Take 5: Magic Wand

In our monthly Take 5 column, International Educator poses a thought-provoking prompt to five members of the NAFSA community. These international educators, who represent a diverse range of voices and perspectives, respond with their insights, recommendations, and personal reflections on the myriad themes and questions that are facing the field.

If you could wave a magic wand and eliminate one hurdle, headache, recurring issue, or other aspect of your work, what would it be and why?

Many who know me professionally may not be aware that, personally, I have a habit of defaulting to, “Hmmm, I’m not seeing it . . .” when faced with new options. So, perhaps I would use a magic wand to let go of the tendency to get stuck on an issue or problem and, instead, to make space for openness, possibility, and expansion. I can help my students and mentees to do this, but it’s hard for me to offer myself the same grace. So put another way, my magic wand would help me to “get out of my own way” (as my mentor says) and to welcome new experiences, challenges, and opportunities—to truly embody what it means to be a “lifelong learner,” not just in a formal I-will-take-a-workshop-now sense but more so in an experiential I-will-push-myself-into-new-roles-and-challenges sense. And, of course, I know that I don’t need a magic wand to make this happen!
—Sora Friedman, School for International Training Graduate Institute

If I could wave a magic wand, I would create a world