This past week I had a difficult but uplifting experience. I served on a committee to award Leadership scholarships to worthy applicants to UCLA. UCLA receives more applications for admission than any other University in the world. The standards are extremely high.
Our committee sought to rewards those students who had shown service to their community; had a vision for their future and were likely to make a Leadership impact at University and well beyond.
We read through 41 written applications which included several essay questions. We learned a little about each applicant's family life. Many of them had overcome tremendous challenges to carve out their success so far. We had some applicants who had struggled with divorce, death, drug addiction, abuse and language difficulties in their homelives. Yet they not only persevered and grew stronger from the adversity - they excelled because of it.
Yesterday I had the privilege to meet with 12 of these remarkable young men and women to interview them in person. I came away from the experience on a high and with renewed optimism for our future.
My local newspaper doesn't even put senseless gang-related shooting deaths on its front page anymore. (Unless it's the case of a 15 year old standing outside her school - as happened last week). And we all read about the story of the troubled teen who morphed into an assassin at Red Lake in Minnesota several days ago.
You'll notice that this post is in a new category entitled "Good News". I felt the need for such a category. I have no idea where I'll find the content. Certainly not in my local newspaper and not on the news. So send me your links or stories to anything which lifts your spirits or gives you hope for the future. And we'll spread some much-needed hope and joy to others.
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