Sharing Brilliance, Sharing Innovation

Greetings from Kansas City! We are currently halfway through our Millennial Train Project (MTP) journey and it has really been a blast so far. Together with the MTP staff and mentors, we have travelled to Pittsburgh and Chicago. We have just left Kansas City for Albuquerque and will subsequently head to Los Angeles. Amongst the 25 participants on the train are three Fulbrighters from Peru, Germany, and Malaysia.

After getting to know everyone during the journey, I was blown away by their experiences, achievements, and projects. It is a great feeling to know that I have been sharing the same air with some of the most brilliant and innovative people in this country. Additionally, a deep kinship developed between us in the tight quarters of the train. We had so many laughs and tears together.

This was everything I hoped for and more when I applied for this program. As a bonus, I got to witness the amazing diversity between different parts of the United States and work on my exploratory project which involves meeting with organizations running educational programs for underserved communities. This project stems from a fascination I have with how Americans are empowered to stand up and advocate for what they believe is best for their own communities.

I am hoping that I will learn a great deal about the educational disparities that exist in the United States, and, more importantly, how they are addressed. I believe that this will help me to become a better teacher and leader in education when I return to Malaysia. It is a great privilege to be part of this year’s MTP journey and I believe that I have and will continue to make lifelong friends and collaborators as it continues. I am looking forward to waking up early tomorrow morning to catch the breathtaking sunrise on the golden sands of New Mexico.

Follow my journey on Twitter @JarodYJK!