my mentor.

sheila danko has changed my life in a big way. it is because of her that i finished my college education the way i did, that i joined aiesec, that i went to the business as an agent for world benefit conference in october 06, that i developed a passion for social innovation and design, and ultimately the reason i have the knowledge and passion that i do today. i sent her a copy of an article yesterday with a letter of thanks and praise, because every once in a while its nice to hear that youve influenced someone:

hey sheila!!!!
i hope all is well in the tundra that is ithaca these days! im doing really well down here in medellin teaching english and im SO glad i made the decision to come here. a lot of things in my life and plans have changed because of it, but one thing that just hasnt changed is my passion for social innovation and cradle to cradle design :)

for my conversation class i found this article that i IMMEDIATELY thought youd be interested in if you havent already read it: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/09/plastic.bottle.boat/index.html i hope you enjoy it as much as my class and i are! tomorrow im actually doing the entire lesson on cradle to cradle design and showing a video by bill mcdonough on youtube!

honestly sheila, the more time i spend out of college living my life the more i realize that you are one of the people that has influenced my life more than you will ever realize. every decision i am making has its roots back to DEA 111 and dancing mind/thinking heart. with your passion and ability to explain things i have been able to figure out where my strengths fit into the world and what i want to do with them. i hope we keep in touch sheila. i want to know about the awesome work youre doing and keep you updated on where my life goes.

whenever you get a chance (i know you dont have much time) just let me know how youre doing :) maybe we can even set up a phone date! hope all is well and hope to hear from you soon :)

besos desde colombia
syd

and this is what she wrote back:

Sydney Dear,
I do appreciate your notes and updates, though I don’t always express it. You have no idea how much your words and enthusiasm for change means to me. To know that I was a part of your development is most gratifying, especially in a field where teaching is relegated to lower status than research. I hope to stay in touch always. Nothing means more to an educator than to watch a former student grow and pass on their enthusiasm for learning and commitment to change. Your energy astounds me.

Thanks for the article!! Please, always make sure I have an email for you. I am going to be redesigning 111 in a major way and would love to run the critical ideas by you.

Fondly,
Sheila

the wheels have been a'turnin in that old brain of mine around cradle to cradle design. ill let you know what pops out.