Objective: LEAD Fellows will be able to use conciencia to reflect upon, embrace, and articulate their personal narratives bringing them to leadership.

Prayer: Lord, you have called me to education, and you give me your son, Christ the Teacher, as my guide. You send me to be your face and word in school today, to bring your message of faith, hope, and love.

With my students, may I be always patient and understanding and never resentful or despairing.

With my colleagues, may I be always generous and supportive and never dismissive or hurtful.

With those entrusted to lead the school (particularly if this is me!), may I be always considerate and constructive and never obstructive or difficult.

With myself, may I be always grateful for daily blessings and never take things for granted. May I also be reflective and open to the ways in which you are using my gifts, talents, and funds of knowledge, to better my community around me.

Dear Lord, give me the wisdom and strength of your Spirit, today and each day, that I may help the souls committed to my care for the common good and for your greater glory. Amen.

*Adapted from The Jesuit Institute, Icon of Christ the Teacher

Introduction:

Why is it important to know and share your personal story? Finding similarities with other people helps to form connections and often leads to encouragement and inspiration. Your life may feel ordinary to you, but it might seem extraordinary to someone else.

In our first module, we focus on the power of personal stories and the importance of knowing and being secure in your own story as a leader, as well as honoring the personal stories of the students and families that you serve. Relationships are often central to the Latino culture, and the ability to build personal relationships can often make or break the effectiveness of the leader. Being able to connect with and gain the trust of students and families requires authenticity, often through the sharing of one's background and experiences.

This month, we explore two essential aspects of leadership preparation—personalismo and conciencia— as discussed by Bordas (2013) in chapters three and four, and how they translate into leadership practice. Bordas states that “while self-awareness is an essential part of leadership preparation for all people, for Latinos it includes integrating one’s cultural identity and knowing one’s roots and family heritage.”

We also invite you to engage with Paty Salazar Harty's ACE commencement address from two summers ago. In it she shares a deeply personal story about her upbringing and school experience as a daughter of first-generation immigrant parents from Mexico.

Reflection Questions:

Please be most welcome to take notes or address the questions in the graphic organizer slides (found below the readings).

1. Take 10-15 minutes this month to write or draw your story - both your personal journey to where you are, as well as your specific journey to leadership. Be prepared to share 2-3 key life events that have shaped your personal story during your mentoring group call.
   

2. As you consider Paty's reflection, what ways does not only knowing, but embracing, her family’s story and heritage shape her as a Latina leader today? Was there any part of her story you could relate to, or what resonated with you from her story?
   

3. How has your own story influenced you in your role today, and how can you leverage that to better serve the students and families in your school? How has your faith shaped the formation of your personalismo and values?
   

4. Just as the ability to build relationships can nurture confianza and lay the foundation for an effective leader, the failure to connect can result in a loss of trust and credibility, particularly with Latino families. How might you build trust with your Latino families? How might you build trust with someone that is non-Latino? How do you embrace your own culture while honoring the differences in someone else's culture? How do you embrace your own culture while honoring the differences in someone else's culture?

Graphic Organizer:

Be welcome to use this slide deck as a place to organize your thoughts. When you click this link, it will ask if you want to make a copy. Simply respond "make a copy" to access your own version.