My 7th Celebration

In some ways Celebration tonight was really beautiful, powerful, and touching in a way that most other Celebrations were not. The love the students have for the program was so evident and it really reminded me of why I come back each year. It is a life-changing experience for the students. It really can change who they are, set them on a different path, and inspire them to believe in themselves and choose a better life.

At the same time, there was certainly traces of what I struggle with most here, parts that showed that this really is Shirley's program. In a way it is touching to see how much of an impact this person has made on the lives of everyone involved. At the same time though, I have seen this same impact on students in Sacramento. But in Sacramento the thanks is not typically given to one main person, but instead shared with the whole program. While the faces of directors and staff may change, the events may differ, the heart and soul of Summerbridge lives on and continues to change lives. I think it is possible to develop a self-sustaining program that has this life-changing potential at its core, no matter who is the director. Here, though, most everything is dependent on the work of this Superwoman.

And, after Celebration, I could say she's been doing fairly amazing work, no matter how critical I might be of her.