Looking Back and Pressing On: 2012 Reflections

2012.

I must admit, this year overall was great. I'd give it a gold star!

I felt the need to have a moment of reflection upon this year as it ends and 2013 takes over.

One word to describe this year: blessings. Major accomplishments and many firsts. I had an amazing opportunity to travel on my first international trip to South Africa and Botswana. On that trip, I ate antelope and crocodile. Ask me if I thought that would ever happen in the US...

I had the chance to go hiking for the first time this year and even tried my luck at skiing. Throw in two major haircuts and a milestone birthday too!

I was able to continue toward my journey of visiting the 50 states this year and added Idaho, Oregon, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to my list. (25 states down, 25 more to go!) Oh yeah, I finished a masters degree, a goal that I set out to accomplish by 25 and instead had the completed diploma on my wall at 24.

Relocating back home was also pretty major. While I began the year as an Arizona resident, I was determined not to finish it. I'm very grateful for my new job at my alma mater where I'm blessed with the opportunity to talk with prospective law students all across the country.  (Not to mention the chance to rack up these frequent flyer miles and hotel points). 

I have no desire to make resolutions for 2013, for many reasons.  The most important thing for me is to constantly strive toward self-improvement and I don’t need a calendar to dictate that.   In this moment, I’d just like to keep basking in the blessings that manifested themselves in the year 2012.

Skiing adventures in Denver

Robben Island (South Africa)

Graduation day!

Mt. Elden (Flagstaff, AZ)

25 years old already?!

I've been 25 for a week already. It was also a week ago today that President Barack Obama won his reelection bid to the White House. It's crazy how much we anticipate important dates. The date comes, goes and time continues to fly.

But to me, this milestone is important and deserving of reflection. I remember being a 15 year old high school freshman fast forward 10 years, I'm a 25 year old working professional. 10 years ago is when I met some people who I can still call friends to this day, friends who are successful in their own right.

My 24th year of life will be defined by my trip to South Africa and Botswana. An amazing experience that I never saw coming, yet I'm so grateful. At 23, I made it a goal to earn a masters degree by the age of 25 (see previous blog post), but through a crazy grind, dedication and God's grace, the mission was accomplished.

What does year #25 have in store? 

Continued preparation for the future, no doubt. I'd like to have a PhD behind my name soon, but I believe it is important to do it when I'm ready.  After being in school since the age of 3, I think I could take a year or two off.  Traveling is definitely in my future as well.  My mission to travel the 50 states is halfway complete.  I'd like to continue to grow, to challenge myself, stretch and expand.  

For the next 357 days, I'll proudly rock and represent 25 the best way I know how! 

Nelson Mandela: His Life and Legacy in South Africa

In my opinion, a person has to visit South Africa to truly understand the impact that Nelson Mandela or at least this is how it happened for me.  We were required to read Mandela’s memoir A Long Walk to Freedom in preparation for the trip.  Honestly, I read about 200 pages before departure and more pages on the long flights to Cape Town.  While reading the book, the reader gets a better understanding of how many events in Mandela’s life set the stage for what was to come later.  Another class assignment was to talk to people about their feelings regarding Nelson Mandela and in contrast to American politics, he is not a polarizing figure.  One cab driver said that Mandela is the reason why Black people have their freedom. 

En route to Robben Island

We visited Robben Island, the prison where he spent 18 years of his life.  To get to Robben Island, one has to take a ferry ride.  From personal experience, it is quite unstable and if the waves are high, you can certainly feel the impact.  On the ferry ride, I began to think about how Mandela’s family was able to visit him on the island and after reading the 600 page memoir, I learned that Winnie Mandela was only able to visit Robben Island a handful of times over the 18 years he was there.  She endured the ferry ride only to have 30 minutes of a non-contact visit with her husband. 

On the grounds of Robben Island

Nelson Mandela's cell 

Dietary restrictions based on race for prisoners

We also got to see Mandela’s cell, as well as the lime quarry where he had to work for years and the area where he and other prisoners were forced to break rocks to keep them busy during the day.  Prisoners were forced to sleep on straw mats and were subject to horrible diets.  Because Mandela was a political prisoner, he was isolated from the majority of prisoners because officials believed that he would influence them.  (Apparently, they did realize that Mandela would still have means of communicating with them).  Again, the book came to life for me and the visit was nothing short of humbling.  Today, Robben Island is used as a museum and museum staff members live on the grounds.  

Many other places in South Africa are dedicated to the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela, such as the Apartheid Museum.  (No pictures were allowed inside, sorry!)  Inside the museum holds a red Benz that was given to him upon his release from prison after 27 years.  You can easily find Mandela’s memoir and other books written about his life at the museums and in special sections at airport bookstores.  


Today, Mandela is 94 years old, married to his third wife, and living comfortably in a wealthy, gated community in Johannesburg.  It is quite the contrast to his childhood and confinement for 27 years of his life, yet well-deserved for a man who sacrificed his personal life to be the voice of the people.

Upon exiting Robben Island - very powerful

 

Post Township Visit Reflections

In the past five days, I’ve probably experienced every emotion possible, including anger and downright disgust.  Yes, there are parts of South Africa where people do not have clean sources of water or reliable sources of electricity.  It doesn’t seem like this should exist when there are so many people living in luxury and this is the contrast that is true in South Africa (and parts of the United States for that matter).  The legalized system of apartheid ended in 1994 with the first ever democratic election in South Africa, but that doesn’t mean the remnants of history don’t still play out nearly 20 years later. 

