Oh the Places You'll Go
Dr. Seuss has been one of my favorite children book authors. At the end of the High Road Program, I can’t help but remember a specific part of his book Oh The Places You’ll Go.
“You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.”
Using what we learned during the High Road, we have decided to help the community, to look over our work with care and compassion to combat inequality within the world. We are taking the good street, fighting and acting upon the values we believe in. This summer, working with the Center for Elder Law and Justice helped me understand the ways in which I can incorporate my beliefs to support the community. I can now imagine the impact I can truly have. This summer, my work focused on the traditional design of nursing homes and the way that these designs are flawed, so much so that they have failed our elderly. I looked at alternatives models that could improve the current condition of nursing homes. These alternatives could provide a more patient based culture, which is medically more beneficial for residents, while incorporating lower spending prices for facilities. My research showed that it is time to reimagine how long-term care is provided for our elders, starting with the design of nursing homes, and implementing a patient centered culture.
As I leave the High Road Fellowship, I think of the first line of the Dr. Seuss quote, “You're on your own. And you know what you know.” I now know the change that I can make. The information I learned through my research of nursing homes is just one of the many things discussed during the high road that will fuel my desire to dedicate my future work to combating injustice within communities. The High Road Program changes you and leads you one step closer to the amazing places we can go with our careers.