Tonight I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a Holocaust survivor and author of the phenomenal must-read book The Choice. Dr. Eger reflected on the recent tragedies that all of us are confronting and reminded her audience that “We are not born with hatred. It is learned.” The horrific tragedy of George Floyd’s passing reminds us that there is much work to be done to rewrite the lessons of hatred that fueled the police officers’ decisions which led to his death. Those police officers could have made very different choices. All of us need to closely assess our choices and the impact they will have on the world around us. One very poor choice robbed a man of the only life he will ever have and has unleashed a flood of pain across this country. As someone who chose education as my profession, it is my responsibility to help guide my students so they make very different choices than the ones that ended George Floyd’s life. It is a responsibility that will be a priority for me every day moving forward.
-Mindy Popp, Founder and Principal College Counselor, Popp & Associates
