Let's Rise

We never know how high we are

Till we are called to rise...

-Emily Dickinson


Every once in awhile an opportunity comes along that seems too good to pass up. Those moments when you leap with excitement because you know that what is laid out might be bigger than you. More often than that, though, are the opportunities that fall into our laps while we are completely and unexpectedly living our life. Those moments when we say yes to something having no way of knowing how it will pan out to be.

Last year, Meredith Chase-Mitchell, a teacher from DC, contacted me about writing an essay about my experience as a teacher. I had never met Meredith and I was unfamiliar with her work. As with most opportunities that cross my path, I happily agreed to write for her project. The topics to write about were broad and I thought it would be a good way to take a larger risk in exposing my writing to a different audience.

I had no way of knowing that writing this piece would cradle my heart and lay the foundation for my participation in something wonderful.

Meredith and her colleague Doran Gersham have taken me, and 24 other female educators, on an empowering and exciting ride. Through their vision and passion, they have complied the voices of educators from around the country to create a beautiful and compelling narrative about what it means to be a teacher. 

What makes this project different is the full scope of those narratives. As a passionate enthusiast of all things soulful, and of the stories that stream from this place of our hearts, Meredith and Doran have dreamed up something different. Not just a book, not just our writing, not just essays published for reading. Oh no, this is different. They have honored not just the stories, and not just the voices, but the people and the hearts that tell these tales. 

In a show and tell of artistic proportions, Why the SUN Rises, displays portraits of each teacher alongside their story. Our voices, our faces, our stories. This book weaves together the threads of each educator, creating a landscape of passion, love, heartbreak, and fortitude. 

As a lover of collaborative works, I am honored to open this book and sit alongside so many stunning women educators. This project is but one small example in my life of what happens when you risk big, say yes, and jump into the unknown.

If you are interested in a copy of this book, simply click HEREThank you for helping me celebrate the voices of these educators and the tireless work they do each day.

Keep Rising.