The World in LA; Los Angeles in the World

For my capstone project, I plan on completing a grant proposal in partnership with Reading Partners, a national literacy nonprofit with which I have worked for the last four years in various capacities. Reading Partners mainly operates in Title 1 schools and services students who have fallen behind grade-level expectations. I began working with Reading Partners because I am deeply invested in equity in education and also benefit greatly from my engagement and relationship with the school where I volunteer. Though this organization does not directly serve or operate in foreign countries, I believe the work it does in the United States, and particularly in Los Angeles, has global significance in two ways. Last year, I became a member of the regional Tutor Advisory Council, specifically contributing to the Library Improvements committee. In meetings, it has been noted that there is a lack of reading options that reflect the diverse student body Reading Partners Los Angeles serves.

This past Sunday, Kiran Ahluwalia and her band completed the last leg of their West Coast tour in Pasadena at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium. Several Poly students, including some members of the Global Scholars cohort, and faculty joined her for two hours of sensational performances. In her work, Ahluwalia blends the vocal traditions of India and Pakistan with aspects of jazz, rock, and Mali and Western blues to create a fusion that transcends any of her individual influences. Onstage, Ahluwalia moves—and even seems to become one—with the music she and her bandmates create. Her movements appear loose and spontaneous, allowing the viewer to feel both sonically and visually immersed in her work. She also masterfully utilizes numerous implements and instruments during the performances of her songs. During this concert alone, she used a megaphone, a tambourine, and bracelets; coupled with her soaring vocals, Ahluwalia’s work is sheerly beautiful. Particularly in light of the recent tens

Jessica Jackley, co-founder of Kiva and professor at the Marshall School of Business at USC, recently visited Poly’s upper school to discuss her path to social entrepreneurship. A parent of two Poly lower-schoolers, Jackley began the event by introducing herself, her two children, and her husband. She stressed something with which many Poly students and parents can likely relate: family, despite all of our various obligations and activities, comes first. Throughout the event, Jackley also emphasized the value and importance of each of our individual stories, which I greatly appreciated. To open her TedTalk from 2010, Jackley said, “The stories we tell about each other matter very much; the stories we tell ourselves about our own lives matter; and most of all, I think the way we participate in each other’s stories is of deep importance.” This investment in the experiences of others seems to have guided Jackley’s pioneering work in the microlending space. Jackley also detailed the e