On Friday August 5, 2022 we did what millions of parents have done. We got in the car without our 18-year old son and drove away, leaving him to begin […]

One simple word can make all the difference. AND. By definition, “and” is a conjunction which ties together two words, clauses or concepts that are intended to be taken together. […]

“I probably shouldn’t say this.” Then don’t. Then ask yourself the following questions: Will what I say next add value to the conversation? Will what I say next solve a […]

I haven’t shared this story with many people. But, now seems like the right time to do so. Seven years ago, I attended a prominent, week-long executive leadership institute for […]

Dear Smart People, Smart People Think They’re Right, but the Most Effective Entrepreneurs Assume They’re Wrong, by Jeff Haden is definitely worth the read – and not just for entrepreneurs. […]

Expecting or desiring something to happen is the basic tenet of hope. As a kid, you may have hoped for a special Christmas present; hoped the boy you had a […]

Shouldn’t the word “leadership” stand on its own? Why do we qualify “leadership” with the word “good” or “bad?” I’ve been wrestling with this leadership question. If “bad” has to […]

Being a good follower is as equally important as being a good leader. Most people play both roles, leader and follower. Being good at both will make a difference, especially […]

Beliefs–what a person holds to be true or real, whether true or real–are the basis of a powerful paradox of the human existence. A classic tale that demonstrates this is […]

Yes. That is a picture of my trash. It is filled with garbage, discarded food, dust bunnies and debris from sweeping the floor, and even Buddy’s poop, the rescue dog […]

A common complaint among college faculty and administrators is about the audacious expectations of some (albeit not all) college students. These expectations get translated as “students are so entitled these […]

Each day presents opportunities to make choices about how to react or respond to a person or situation. Commuting to or from work, shooing kids out the door to get […]

The results of a survey I recently conducted to validate 17 proposed beliefs of successful college students are provided below. Each of the beliefs can be tied to growth mindset […]

Community colleges are open admissions institutions, providing everyone with access to higher education. Everyone. And it should stay that way. Unfortunately, and probably unintentionally, with the focus now on completion […]

When it comes to how people interact with each other, there are four degrees of relationship along a continuum – each with an increasing level of engagement and effectiveness. 1st – You […]

Today’s conventional wisdom (driven by research on student success and completion) has community colleges believing that “students don’t do optional.” This belief has perpetuated many of us to focus on two primary tactics […]

According to a September 2011 report by Complete College America, 75% of community college students are commuters, often juggling multiple priorities (families, jobs, school).  As such, non-traditional students are the […]

Think of something you’ve started. A diet, exercise program, home improvement project, a class, a relationship, a do it yourself project. Why did you start it? What compelled you to begin? Did […]

Who are community college students? Certainly we see students from across the continuum — from students who are not “college ready” to those who could’ve attended the top universities but […]

Policy + Process + People = Outcomes Community colleges across the United States have been working hard over the past several years to figure out how to get more students […]

A few years ago the tabloids went crazy because it was presumed that Brad and Angelina’s twins had Down Syndrome.  Horrors! I will always remember standing in the check-out line […]

With only the best of intentions, people will say, “Rachel is always so happy.” True.  Except when she’s not. People with DS have a full range of emotions and emotional […]

Before Rachel was born, but after DS-Day (when we knew for sure that extra chromosome indeed existed), I simultaneously wanted to know everything I could about DS, and I wanted […]

It sounds right when you first say it…”more alike than different.”  People with Down Syndrome are more like you and me than they are different than you and me. OK. […]

People often mistakenly refer to Trisomy 21 (the medical term) as Downs Syndrome. Not so.  It is Down, like Up.  Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) is named after Dr. John Langdon Down […]

Faces of the 2015 DSAH Calendar See the beautiful girl in the lower left corner? Yes.  That’s the one.  Miss September. Rachel Ann Nutt She’s the girl who forever changed our […]

It’s rare that you hear something so powerful that it stops you in your tracks and pushes everything else out of your head in that moment.  But, that very thing happened […]

That a leader will have to make difficult or controversial decision is inevitable.  Good leaders will explain their reasoning.  But, every once in a while a decision has to be made […]