Kinetic Seeds

Although I'm still grappling with the idea of connecting spirituality to the influential world of McKinsey, they have indeed ventured into the realm of spiritual health. I can almost sense your skepticism—it probably echoes my own. One takeaway from their recent report should resonate with higher education leaders as their Gen Z Survey in 26 countries found that across generational cohorts the vast majority of respondents said spiritual health is “somewhat” to “extremely” important to them. This leads into one of McKinsey’s calls to action for social, public, and private stakeholders to “explore ways to help people find purpose and space to reflect on their lives. This includes employers seeking to help individuals find meaning in their work.” Although I’m far from sold on employers entering this realm, what’s interesting is that within the context of my work to amplify student voice in higher education, spirituality is also a critical topic for many of today’s students. In our research, students view the exploration of spirituality as leading to personal growth and transformation. Some find solace and support in their spiritual beliefs, considering them integral to their mental well-being. Others say spirituality provides a sense of connectedness. One student described their spirituality as "an eye-opening journey that has allowed me to challenge my preconceived notions and expand my understanding of the world.” Another said they “used to view mental health and spirituality as separate entities, but I've come to realize how interconnected they are… helping me cultivate self-compassion and a deeper understanding of myself and others.” And a third shared, “Spirituality has been a guiding light in my mental health recovery. It has given me a framework to make sense of my experiences, find meaning in adversity, and cultivate a sense of gratitude for the present moment. It’s a deep well of support that I can always turn to." Our key takeaway? Of course spirituality can be a powerful tool, but please, dear decision-makers in all industries – yes, I believe as McKinsey states in their report that “everyone has a role to play in helping people have lives with purpose” let’s remember to step into this with loads of thought and care. It’s about enrichment, not commodification. It’s about well-being, not window dressing. It’s about support, not branding. ?Nothing is more human than spirituality and the idea of it being overshadowed by corporate agendas or reduced to mere metrics or political games would be a disservice to its true essence. Don’t believe me? Just ask the DEI folks. #SpiritualHealth #MentalWellbeing #HigherEducation #studentvoice #McKinseyInsights" https://lnkd.in/epYKM4VV

I recently participated in the development of a "Shift?Power. Share Power." framework, an initiative to foster student?empowerment and engagement in higher education. Shaped by student?contributions nationwide, the framework aims to?support student agency in their educational experiences. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, parent, or person interested in bettering future generations' education, I recommend taking a peek at this presentation and its findings! ?? As a first-generation, low-income college student, I am dedicated to the?promise of this framework to create meaningful change. It?provides hope and a?platform for students like me to shape our academic journeys. I want to say a big thank you to Christine Flanagan for allowing me to participate in this research journey. Your commitment to empowering underrepresented students is truly inspiring. As always, I am delighted to share my experience in these insightful and engaging topics! ??

With their permission granted, let me introduce six remarkable humans who co-led a recent project to help ensure that students from historically marginalized communities feel acknowledged, listened to, and valued, right at the heart of their diverse identities, both on campus and in policy-making. The result is a student-facing shift power, share power engagement framework aimed at empowering students, enhancing their control and influence over decisions impacting their educational paths and those of future students. While you can check out the work using the link below, I want to take this time to call out the people involved:?Layla Milton, Saige Thibaud, Synia Agnew, Debbie M., Caroline Frogozo, MA, LPC and sahibzada mayed (???????? ????). I’ve said this to you all before, in the end I don’t have a say on whether an institution chooses to listen or act. So what matters to me most is that you receive takeaways - knowledge, experience, respect and financial compensation.?As for me, your dedication not only enriched this project but has also been a personal and professional masterclass on being. Last, a special shoutout to our partners Tides and Changing Perspectives. It was a gift to travel this journey together!

A new report from Gallup and Lumina Foundation measures how policies and laws impact college enrollment. Among the findings, free and open discourse is essential to prospective students. Seventy-six?percent of surveyed students say it’s important that they be able to discuss “divisive topics” like gender and race in classrooms, emphasizing the value placed on academic freedom. Read the report here: