Pablo began with a humble start and a desire to make life better for those around him. His hard work earned him a scholarship to study mechanical engineering at Brown University. Inspired by his professors and friends, he developed a passion for Chinese culture, learned the language, and later worked in China and Thailand as …
Category Archives: Creativity
Heather Beem, Practical Education Network – Enabling Every African Child to Learn by Doing
While pursuing her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at MIT, Heather Beem met Amy Smith, founder of D-Lab—an innovation hub focused on international development. Through D-Lab, Heather fell in love with STEM education and indigenous innovation. She went on to co-found and co-instruct D-Lab: Education. During a D-Lab trip to Ghana, Heather consistently heard one challenge:“No …
Bondad Simple
Tuve una llamada dificil y me siente abajo. Mi amiga, Lana* escuchome. En un rato, ella me trajo un helado de mamey (1) para animarme. No puedo comer helado hoy por mi periodo pero su accion me hizo sonreir y me ilumino. Unos dias despues, Lana fui con su mama para acompanar una prima quien …
Dia de Acion Gracias Diferente
Mina*, buena amiga de Lana*, invitionos a unir a su familia para un viaje en Tekis y Belen (La Pena), dos pueblos magicos. Ella rento una casa grande con jardin, cocina, y rancho. Fuimos 12 personas y 3 perros. Caminamos en Tekis, un pueblo con muchos colores de casas y flores. En centro, hay una …
Learning from Hackathon in Thailand
Reflecting the experience of hosting a hackathon in Thailand, many to be thankful and celebrated. Sharing 2 highlights: I’m grateful to be part to learn, contribute, and experience the hospitality and creativity of Thailand!
Reframe
When we get feedback, suggestions for improvement, what’s going on in our mind? We could feel ashamed (lacking), angry (defensive), or excited – what a great opportunity to grow! When we talk to smart, successful, and confident people, what’s going on in our mind? We could feel hesitated to speak up or excited – what …
Work Smarter than Harder
A friend asked me about hackathon: instead of explaining what it is, she encouraged me to walk her through the journey in a story, making it visual and memorable. I came up 3 characters, a participant, a mentor, and a judge and talked about their interactions. Well, it didn’t impress her, more accurately, it’s more …
Being Vulnerable
I asked several experienced toastmaster friends their recommendations for me of high impact area to work on communication/ public speaking. I was surprised to hear ‘showing vulnerability/ sharing difficult personal stories’. I signed up for a speech tonight and I had no time to prepare. I thought of dropping off but felt bad to do …
Courageous Conversation
I was consulting with a friend/ mentor about speaking clearly, concisely, and credibly. He shared What I learned from 100 days of rejection and encouraged me to have courageous conversations. He is right. The best way to learn is to do it – practice and adjust; we can be candid and respectful.
What Will You Choose?
After writing ‘Where is positivity from?‘, I needed to use the restroom. As I walked toward a nearby building, rain came down quickly. I ran for a cover by an entrance. The door was locked and required a pass to enter. I watched the rain and wondered what I should do. A student came, swiped …