Assistant Professor of Clinical Sciences
Keck Graduate Institute School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Claremont
You know how you wish if only you were this, or if you only had that? Well for my entire life, I wished I could sing well. I come from a mom and dad who are far from perfect pitch. To my surprise, LDI made me a better singer.
LDI taught me to be a player, not a victim. Poor me inherited bad singing genes and can’t sing well. LDI brought me out of this victim mindset into taking control of my situation. What can I do in any given situation?
As a player, LDI taught me to take action regardless of the circumstances such as being born into a home that didn’t win any family singing contests. Prior to LDI, I had only considered taking vocal lessons to improve my singing. LDI changed me to take action, specifically, in the present moment.
I proudly report that I have taken fruitful vocal lessons. To others, it may have sounded like a dying cat. To me, it was the sound of progress. I had the ability to respond. That is, I am response-able. I responded to my situation with action. I embraced the lessons and homework, and was proud of my progress.
It turns out the singing lessons were choices I made to honor my core values of growth and spirituality. I discovered that life is meaningful and successful to me when I am growing and am spiritual. I am working towards being able to project my voice. With a projecting voice, I will be able to sing at the volume I desire when I worship.
I have many people to thank for helping me to find LDI and my singing voice. To name just a few, I thank Nancy Alvarez for first sharing with me about LDI years ago when we spoke in the ladies restroom at a Board of Pharmacy meeting; fellow 2018 LDI member, Sam Lee, who encouraged me to apply this year; my Panda podmates who have been consistent supporters; and my husband and fellow 2018 LDI member who models unconditional love despite the dying cat and all.
I joined LDI to make an impact on my professional life. Through LDI, I realized that I was neglecting to strive in my personal life with the same intensity and intentionality as in my professional life. The player mindset that I have developed through LDI will help me to think, what can I do when…?
My LDI project developed as a response to one particular such question. What can I do when I find maintaining scholarship as part of my professional life hard to do? First, I approach the situation from the mindset that I have the ability to respond. I am response-able.
“Implementation of Action Research” is the title of my LDI Project. As a group of action research-interested colleagues, we will work independently and synergistically for continuous quality improvement at the classroom and institutional level. This practical approach will inform personal teaching, provide assessment data, and contribute to publications.
I am not approaching such scholarship endeavors because it is a criterion for my job. I am approaching my scholarship endeavors because I desire to align my core personal value of growth and my interest in continuous quality improvement, with my activities in conducting educational research. I am grateful to the leaders for this mindset-changing longitudinal program and excited to apply knowledge gained through LDI into both my professional and personal life.