To PUSD Graduates: Resilience = Empowerment

Dr. Julianne Reynoso (Photo – Felita Kealing)

Let’s take a moment to congratulate ourselves on the accomplishment of a lifetime.

By Julianne Reynoso

Have you stopped to commend yourself on your perseverance?  Have you reflected on what has kept you going since March 2020?  Do you recognize brilliance within yourself in what motivates you to strive for more? And above all else, are you proud of who you are now? There are struggles, successes, and unknowns around us. However, life is full of unknowns, and what we choose to make of it helps us to help ourselves and those around us.  It is called being resilient, no matter the experience.  How YOU choose to move through this pandemic will be unique and you must own that to build upon it and become stronger.  However, for many of us this pandemic has exasperated us to the tenth degree, and has been challenging all the while.

Relationships are a key lever in moving through life.  I encourage all of you to find a trusted person and get through this TOGETHER to find measures of being resilient.  Coincidentally, if I were being honest, I also recognize the power of building our resiliency, emotionally specifically.  In order to continue and celebrate our assets by meeting the needs of our students, families, and staff, our resiliency plays a huge role.

Recently, I took some time to recharge my foundation by reading this fabulous book by Elena Aguilar, Onward.  Thus far, I have taken away the importance of learning what my strengths are but also avail myself of being a learner that accepts my need to improve in other areas. “Onward tackles the problem of educator stress and provides a practical framework for taking the burnout out of teaching.  This actionable framework gives you concrete steps toward rediscovering yourself, your energy, and your passion for teaching. You’ll learn how a simple shift in mindset can affect your outlook, and how taking care of yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally is one of the most important things you can do.” (2021, Amazon Review).

Be resilient! You are amazing and strong. Be empowered by your resilience.

Julianne Reynoso, Ed.D, leads the Department of Student Wellness and Support Services (SWSS) and served as the Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services since 2015.