In part two of episode 26, Drea Elzy and I have an unfiltered conversation about resources that inform her wildly brilliant mind. You are being invited to listen in on Drea and I bouncing ideas off one another like two old friends catching up. We giggle, we ponder, and we dive deeply into lessons and guidance from her personal and professional journeys navigating West Coast and the Midwest. Connect with Drea on multiple social media accounts. I tried to close out our discussion a couple of times unsuccessfully and my good friend Drea was not ready to close out just yet.
On a technical note, the sound quality was not the best during our call and there was a slight delay, but Dustin Ramsdell of Higher Ed Geek worked his magic to enhance the quality. Drea and I even have a technical moment that I decided to keep in the episode in the spirit of providing unfiltered spaces, because Drea flows seamlessly back into a beautiful stream of thought and it was pretty hilarious.
About Drea:
Originally from Los Angeles California, Drea now works in a unique blended space which touches K-12, higher ed, and policy in the City of Chicago.
Show Highlights:
- Dive into what and who is inspiring Drea right now 05:10
- Engage with the guidance Drea offers for professionals engaged in social justice work 21:52
- Drea shares the best ways for listeners to connect with her 30:01
Notable Quotes:
- “We’re always looking at the metrics and telling the story based on the metrics. Can’t I just tell you the story?” 14:43
- “When you see students in spaces where you want to fix the problem and be an advocate, because you want them to be successful and you want to be that problem solver, our first instinct is to react. To have the fullest intentionality, take a step back. Allow yourself to figure out a different way.” 22:03
- [In regards to job searching] “It was a very frustrating time. I knew I had the skill set, I knew I had the social capitol from USC, I had been to a great school. I realized, this ecosystem doesn’t trust me yet.” 25:02
- Inspirational quote from Assata Shakur:
“Dream and Reality are opposites. Action synthesizes them.”
Links Mentioned:
Connect with Drea:
- Email: aelzy1[at]ccc.edu
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