Month: April 2012

Of job-hunts, majors and calling…

sreyoshi Musings , , 2 Comments

The body was a modified ice-cream tub, the blades were borrowed from my dad’s cabinet, and the motor was a simple battery operated device, a treasure that I owned. I used these to make my first working model, a mini-blender, for my doll house. A nidus was planted, which over the next decade took a concrete shape in form of my calling: engineering.

As a five year old, little did I know that I had jet-skied myself to a field, which as the ‘know-it-alls’ of the world claim, most paying. Yes! my 60 month old brain had weighed the pros and cons to spear-head towards a career which would eventually sublimate into my spending a good part of my post-retirement life on my private island in the Bahamas…

No. 4.50 AM does not make me crazy.
Internet on the other hand…

There is a notion about certain majors being more paying than others, floating on the web-o-sphere.  I wonder, how people can justify choice of careers based on economic capacities of the same. Surely talent and giftedness cannot be exchanged for monetary compensations?

everybody is a genius…
but if you ask a fish to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing it is stupid!

Whatever happened to motivating high schoolers to follow their hearts? Goes to show why many of the best brains of the world, were not graduates! So, when does one follow ones true calling? How does one recognize true calling, in order to respond to it.

I know of individuals who have chosen to follow their hearts. And no, it probably does not monetize as much as the high flying corporate job in a multi-national.

But, it does pay! It pays in the implicit means, rewards difficult to tag.

This post is not to argue about choice majors and careers, this is just to leave my thoughts out in the void, hoping that, for all those articles merging and trending ‘jobs, majors, money and economy’, there is one voice in disagreement.

For, after all, there ARE somethings, money cannot buy…

 

talking about inclusivity…

sreyoshi Musings 2 Comments

As I sat at the Cranwell International Center, being interviewed for the post of Global Ambassador, I was asked: Is VT inclusive, in catering to different nationalities? This got me thinking…You see,in my opinion, inclusivity is not a institution-dependent, it is rather, part of a much larger phenomenon, waiting to be jostled around with, by the mental faculties of all those, who do care, to be a part of a global venture, called life.

The dangers of a singular view and perception are many, while a variety of opinions and colors add flavors to the community, wherein we reside.

So, HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN ALLY?
An ally for inclusivity. An ally proclaiming equality…

The Salamanca Statement (UNESCO, 1994) had a major impact in reaffirming, recalling and recognizing policy and practice of inclusion in many different countries. Inclusion thus (a tad stereotypically), may be described as the extent to which communities receive differentially abled, differentially thinkers and the like, individuals as members of the group and values them for the contribution that they make.

As individuals, each one of us is different and unique. In a community there will be people who are more similar to each other and then there will be people who stand out, because of their differences in ability, interest or attainment. The extent to which we treasure the variety in the individuals and also accept them as they are and for what they are, defines our inclusive nature.

This means that for effective inclusion, all individuals must actively belong to, be welcomed by and participate in mainstream community. Their diversity of interest, abilities and attainment should be welcomed and be seen to enhance the life of the community.

It not only pertains to responding to the special needs of the individual but going a step forward and accepting the differences, appreciating the range and embracing the variety. Inclusion then is all about giving importance to diversity rather then simply integrating and assimilating it.

And of course, inclusion cannot be taken as a onetime activity, it requires constant monitoring and evaluation of the system and it also demands restructuring the cultures, policies and practices so that it incessantly and continuously responds to the diversity of the individuals in their system.

So, it is Asian-Pasific American Heritage month. And VT, in all its inclusivity is hosting a haord of events to commemorate the same. But these events shall foster inclusivity, only if  YOU make an effort to learn and appreciate and benefit from these talks. So, munch on steamed dumplings and coconut cookies (or any of your fav APA delectables), but make also an honest effort to learn how you can be inclusive.

To summarize I take refuge of the Bard of Avon,

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

Mercy, not from the point of forgiveness……but in terms of being indulgent of each other’s differences, moderations in our attitudes and being generous in expanding of our learning about others…