Hello Beavers !
The Student Sustainability Center (SSI). I would like to thank them for their short highlight about my volunteering. If you enjoy landscaping or any other work that could help maintaining sustainability in the community consider helping out !
To read the highlight :
http://oregonstate.edu/ssi/feature/20130109-meet-sami-al-abdrabbuh
Have a wonderful & sustainable day !
Sami
Jennifer reminded me with an Arabian proverb “ Ma Mat Men Khallaf “ ; Who has a successor shall never die.
My own perception of this proverb is having children. Children who will carry on my name and legacy. Well, Jenifer helped me to embrace another perception about this proverb.
I thought I’m not too young to miss a teacher who taught me. I just realized that I am not too old to start watching those who taught me move away from this life. It’s Autumn , they call it fall, even the young green leaves which inspired me are falling in this season, and amazingly it’s a cycle !
Last spring I took a course at the Adventure Leadership Institute in Oregon State University a class in groups dynamics. It was an experience rather than a course. Jenifer, one of the two instructors who made this experience insightful with a very ambitious and full of energy colleagues.
Fast forwarding to an earlier time last month I heard about her death. And for the first time knew her fight with cancer for the last year and half. Shocked, sad, and paralyzed I was. It was a weekday, emotionally incapable to think of anything I can do. Unless I had the thought that i would never knew her if she stopped producing, inspiring and giving as long as she could despite all the hurtles in her way. That made me think of doing something, anything. It was an open house at the crafts center, I wiped my tears and headed to the crafts center to do the job: doing something, anything. Trying this and that, I settled over the pottery section. It was my first time to work with pottery since my 2nd grade in school. That’s 16 years ago. It was a beautifully rounded pot with double layers. Similar to a fountain that has two layers to hold water. I’m not sure how useful is it, but I experienced something new, and so I liked it.
Jennifer mentored and facilitated experiential learning for many people. at her reception today, she was remembered by people from all around the nation. Remembered for her cheerful, insightful impact. And yes, I did self reflect, how would my reception be ? who would be there, what photos will be shared, why would I be remembered ?
As that day becomes closer I wonder, should forgiveness be there for those who have hurt me or for me from those I have ever hurt ? Despite what those people might think of me? shall my good deeds be accepted by god ? Was fairness always my guidebook through every single encounter in my life?
It is overwhelming to see people from different parts of the nation being connected because of one soul. They share their love, worm tears and a cheerful smile.
Jen graded my reflection journals for the group dynamics class. She was candid when I needed that, appreciative when I progress. As she was continuing to give, I said a goodbye before the last class as she was going to volunteer teaching kids in San Antonio. How determined !
That did not allow me to meet her after submitting my final paper which she read and graded. I had to reflect on my learning experience and synthesize several theories. In my paper conclusion, I preferred not to conclude over the theories themselves, rather I wanted to conclude over something else:
“….
Conclusion,
This experience in group dynamics helped me to look to myself and surrounding with an
enlightened and curious eye. I was observing the crowds of the battle of the bands with many active neurons charged in my brain cells, thinking about the ‘why, how, what if, what would be similar to this?’ types of questions.
My experiential learning journey itself exposed me to moral dilemmas that I never thought of. Strangely, it made me feel how weak am I to have the full awareness of everything. My realization about care and justice in moral development ignited my spirituality.
I do think about the ultimate wisdom of god that I should seek more of (it). Not by having a blind faith. Yet by having faith in two elements;
First, I do not possess the complete wisdom which I believe exists in Allah.
Second, I shall never stop the experiential learning journey of observing,experimenting, contemplating over every single existing concept, and actively building on what I have learned.
Such journey will make me closer to the complete wisdom, yet never there.
Investors usually reflect on the return over the investment, if I will measure it on the typical methodology of measuring the collective tacit knowledge of theories and experiences bounded within the coursework frame, which will indeed give me, and my scholarship sponsor, a positive return over investment value. However, I should realize that my real return over this investment is the impact of this tacit knowledge I acquired to appreciate and size my slender experience, knowledge and wisdom. It is more in realizing how this life is a huge arena full of untapped experiences, undiscovered scenes and unseen wisdom.
The real return of investment is in the realization of my own sparse wisdom that I starve to fill with my ongoing journey.
Sami Al-AbdRabbuh
Wednesday, June 06, 2012”
Well, I did not fully realize that the investment costs of this course was just the tuition and learner effort and time. Jennifer invested her last breaths for the learning experience that I have gained.
I should thank you Jen for that investment.
I return to the first proverb and wonder, am I a successor ?
For those who were taught, inspired, mentored or touched by Jenifer: Are you a successor?
In your weakest moments do you still give or stop ?
If you are falling like a brown leave and you really know that you are not going to get back over that lovely tree of life, would you still make a beautiful landscape ? Would you continue giving ?
Will you inspire others around you ? will you serve them with a cheerful smile ?
Are you a succesor ?
I should thank you jen for letting me embrace a better perception about the Arabian proverb: Ma Mat Men Khallaf “ Who has a successor shall never die” !.
