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How my 2016 new year resolution initiated a much needed dialogue on class, trauma, and inclusiveness.   
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My resolution to foster a dialogue on poverty, trauma, and inclusiveness

Dear friends,

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day and President's Day weekend. 

In my last newsletter, I talked about how Calm Clarity helps grow and develop the part of the brain (which I call Brain 3.0) that enables us to fulfill our resolutions. Now I want to share about my personal resolution for this year. 

On Jan 1, 2016, the resolution I set for myself was to finally face the stigma of growing up poor and having suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

My fear of being stigmatized had led me to protect myself from being judged or having my life circumstances be used against me in any way during college and over the course of my career. Also, I didn't want to be seen as ungrateful for the opportunities that were given to me. Neither did I want anyone to insinuate that I was less capable than people who came from privileged backgrounds. As a young person, I decided that proving that I could stand on my own two feet as I overcame enormous disadvantage would ensure that nobody could look down on me. 

Nevertheless, even after I had proven myself, the very tangible, negative consequences of stigma still kept me from fully opening up with my former classmates and my peers. As the new year approached, I realized that if I wanted things to change, I had to be willing to openly share my story in order to shed light on the challenges faced by young people from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds and advocate for more support for these students.

I decided to start this dialogue with my own Harvard classmates by finally writing about my struggles as a first-generation college student in this essay, "Poor and traumatized at Harvard," which I shared through our class Facebook page. The immediate outpouring of empathy and support from my classmates encouraged me to share the essay more broadly and summon the inner strength to re-engage with Harvard as an institution. 
  
After I posted the essay on Calm Clarity's Facebook page, it immediately went viral. Then the New York Observer asked to republish it. Through these two sites the essay has been viewed a quarter million times, clearly validating the importance of these issues. The essay was also republished in India on a website dedicated to business education and translated into Vietnamese.  

Overall, the most meaningful response has been from current college students and graduates from around the world who reached out to share their very similar struggles and how reading my story inspired them, let them know they were not alone, and gave them hope for the future. I have also heard that college admissions officers across the country have read it and are taking it to heart, which makes me optimistic that people care and progress can take place.  

Isn't it amazing how one resolution can have such positive ripple effects? This is a real-life demonstration of how shifting from Brain 1.0 (fear and self-preservation) and Brain 2.0 (reward and competition) into Brain 3.0 (self-mastery and service to a greater purpose) enables people to make a positive impact on the world and to be more fulfilled and integrated.  
 


A fantastic collaboration with New York University 


Thanks to the co-sponsorship of New York University (NYU), the first Calm Clarity retreat in New York City at the end of January was a great success. In addition, I collaborated with NYU to offer a lunch-and-learn aimed at students from under-served backgrounds. 

This testimonial from our co-organizer at NYU illustrates the impact the program made on participants: 

“Due presented to a standing room only crowd at New York University. Her message and methods were resonant for a diverse range of people within our community from freshman first generation students, to doctoral candidates, senior administrators and faculty alike. Her expertise is of value no matter your field or role. In just one short hour, she was able move people with her own personal story, convey the complex brain science behind her methods and enable people to experience the power of mindfulness. We see that our students are busier than ever these days, juggling academic, professional and personal commitments. The practices Due shared can be easily applied in any life – no matter how busy you are – to increase focus, reduce stress and achieve high performance.”

     ~Bethany Godsoe, AVP, Student Leadership Initiatives, New York University

 
 

Master your mind. Be your best self.

 
 
In case you are interested, here is the schedule for our upcoming weekend retreats in Philadelphia: 

1. February 27 to 28 (only a few spots remain)

2. April 9 to 10  

Fees are $400 per person. 


Please register here: http://calmclarity.ticketleap.com/

Note: The proceeds from these workshops support our social justice mission to help close the education divide by giving people effective tools to address toxic stress.
 

If you have the means to do so, please consider making a donation to support us to provide our unique evidence-based essential life skills program to low-income students.  
 

Donate now
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you have Calm Clarity.  


As always, many thanks for your support.
Due Signature
Due Quach
Founder, Calm Clarity
due.calmclarity@gmail.com 
Read about us in the Philadelphia Inquirer

“Calm Your Mind,
Think Clearly and 
Be A Better Person”

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