This all-day event in Oakland with other Bay Area leaders was inspirational as well as a wonderful opportunity to learn and network. The conference theme: Joy + Activism: Sustaining the Leader and Learner in All of Us was clear through the purposeful activities, speakers, and protocols during the day that had the group of about 100 women explore what it means to cultivate joyful well-being, caring communities, and ongoing learning as we imagine new futures and seek to make a positive impact.

I loved being able to hear the diverse journeys to leadership that were in the room, along with the spirit of motivated inquiry by those looking for direction and the next steps in their own journey. There were heads of school, leaders from other educational institutions such as BATTI, and a keynote speaker that was absolutely such an inspiration, Shabana Basij-Rasikh. As the co-founder and president of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), the first and only boarding school for Afghan girls, operating in Kabul from 2016 through the summer of 2021 and now in Rwanda, she captivated me with her deep commitment to her mission and the struggles that girls face to be educated when we take that for granted here. I hope you have some time to visit the SOLA website to learn more about their mission and work and how we can support the organization as advocates for girls education. This day truly was a time for reflection, restoration, connection, inspiration, and a pause in the busy life of being in education to appreciate those in the field and their determination to make a difference and uplift one another. I highly recommend this as it is an annual event through CATDC.