My Story
What does one do when the thirst for knowledge and the love of learning becomes insatiable? Where does that desire to learn even come from? While TLL Global and the www.teachlearnlead.net edu-library may have had their respective births in 2014, the vision was cast much earlier as a teen growing up in my parent’s restaurant business. As the baby of three and a “first gen” student, I was immersed in entrepreneurship, service, and global understanding during the most formative and foundational time of my life. My mom and dad regularly contributed time and food to the local soup kitchens and my first glimpse into the world of those without homes came with my own volunteer work at the St. Francis House. It was there that I learned that every single individual has a story and a depth of experiences. Often, in our world of soundbites and social media clips, those stories either go untold or are swiped past by the next scintillating video.
At a young age, an adventure in Spain as a homestay student transformed my worldview and made me hungry for more travel and perspectives. The idea of learning was amplified and no longer confined to some event that happens in a classroom. I knew that although I liked a good lecture now and again, my soul was seeking experience. Kohl and Dewey and Lewin became part of my reading lists and their work always led me to another writer, poet, filmmaker, and artist. When I was honored with a National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship for a residency at the University of Puerto Rico, my attention turned to immersion in Spanish-speaking and indigenous cultures of the Caribbean. Again, my worldview was rocked and inspired me to write the book Windows and Mirrors: Reflections and Trainings on Cultural Understanding.
The most transformational and trajectory shifting event, to date, was my partnership with a family of orphanages throughout the Dominican Republic. A relationship that not only lasted two decades, but also integrated my love for service, experiential learning, and youth leadership. In 2014, I was hungry to build a platform online that would serve as a comprehensive, resource-rich, epi-center of learning and exploration. In fact, www.teachlearnlead.net was initially a selfish act because I wanted everything I loved to learn at my fingertips, but gradually I learned that there was a network across the globe that sought the same thing and had similar unquenchable love for learning. The site grew in scope and reach. Learning never stops and I hope when you visit the platform, you are led down new avenues and meet luminaries and confront ideas that were not part of your initial search.
“What you seek is seeking you” -Rumi
At a young age, an adventure in Spain as a homestay student transformed my worldview and made me hungry for more travel and perspectives. The idea of learning was amplified and no longer confined to some event that happens in a classroom. I knew that although I liked a good lecture now and again, my soul was seeking experience. Kohl and Dewey and Lewin became part of my reading lists and their work always led me to another writer, poet, filmmaker, and artist. When I was honored with a National Endowment of the Humanities Fellowship for a residency at the University of Puerto Rico, my attention turned to immersion in Spanish-speaking and indigenous cultures of the Caribbean. Again, my worldview was rocked and inspired me to write the book Windows and Mirrors: Reflections and Trainings on Cultural Understanding.
The most transformational and trajectory shifting event, to date, was my partnership with a family of orphanages throughout the Dominican Republic. A relationship that not only lasted two decades, but also integrated my love for service, experiential learning, and youth leadership. In 2014, I was hungry to build a platform online that would serve as a comprehensive, resource-rich, epi-center of learning and exploration. In fact, www.teachlearnlead.net was initially a selfish act because I wanted everything I loved to learn at my fingertips, but gradually I learned that there was a network across the globe that sought the same thing and had similar unquenchable love for learning. The site grew in scope and reach. Learning never stops and I hope when you visit the platform, you are led down new avenues and meet luminaries and confront ideas that were not part of your initial search.
“What you seek is seeking you” -Rumi