Mental Illness 101 (Free Printable Resources)

Every year at the Claremont Colleges in February, a student group called Splash hosts an event called Claremont Splash. It started at MIT and has since expanded to Stanford and schools across the nation.

From their website: Splash is a once-a-year (FREE!!!) event where high school students come to the Claremont Colleges and Claremont Colleges students teach classes on literally (yes literally) anything (math, poetry, long boarding, socks….) 

I was the volunteer graphic designer for a couple years-- I designed the table tents, posters, and flyers.

Full Attention; or, why I no longer jaywalk

My class at Pitzer begins at 8:10 am. To walk here, from my apartment, takes approximately 25 minutes. And yet, I walk out of my door every morning at 7:30 am on the dot, giving myself almost twice the time I need. I do this to avoid jaywalking.

You may be thinking, "Wait, I jaywalk. Everybody does it. I mean sure, it's technically illegal, but it's really just frowned upon. And how many streets to you have to cross that this could be an issue?"

I cross two streets (to get to a corner), and there are rarely drivers, much less inattentive speeding cars. The traffic lights are probably run on timers or by some formula based on city planning. There are pedestrian buttons, but I'm not sure how much I believe in their effectiveness.


The reason I leave so early, and the reason I do not jaywalk, has to do with my intention for focus, mindfulness, and attention in everything I do-- including the mundane.

The Value of an Umbrella

"The price is what you pay. The value is what you get." - Unknown

It's been rainy and drizzly here in Claremont the past couple weeks. I used to really struggle with it-- the wet, cold, icky feeling of the rain, putting a groggy damper on my entire day. Then one day, I suddenly discovered a solution: an umbrella.

I'm not here to claim I invented the umbrella, and I'm not here for you to ridicule my lack of obvious knowledge that a cheap umbrella from 7 Eleven has the potential to protect me from the rain. I am here to give my thoughts on the value of the little things that make your life better.

For so long, I scoffed at the idea of an umbrella. I don't know if I thought I was too cool, or if I assumed my hoodie could protect me from even the briefest walks between my apartment and my mailbox. (It could not)