Today marked day three of Education Week here in Crete. The past few days have been inspiring, enlightening, and emotional to say the least. After two great lessons from Garrett, we walked over to the conference center this morning for our first guest lecturer, Dr. Betty Siegal. Dr. Siegal was the president of Kennesaw State University before her retirement. She holds the title as the longest serving female president of a college or university in US history. Dr. Siegal has traveled all over the world and met with various national leaders. So needless to say, we had the opportunity to listen to a great lecture and have a discussion with an extraordinary woman.
Her topic of discussion was “Ethical Leadership.” She discussed people she had met, experiences she and her husband had shared, and then came to a close by offering us a quote that really hit home for me: “What you know is not as important as what you are.” That is what we’re learning here. We’re not spending hours a day in a classroom and skimming the pages of a textbook memorizing facts and dates. Instead, we’re studying ourselves—who we are and what we want to become. And with the help of Robbie, Beth Ann, Garrett, and Dr. Siegal, we are learning how to get from one point in our lives to the other.
In hopes of not sounding cliché and cheesy, I am having a blast learning about myself and creating new relationships with the other students. But, I am so excited and motivated to come back to Georgia and share my thoughts and experiences with my family and friends. I think they will without a doubt see a significant change in my goals and views of how I want to spend my day-to-day life from now on.
This afternoon, most of us will be lounging by the pool and walking through the shops in our town. Tonight will be the Grecian soccer team’s first game of the World Cup, and some of us will be heading over the sports bar next door to cheer on our new team.
The picture I chose for my “Life in 3 Words” was a picture of me upside down after jumping off the bridge in the Corinth Canal. I know you all have already seen pictures, but I chose this particular one because bungy jumping was definitely a statement for me of conquering my fears. I hate roller coasters, so for me to jump off of this bridge was a rebellious moment. From the moment I decided to actually jump, I have a new view regarding fears and apprehension—you shouldn’t have any. This has been for me ‘learning what I am.’ So, my 3 words are: Have No Fear.
We are all loving Crete and are so excited for Mykonos and Santorini in the weeks to come! Thanks for reading!
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