Carolyn McKnight

Margaret Mead once commented, "The best way to learn is to learn from the best." Nowhere is this more obvious than when one looks at the life of Carolyn McKnight and her continuing contribution to teaching and bettering humanity. In her early years, Carolyn taught children, and later held executive positions in the technology sector. In more recent years she has taught leadership as a college professor at Portland State University, led dharma groups, and mentored and coached many executives in the community. In all facets of life, Carolyn leads and teaches by the example in which she lives her life. Like a poet, Carolyn has the rare ability to provide language to the emotions and states of mind that many of us can only sense, but not define.

Currently Carolyn is the Director of Leadership Programs at Portland State's School of Business Administration where she shares her beliefs about responsible corporate leadership and organizational development. Carolyn provides individual coaching to MBA students and teaches a class in Leadership and Development. She has changed the lives of hundreds of MBA students, and in at least one case, saved a life. Students and faculty deeply respect Carolyn's strong ethical convictions, compassion for all of humanity, and spiritual grounding. She leads one of the nation's first programs integrating leadership development and management into the MBA experience.

Carolyn is the daughter of a Baptist minister and although she has chosen a different career, she shares his need to progress the plight of humanity no matter how daunting the challenge. She has traveled extensively through her work with Mercy Corps and Digital Divide data to provide the less fortunate with skills they can use to rise above poverty and enrich their lives. Whereas no teacher can ascend to greatness without the open willingness to learn from others, I am often amazed that after completing one of these grueling trips, Carolyn will tell stories of what she has learned- how one can be happy with so little material things and how generosity can be experienced in many different ways.

Being able to see things in all their complexities, subtleties, and perspectives is one of Carolyn's strongest skills and speaks of her highly intelligent mind. As a close friend, I know I can turn to her with a problem or describe an unpleasant interaction I have had with someone, and she will invariably offer perspectives I never would have considered. With her tolerance and compassion for others, I am so ever grateful that her desire to expand the scope of consciousness is courteously contagious. Anyone who is fortunate to be Carolyn's friend has had his or her life improve as a result.

Besides her full-time teaching responsibilities, and with more energy than most, for the last several years Carolyn has offered to the community free-of-cost dharma groups. She leads the group in discussions of Eastern philosophy, meditation, and prayers for humanity's healing.

Taking on challenges is an integral character trait of Carolyn. She has literally climbed many of the world's highest peaks and figuratively has accomplished heights known to only very few. The world is certainly a better place as a result of her exceptional offerings as a teacher and humanitarian.

Locate on Walk:

• Stage Wall (Left Wall), 1-16