Am I able?

....This seems to be the question of my life. And the answer is often - "no, but step out anyway." That is how I feel about SUSTAIN...unqualified, incapable, yet willing. I read both Roger's and Linda's excellent posts and thought to myself, "I am not able!" Yet here I am posting too.

Although I am a teacher here at Cal Poly, I am not, during this first initiation of this experiment, a core faculty member. For much of the same reason that Linda stated: my expertise is very narrow. But I am a willing participant in small scale "step up" activities initiated this coming winter quarter. I am also coordinating, with Linda, most of the assessment activities: Assessment of students and faculty and even community. I find my involvement in SUSTAIN to be invigorating, life giving and really quite essential to my well being.

Backing up a bit, I have been at Cal Poly for 17 years. First as a lecturer, then as a staff member, and now as a Tenure-Track Faculty. Well, actually my involvement with Cal Poly dates back even further when I started here in Fall of 1976, as a scared 17 year old engineering student. I guess this place is in some ways very much my home. But not until I became involved with the SUSTAIN group in the fall of 2009, have I really known the community and fellowship I have longed for my whole life.

This group of people, faculty, community members, staff and students has shown me what a life of caring really means. I experience with these people inspiration, acceptance, challenge, and hope.