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USA
| Metro Urban Studies Term
4
of 4 reflections
HECUA
is much more than an academic or even
experiential program. It connects students
to wisdom within the community. One community
artist talked to our class about leading
a neighborhood arts project. We were expecting
her to teach us leadership models and
community organizing techniques –
she did both, but also so much more. We
soon found ourselves frantically scribbling
in our notebooks. Rafala taught me that
social change is not just a means to empowerment;
it is the expression of human dignity,
self-determination, and community. She
taught me that leadership is a process
of letting go, of enabling other people
to take ownership of their own goals.
Rafala taught us to see the vitality of
life and to engage perspectives different
from our own. For the first time in my
life, I found “people”.
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