Invest Yourself: Pasadena, with Alec and Rory

A few days ago, Alec and Rory, graduating seniors, presented on the process and culminating achievement of their capstone project: a book entitled Invest Yourself: Pasadena, which was made in collaboration with another student, Calvin Heartfield, and the original creators of Invest Yourself, by the Commission on Voluntary Service and Action. To begin the event, the two first offered background on how they became interested in global studies and their respective conclusions that this endeavor would best suit their goals and abilities. Both having travelled to Argentina this past summer, they shared a unique investment in the state of Latin America. As a result, each turned to service here in the States, understanding that, while grand idealism inspires greatly, hard work in “glocal” communities can also make positive change. (Glocal, the compounding of “global” and “local,” refers to the global nature of communities within American regions and cities.)

The two set out to compile various community engagement opportunities that are within the Pasadena area, as the title of their project suggests. As a framework for their project, Alec and Rory used the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By categorizing each organization or charity under one or two SDGs, the pair streamlined the search process for prospective volunteers who are confident in what they want to pursue and made possible the realization of interests in the spirits of young members of society. Though compiling, editing, synthesizing and formatting the information in the book was an exhaustive process of endless email chains and occasional miscommunication, they felt that their book was the beginning of something that has the potential to spur change, with which I concur. Alec and Rory recognized that the book would be a continual effort, one upon which others would have to expand as the city of Pasadena changes. As we look forward, the Pasadena volume of Invest Yourself seems to have an immensely high ceiling for impact. Now, it is up to those who read and ultimately use this book to commit themselves to the spirit of change that its authors so profoundly demonstrate.

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