LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Author event to focus on helping students find 'true north'


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The Campolindo Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) committee will be hosting an author event with Tim Klein - an award-winning urban educator, clinical therapist, and school counselor on Oct. 11. Klein, together with Belle Liang - a professor of Counseling Psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College - developed True North, a curriculum and web-based application for creating purpose profiles to be used in schools and universities.

Klein and Liang are the authors of "How to Navigate Life: The New Science of Finding Your Way in School, Career, and Beyond," which offers a framework and set of questions to find kids' "true north" - what really turns them on in life, and how to harness the core qualities that reveal this, allowing them to choose a course of study, a college, and a career.

"Many of our families are focused on getting into the most competitive colleges and universities. While this is not a negative pursuit, I think students could use guidance on the deeper work of thinking about finding their purpose in life," Campolindo Principal Pete Alvarez said. "My hope is that students are signing up for classes and activities that they find interesting, that bring them joy, which personally resonate, and that foster growth. But this is not always the case and often leads to students just 'doing school' and not discovering the joy of being a learner."

Dr. Paul Espinas has seen an increase in anxiety and depression and other mental health issues for teens. "I would hope that students engage in work and activities that fit their values and purpose," he said. "Also, there are many different pathways to having a fulfilling, successful life."

Alvarez says some families and students are experiencing greater pressure to get into and afford college. "The most competitive schools market their low acceptance rates and increases the performance anxiety for students. Having a myopic view that college is the only pathway to success leaves many students blind to the multitude of possibilities in life. For students who do chose different pathways in life, this can lead to a feeling of marginalization and failure, which couldn't be further from the truth."

DEIB Co-Chair Anne Murrin hopes this event teaches students that "they matter for who they are, and not what for they do, get to know themselves/their values and make personally relevant decisions."

The event will be held at the Campolindo Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 11 and is open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.