            We went to visit Langa, a township located right outside of Cape Town and the difference between the poor and those with steady incomes was very evident, even within this community.  Our tour guide was born and raised in the township and spoke of his home with so much pride.  He currently resides in the township and sounded like he had no intention to move out anytime soon.  As we walked through the area, he spoke to everyone and the kids playing in the streets stopped and ran to him without hesitation.  In all honesty, I felt like I was in the midst of a Feed the Children commercial, as the same children showed our group the same amount of friendliness, yet they seemed to look like we would be able to provide them with something, probably money or food.
           Some people in the group talked about how cute the kids were. Last time I checked, there were poor kids (of all races) in our own backyard even, so what makes these little Black kids so “cute?” Some even remarked about how they wanted to live in the area.  Very few people will relinquish the luxuries they have to live in shacks, where they have no control over the elements, stray dogs, trash in the street, unclean water and unreliable sources of electricity.  *cue all sorts of side-eyes*
           None the less, the experience in the township was a learning experience.  I saw pride among residents, a true sense of community and family.  This also held true in the second township we visited, Soweto, located outside of Johannesburg.  Soweto is also the township in which Nelson Mandela lived in before spending nearly three decades in prison.  Everybody seems to know everybody and they represent for where they live.  I can’t say that I would want to live in either place, but that is not the point of this trip and the visit to the townships.  The point is to understand how freedom is not freedom for everyone.  Life for Blacks is better, but there is still more work to do here (and at home) in order to provide equal access to education, health care and employment for all. 

More Motherland moments coming soon!

Crystal Nance: International Traveler

So much is happening already and it’s only been 24 hours! Before getting into what took place on our first full day in Cape Town, I must backtrack and talk about the international travel experience.  My trip started early on the morning of May 13, with a shuttle ride to Phoenix at 2:30 AM.  The first flight of the trip was a 3 hour ride to Atlanta and then, there was an 8 hour plane ride from Atlanta to Amsterdam. OMG.
Talk about what felt like forever!  There are perks to flying internationally: food and entertainment.  I’ve been used to a drink and maybe some peanuts, but on the first flight, I was able to enjoy a full meal of pasta, salad, bread and a brownie.  I did some sleeping and some reading on the flight as well and got a painful reminder of just how uncomfortable flights can be for people with long legs (*makes mental note to fly first-class on the next trip*)
We had a 3 hour layover in Amsterdam, so there was enough time to eat and explore the airport.  The plane touched down there at about 6 AM local time and there weren’t many places open initially.  I got some Starbucks and I won’t think too hard about the fact that I paid $11 American dollars for a hot chocolate and bottle of water…
Anywho, I had to mentally prepare for the big one: a whole 11 hours in the air.  Surprisingly, I slept off and on for 8 hours, which made the flight much better than I expected.  It was a true relief to get off the plane and begin the adventure in South Africa.  We all have our views of what countries in Africa look like, but I promise you, the airport in Cape Town looks just like any major airport in the United States. So modern. So busy with people.
By the time we arrived in Cape Town, it was already 9 PM on Monday, but I can’t even say exhausted is the word I would use to describe how I felt.  Anxious and excited are a bit more appropriate.  Oh yeah, a little hungry too. 
Now that I know what the long flights feel like, I’m much more prepared for the trip home.  However, it is way too early to think about that! Stay tuned…more chronicles of this international journey are coming soon!

Decreasing the Gap in Higher Education, One Student at a Time

     In about a month, I will grace the stage at Northern Arizona University in recognition of the accomplishment of a master’s degree.  Lately, I even have to pinch myself about the realness of this situation.  Not that it wasn’t attainable, but that I’ve done it so fast, all the while balancing work, school, life and my much needed trips out of Flagstaff each month.  Growing up, the question for me wasn’t about was I going to college, but instead, where I was going.  What I've always seen as reality, is sometimes just a fantasy for some.  Read on for how I was able to put many things into a whole new perspective.

     I just had the opportunity to watch a film, “First Generation,” a documentary that chronicles the journey of four high school students with ambitions of college, but a lack of money was an obstacle for these students with limited knowledge of the entire college process.  In one case, the high school counselor intervened to assist the student as he navigated the college process, even stepping in when the student had not received a financial aid award letter by June.  For the most part, the parents were supportive of their children and their dreams.  On the other hand, the talk of college made the parents realize their helplessness when it came to assisting their students in paying for college.

     This documentary made me think about two things: the true privilege I have (and have had) by not being a first-generation college student, as well as the privilege of having attained multiple degrees.  I get it, everybody doesn’t want to go to college, but don’t we have the obligation as a society to help those who want to go? Statistically and realistically, college graduates will earn more in their lifetime than non-college graduates.  Degree attainment gives students the opportunity to break out of the cycle of poverty that plagues many communities.  Besides the financial benefit of a degree, there are the intangible benefits of the college experience such as learning time management, the creation and expansion of network, in addition to reassurance. 

     This documentary also had me thinking about the role that I play at the university with parents.  There are some parents that are very active in their students’ college experience, but what about those parents that have no idea what is going on?  How do we help them?  This film proves this: parental outreach begins before students even step foot on campus.  How do we get them to understand the admissions and financial aid process?  It is easy to assume that parents have a general understanding of what is going on, however, human nature shows that we can easily shy away from things we don’t understand.

     My challenge to myself, my colleagues and other adults with access to students who want to attend college, as well as the parents of those students, is to be a resource.  Talk to them, make sure they talk to their counselors, express the benefits of the college experience to them.  Furthermore, do the same with their parents.  Show them there is no need to fear what they do not understand.  Finally, think about how you can (in your respective capacity), assist President Obama in making sure that the United States produces the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.