Kim Smith

I engaged in the Global Conference on Sustainability in Higher Education last week.  It was an amazing experience with 9 keynote speakers who are all leaders on racial injustice and environmental justice.  Ibram X Kendi, author of "How to be an Antiracist" and Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of "Braiding Sweetgrass" were both incredible and inspiring speakers.  They dug deep into the lessons going on in our world and identified specific actions for how we can all serve as change agents.

My partner has a deck of cards called "Personal Values Cards," which they used at work for personal reflection and in team-building exercises.  We have used the cards to discuss our relationship and develop greater appreciation for each others' styles and priorities.

For my EcoChallenge exercise, I laid out all of the cards and grouped them into different qualities that shape our personal and professional lives.  I tried to rank qualities that touched my heart and mind and reflect how much I value doing quality work, for the greater good.

So, as personal as these are to share, my top five core values are: Communication; Honesty/Integrity; Competence; Intelligence; and Productivity.