For the last 2 years I have been working on a passion project. I’ve had many sleepless nights and feelings of overwhelm. There have been plenty of days that I wanted to quit and give up. I felt like the more I moved forward with the project the more it went backwards. I felt like I had setback after setback…until I didn’t. In May of 2020 shortly after the George Floyd and a lesser known “Chainsaw Incident ” in McAllen, TX, the co-president of Village in the Valley and I felt like we needed to do something. What started as dialogue with our local elected officials regarding policing and community relations has morphed into something completely different.
We were fortunate to be introduced to Mr. Jake Jacobs, author, change strategist and the founder of the Illumination Project. Mr. Jacobs has been a consultant & constant support as we moved through the process. He continues to provide oversight, direction and guidance.
In May of 2022, our version of The Illumination Project was birthed. Village in the Valley has formally partnered with Mission Consolidated Independent School District to advance our vision. One of the goals of the project is to provide a more inclusive, supportive school community for all students, teachers, administration and parents. This is the first initiative of its kind in the Rio Grande Valley!
I’ve shared this with you today to remind you that no matter how much you feel like throwing in the towel and giving up…DON’T. If what you’ve been given is in alignment with your purpose…keep moving forward. As many times as you hear “No, I’m not interested”…knock on another door. Giving birth to something greater than you, is not going to be easy. But stay the course, surround yourself with the right people and be ready. Your impact may not change the world, but it can change a community which can change someone’s world.
For the official press release from Mission Consolidated School District go here.
To see the Illumination Project in action, click here.
Hola! I’ve been following your site for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Atascocita Texas! Just wanted to mention keep up the good job!
Thanks for the comment, I hope you enjoy our posts and they prove useful to you.