shops.)

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Read My Book: Lisa Driver's newest publication shows that 'You Are ... - Regina Leader Post

Morganton, NC, March 23, 2023 --(PR.com)--Half the population is over 40. Many of those are in distress and drowning in misinformation. Randolph Harrison, MEd, and wife/co-creator Erica Schwarting offer a lifeline, A Guide for Aging Heroes. This groundbreaking work received Literary Titans Gold Book Award for 2023. A Guide for Aging Heroes debunks stereotypes about aging and redefines the second half of life as a renaissance. More than a how-to book, Aging Heroes is a way of being, a lifestyle marked by adventure, personal evolution, service, and wonder. It takes readers on a voyage of self-exploration, embracing the inherent interconnections between us all.

According to the American Psychological Association, 95% of self-help books are published without supporting evidence! Every approach in A Guide for Aging Heroes is referenced and supported by recent scientific research.

Daily reads include motivational anecdotes, simple instructions, and suggested activities to help readers engage in personal change. A Guide for Aging Heroes offers easy techniques for transforming lifes emotional, intellectual, social, physical, and spiritual domains. This book shines a light on a new way of experiencing the second half of life.

"For those of us at whom this book is squarely aimed, the well-structured segments require a healthy dose of self-reflection to properly navigate, but the rewards are well worth the effort. The book is disarmingly honest about our faults but courageously hopeful about our power to overcome them. -David Buzan, author of In the Lair of Legends.

Randolph Harrison is a college psychology instructor and former counseling therapist. He is a recipient of the prestigious Roston Endowed Teaching Chair and the WPCC Excellence in Teaching Award. Randolph has lectured on various psychology and education topics in cities across the US. He is energized by exploring ideas with others. Harrison is a writer, musician, motorcyclist, sailor, fitness geek, and avid outdoor adventurer.

Erica Schwarting sees life through the lens of an artist. She spent her early years as a fashion model. Erica has a keen eye for detail and an innate talent as a designer. Schwarting currently manages hospital volunteer programs and oversees spiritual-care services. Engaging in charity work and being a change agent for diversity and inclusion are values she holds dear. She has competed in hundreds of races, including a Ragnar Relay in Hawaii, the Mt. Kilimanjaro Half-Marathon, and the Chicago Major Marathon.

To pre-order the book, go to https://www.agingheroes.com

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Over 40 Crowd in Crisis and Disillusioned with the Status Quo: New ... - PR.com

For the first time in three years, the Women of Color at Penn (WOCAP) hosted its annual award ceremony in person. WOCAP, which is housed in the African-American Resource Center (AARC), used the March 17 event to celebrate the achievements of women of color at Penn and in the broader community, highlighting this years theme of self-care and healing.

As the WOCAP chair, Mattie Maria SimBarcelos, a staff member at the Wharton School, gave opening remarks. The past few years have been so heavy with grief and isolation that I wanted to create safe spaces for restoration, reflection, and healing, SimBarcelos wrote in her program remarks.

SimBarcelos welcomed Joann Mitchell, senior vice president for institutional affairs and chief diversity officer, who read remarks from President Liz Magill. Magill thanked SimBarcelos along with the WOCAP committee, for your determination, your efforts, and your passion. The award ceremony and luncheon, which brings together more than 300 allies, reminds us that we are all committed to making progress, not just here at Penn but throughout our society, she said.

Mya Gordon, a junior majoring in urban studies from Lake Oswego, Oregon, won the undergraduate student award. Gordon is a Silverman Fellow at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and has worked in the Penn Program for Public Service. Gordon spoke about her commitment to improving relationships between Penn and West Philadelphia and thanked her grandfather, who was in the audience. The thing he always told me growing up is the mind is a terrible thing to waste, she said. So, Im really trying to use mine to support my community and the people I care about.

Kyabeth Torres-Rodriguez, a third-year Ph.D. student in the Cancer Biology Graduate Program in the Perelman School of Medicine, won the graduate student award. Torres-Rodriguez is studying tumor immunosuppression and has an interest in diversifying science. She recently served as the lead for the Program Development Committee for the Diversity Equity Engagement at Penn in STEM, an initiative designed to diversify Perelman, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and School of Arts & Sciences.

Shelah Harper, founder and CEO of the Asia Adams Save OUR Children Foundation Inc. won the Community Award. After her daughters death, Harper has dedicated her work to protecting young women and girls from intimate partner violence. Our children are priceless, said Harper, who urged the audience to do something, anything to connect with children.

The Faculty/Staff Award went to Sharon Irving, associate professor of pediatric nursing in the School of Nursing. Irving also serves as a senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute and as a steering committee member of the Penn Center for Nutritional Science and Medicine. When there is a task or a need or a challenge, she does not shirk the responsibility, said Colleen Winn, who introduced the honoree.

Irving is a first-generation college student from Harlem who became one of the first Black pediatric critical care nurse practitioners in the U.S.

I chose nursing because nursing allowed me to be me, Irving said. It also allowed me to reach back and help.

AARC director Valerie Dorsey Allen was this years Joann Mitchell Outstanding Legacy Honoree. Over her many years of leadership, Dorsey Allen has consistently served on the WOCAP committee. My WOCAP family has been a cocoon when I needed to be protected and a cheerleading squad when I have had achievements, Dorsey Allen said.

Diane Waff, professor of practice at the Graduate School of Education, won this years Helen O. Dickens Lifetime Achievement Award. Waff is the director of the Philadelphia Writing Project and has worked for the organization for 30 years, improving teaching and learning, building community, and addressing issues of race, power, and gender in schools. Young peoples writing and creativity continues to inspire me, she said.

The voices of color presentation included reflections from Sharon Smith, associate vice provost for university life; Nesha Subramaniam, a South Asia Studies major in the College of Arts and Sciences; Krista L. Cortes of La Casa Latina; and Zhanar Beketova of the Graduate School of Education. Each woman offered testimony from her own personal experiences.

Smith shared the story of her familys migration from the Caribbean to the U.S., where Smith was one of the few Black students in her suburban high school, which filled her with anxiety. Im sure to this day, she says, everyone at that high school thinks Im shy.

Subramaniam is Sri Lankan American. Losing several family members during the Sri Lankan Civil War gave her a heightened awareness to human rights violations and global health, she said. To be part of the American diaspora is having your life shaped and impacted by diversity, struggle, but also by constant rebuilding and rebirth. Individual cultural differences will always be present but so will human connection.

Cortes spoke of her work to understand her Afro-Latinx identity, which she then uses to make others feel seen and accepted, she said. For Black women, leading in higher education looks a lot like mothering, Cortes said.

Beketova, who is originally from Khazakstan, spoke of colorism in her home country.

Prevalent in countries with a history of colonialism and slavery, colorism causes people within the same ethnic group to treat one another differently based on skin tone, she said.

As a child, Beketova internalized negative messages. Now, she wants every little girl growing up to know that shes beautiful because she is human.

Mariel Diana Featherstone, a staff member in the Neuroscience Graduate Group, will serve as the 2024 chair. The theme, she said, will be facing our fears and growing and adapting to change.

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Honoring women of color | Penn Today - Penn Today