Jennifer, You have successors who will simply … carry on !
So long Jen.
Her last comments on the last journal. At this one I got a 10 ! But I still had to write something back !
Yaay ! I did it !
I’m officially a beaver .. A curious beaver indeed.
It has been long time since the first and last time I wrote here. It was my first day in INTO OSU . And now this is my first week as an officially Engineering grad student … It was 8 months of the toughest , most enjoyable, and most grueling indeed !
For the past 8 months I went through a very exciting journey as a non-degree seeking student. I initially took some interesting English classes .. luckily my international colleagues helped to learn some Korean ! and my instructors gave me nice opportunities to learn more and to have a positive contribution to my colleagues .
The journey comprised group dynamics courses and other interesting Engineering , Statistics and Management grad courses.
These courses didn’t just help me to increase my GPA (which was really not that good one ). Regardless of the best academic performance I have ever achieved in a school, during the last couple terms I was able to know very great people. A network of wonderful instructors and colleagues.. one of which I will miss for good. I’m surely dedicating a post for her.
The journey wasn’t that easy ! going through very critical personal experiences and challenges it was almost going to drain me to my end .. Luckily it didn’t, and here I am .. survived with a smile !
Despite the few odds, I was completely surrounded by caring and encouraging people who really encouraged me to do my best and gave me vision to make what seemed unlikely possible a reality. This place is very resourceful for me, I started the experience of comparing what I used to have and what I can have now .. but I stopped ! , Now it is a matter of how I can really utilize these resources that this lovely campus could provide to me, and how I can measure my life by the good deeds and care that I could give to those who are around me !
I can say I’m a new person today, part of that is due to Clay Christensen who did not only inspire me through his talk : How Will You Measure Your Life? . Furthermore, he also inspired me to consider “Disruptive innovation theory” as my theme for research. ( Disruptive innovation is good .. actually very much needed… and could make our lives better and more productive ).
Sometimes, it might be a great thing to “list” what we believe is our achievements in a period of time…. this could go wrong .. sometimes our achievements is just to explore .. and keep looking and talking about what you want to do … so you maybe will figure it out. I don’t believe in total randomness and lack of planning , But being open to new experiences and different routes is really enriching .. and this is what I learned through the last 8 months :
- I was very focused on Engineering Management systems as the field to understand and advance innovation systems. I initially was not much interested to consider anything else in Industrial Engineering ! … here is what happened :
This is how we try to understand the functions and processes of any kind of system. It’s fun ! …
All the wonderful things that happened in the past 8 months couldn’t happen without the support of many individuals who I could not name and list here. My experience at this lovely town didn’t get exclusified (Yes I’m inventing this word !) by the classroom and GRE test preparation ( I don’t want to talk about it, it’s just past … just one thought : standardized tests SHOULD CHANGE … that is if we really want to have an innovative nation). Back to the thought , my life was not exclusively attached to the classroom:
Conversation couch , a very nice idea by one of our teammates to facilitate fun and enriching interfaith conversations
$60 second hand bicycle could get you to anywhere here .. almost !
When I was done with whatever challenges and disappointing experiences I was going through I thought looking back can not be right.
Having the chance to self reflect over what really matters for me right now and where I can go from it makes a difference. looking back should be selective to what really matter and to those who really deserve your dedication and who appreciate it. Self reflection over this makes your day fulfilling and your next one full with promising joyful experiences.
So, this is how I’m starting my grad school, full of passion and appreciation to where I am and whom I am with. Wish you too a joyful journey.
Love you all !
Sami
Hello OSU !
As my first day at OSU begins in INTO, it will be very beneficial to write down some of what I do aspire to do in Americas most innovative city !
It is my passion to help people around me to be more productive and efficient. Combined with the attitude of “why not in a different way” my father helped me to develop since early childhood, the innovation part takes a huge role when tackling any sort of problem.
The most crucial problems of the century vary between managing energy resources, reducing root causes of a declining climate, water resources management and other issues as well. Nevertheless, it is indeed that the proper utilization of the human factor in solving all of these problems will make the difference.
After a short and very enlightening exposure at GE Energy I realized how people will matter in solving problems even when the most advanced and competitive products are used. That made my interest to be closer to how people work and interact. Yet not losing the passion of a “typical” engineer appreciating the technology and having late night dreams of the next possible patent/solution that can be brought to life in the next day.
Leading a small start-up called “CrispyScience” dedicated for science and technology awareness in the society I am blessed of knowing many potential stakeholders who share the passion right here.I do believe that maximizing productivity and innovation is needed to be within the young and small minds as well as in the old huge manufacturing plants.
My passion and dreams might emerge together to make a thesis statement closer to clarity; Innovation, technology and people should interact in better ways to learn better and produce more effectively. Probable patent for an innovation enabling technology might be the outcome of this journey. Or could it be a genuine research to investigate best ways of work group effectiveness ? Perhaps a well tested product,service or a platform that my start-up can use to effectively bridge the huge gap of STEM literacy in the 21st century !
So let the journey begin !
