Katy McQuillan

 

Facilitator, Explorer, Innovator

Participation in World Cafés

The process of the World Cafe was unnerving at times. It was really interesting to hear the projects that my classmates were working on and felt passionate about. The unnerving part was just the inevitable flow of people coming in and out as things settled and everyone found their spots, because I feel really strongly about the Alternative Food Systems/Divestment project. The constant shifting sparked the fear that the project would be dead on arrival, but as always, the lesson is to trust the process. The open forum nature of the World Cafe was really helpful in as far as it providing the opportunity for cross pollination and brain storming amongst the different groups.

 

Learning Compass

01_Where Have I Been?

1.  I’ve learned from experiences that have exposed me to other ways of life, other perspectives and just how many different ways there are to derive meaning from one’s existence.  Additionally, many of those same experiences have taught me just how much power the body holds.

  1. I can think of two critical learning moments in particular.  The first was traveling across the country for 6 months, on my own, working on farms most of the way, and the second was beginning a massage therapy program once I returned to New York.  Both were completely out of my comfort zone, which is when the most interesting things happen.  If nothing else, that’s what I’ve learned.  Additionally, both required me to lean into my physical strength, revealing how much I actually have.  This connects to what I learned as far as being a part of a community, and the importance of showing up, being present, pulling your weight (sometimes literally).  That community is a practice and an activity, not merely a theory.
  2. I suppose I have a scattered educational background, academically speaking especially.  I’ve essentially been to four different colleges, studying everything from political science to filmmaking to massage therapy to theater to religion to philosophy, all the way to economics.  The gaps in between my institutional learning have been equally if not more so educational, the amount of travel that I’ve done allowing me to connect to the world that we purported to be studying in the classroom.
  3. I’ve worked in grocery stores, conferences, farms, customer service, childcare, theater, etc.

02_Where Am I Now?

  1. A strength I have is taking leaps of faith into new experiences, risk taking and dreaming big and trusting that I will learn what I need to along the way.  I think a weakness is allowing other people into that process, working on a team and trusting that process.
  2. I’m interested in learning more about leader roles.  It’s a position that I find myself in quite easily and often, but it also makes me immensely uncomfortable.  What does it mean to be a leader?  What does that look like in the day to day?
  3. As far as learning methods, I definitely learn by doing and engaging and working with other people.
  4. I’m motivated fundamentally by matters of the heart.  Ways in which I can contribute to a more just world.  That’s it.  That’s my whole game.
  5. For me challenges have to do with the details of the big ideas.  What’s a plan, what does it actually take to make it happen?  I think I convince myself that I need to lean on other people in that area more than I really need to.
  6. In my free time I dance, I sing, I love to read, write and think about the world.

03_Where Am I Going?

  1. I’m graduating this year and I’m really not sure exactly what I want to do next.  I’ve thought of perhaps taking a Jewish Studies grad program, but regardless, I would love to delve more (and back) into religion and mythology analysis.
  2. Short term goals:  graduating.  Convincing Evergreen to divest from Aramark.
  3. Skills I would like to work on; identifying goals.

04_How Do I Get Where I Want To Go?

  1. Fill out applications, create options for myself as far as next steps.
  2. Identify mentors, people I would like to connect to and maintain working relationships with.
  3. Following Through

05_How Do I Know I Have Reached My Goals?

1.  As far as Aramark’s concerned, that I will have been a part of developing something that future Greeners will be able to continue to build on.  I’m not really super concerned about anything else.