Great schools and training programs offer learning opportunities that go far beyond the syllabus. We asked some amazing folks from the community to share stories from their educational journey with us.

Momoko Uno

When I was a young resident, one of my teachers said, “When we were recent graduates we thought that every illness was treatable and we were so sure about everything.” The wisdom in her words about the uncertainty of life and prognosis was something I didn’t have the experience to understand at that point in my career, however her words had stuck with me and kept me grounded. Approaching thirty years of clinical experience, I can relate to her words, but not only from a negative perspective but also that some people against all odds overcome great adversity that seems impossible. I’ve learned that the importance of not fitting ourselves into statistics and that our will has great impact on outcome of events. Not to say that will alone can overcome everything, but I think its a key ingredient to beating the odds against challenges that may seem impossible at the time. Read more>>

Jennifer Smith

When I started teaching yoga, after practicing for over 10 years, I was full of passion and hope to share what I had learned in my own transformative journey. But as I immersed myself in the yoga community, I began to notice a troubling trend. The teacher training programs I was being hired to teach for were often superficial, prioritizing flashy poses and Instagram-worthy moments over the depth, philosophy, and lineage of yoga as well as teaching things that were completely accurate. Yoga wasn’t just being watered down—it was being stripped of its roots. I knew I couldn’t stand by and watch this sacred tradition lose its essence. That’s when I decided to start my own yoga teacher training program, one that would honor the authenticity and depth of yoga as it was meant to be shared. Read more>>

Afifah Rahim-leong

“Like many kids, I was asked what I would like to be when I grew up,” recalls Dr. Afifah Rahim-Leong, now a veterinarian in Colorado. “For 16 years, I did not know what the answer was. However, there was a tiny voice in my head that constantly whispered, ‘I want to make a difference.’” That whisper turned into a calling after rescuing a Rottweiler named Kiya, abandoned on the side of the road in her native Singapore. “Kiya was my epiphany. She made me realize that caring for and improving animal health and welfare is what provides me the greatest adrenaline rush and sense of gratification. I want to make a difference, one animal at a time,” she says. Read more>>