It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It’s not just quitting on yourself, it’s quitting on your country – and this country needs and values the talents of every American. That is why we will provide the support necessary for you to complete college and meet a new goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.
One of my favorite people on earth died today. Although I’ve never met him, I’m going to miss Randy a lot. From the moment I came across his story some time ago, I’ve been inspired by his message and struggle. If you weren’t touched by his outlook on life earlier this year, I urge you to watch his last lecture or to read his book.
I just had a huge week in terms of blogging. I wrote two lengthy articles: A Dover Dilemma, and US News and World Report, Media Literacy and Social Media. On both posts, I got some awesome feedback in the comments; although I usually address feedback like this with followup comments, many of these thoughts deserved to stand out.
My new favorite pastime has been watching videos from the remarkable TED conference. Before I go off to college, I hope to have watched all of the videos available on the TED website. I’ve watched 24 so far and have many times that number to go.
Yesterday, while I was having a uniquely bad day, I put on a talk from Jill Bolte Taylor. Here’s the summary on the TED website.
Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened — as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding — she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.
I beg you to watch this video. Not only did it cheer me up, but it’s changed the way I view the human spirit. Jill brings a type of genuine inspiration to her talk that’s rare today. Block out nineteen minutes and watch it below, or download a higher quality movie file (recommended). I cannot say enough good things about it.