Uncommon Talent - the Gift of Gabe Vasquez

Gabe Vasquez does not comprehend how uncommonly talented he is. I believe he knows he's talented, but I don't think he understands how his particular brand of talent is extremely rare - at least in Iowa and, really, most other parts of the world.

While Gabe is a college student by day, he is an artist all the time, for it isn't possible to abandon artistic abilities, either willingly or on a whim. An artist is who a person is, not what he or she creates.

Gabe is an artist; his muse speaks through graffiti art. Gabe can see an image in his mind and then spray a spectrum of hues on a wall to bring his vision to life. Vivid, vibrant, intense, captivating.

I had heard of Gabe before but did not meet him until tonight. I listened as he told about coming from El Paso to Waldorf College as a business major and how - after a few semesters - he realized he needed to change majors. I heard him acknowledge that painting is his passion, and I sensed that he is never happier than when he has a can of spray paint in his can, bringing a small, rough sketch to life in super-sized proportions.

A wrestler, Gabe is familiar with the struggle of pinning a human to a mat. The give and take of those matches is shaped by pairing competitors of similar weight. However, when facing an unadorned wall that awaits transformation, Gabe's struggle is his alone. The give and take occurs inside himself. Only he can bring forth what is held in his mind. Only he can chose the colors and then wave strokes of brilliance into patterns, effectively pinning paint to the wall.

I hope Gabe doesn't end up in a career directly tied to any major he receives at college. After he earns his degree, I hope Gabe finds a way to follow his passion - to create art with the capacity to transform lives. If that's what happens, his college days will have been well spent.
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Thanks, Mark Newcom, for teaching in a way that makes this kind of learning possible. I learned a lot tonight. I can only imagine the other lessons happening along the way.

Best Wishes, Gabriella "Gabby" Gonzales!

While this blog is about Gabriella "Gabby" Gonzales, it could just as easily be about any of the students who graduated from Waldorf College this year after having given us the privilege of getting to know them as they learned in our classrooms.

It's about Gabby, because she came to our home on Tuesday to say goodbye shortly before leaving town. Not every student takes the time to do such a thing, but when one does, we always feel blessed by his or her visit. It gives us an opportunity to mark the moment with that student–to acknowledge this significant milestone and promise that we will stay in touch. (And we try really hard to.)

The visit alone - beyond anything said during the visit - acknowledges that we shared life together, and it made a difference to all of us.

Gabby arrived at Waldorf College a few short years ago and soaked up as much of the college experience as possible. She played soccer, led KZOW as station manager, and helped WAL-TV as well. She also immersed herself in many other college experiences while learning as much as she could about the communications profession. As you'll hear in the vlog, she has a career in mind now along with a plan for how she can begin to make it possible.

And so, Gabby is heading back to California, back to her home state - her home town - feeling a bit like she's leaving home. That's simply what happens when you go to college. You create a temporary home, and end up surprised at how much you permanently care about it. Even if it has a lot of snow (blizzards!) and tornadoes.

Thanks for sharing the best of yourself with us during your time here, Gabby. I hope you felt like we gave you the best we had to offer as well. We - and Waldorf College - are better for having had you here.

Reconnecting with Kelli Linn-Bloomquist

Kelli Linn was back in Forest City today. More significantly, back in the land of Waldorf College.

She's Kelli Linn-Bloomquist now, a married mother of three young children (the newest just 3 months old). Kelli works as the coordinator of the Homeland Security Training Center located on the campus of Iowa Central Community College. In her role, she is responsible for coordinating media training opportunities for those working in government security positions across the state of Iowa - soon across the United States.

Kelli has an extensive media background, having worked in multiple media roles, and I regret I didn't take the opportunity to learn more about those vast experiences in the short time we met for lunch at Scoopy Doos today. It was simply more fun to reminisce about her days at KZOW, connect on what it feels like to be a working mom, and compare our concerns and hopes for our individual futures.

She confessed to feeling nervous about coming back; I've heard that before. As other alumni have shared, coming back to Waldorf - a place that has played a significant role during formative moments - isn't always easy. The rush of emotions that floods in can threaten to overwhelm. I know that feeling myself. I've had trips back to my alma mater, Wartburg College, where I have entered the Waverly city limits busily wiping tears.

I hope Kelli felt like she came home today - and not the literal kind of coming home - the kind of coming home that finds you meeting yourself as you were once-upon-a-time. Those experiences are empowering. They give you the hope you need to carry who you are now into the future.

As Kelli herself in advises in the video, "The biggest thing in life is just to show up." Wonderful advice, Kelli. And I agree. If you don't start by showing up, nothing else can hope to happen.

Kelli, it was wonderful to have lunch with you. Thank you.

As always, I continue to look forward to what might come next.