Sharon Brisolara is an educator, writer, program evaluator, and Resilience and Equity Coach.She holds a masters in Human Service Administration and a PhD in Program Evaluation and Planning, with concentrations in Rural Sociology and Women’s Studies, both from Cornell University.
“You don’t have to do something wild outside of yourself. You just have to do something that’s comfortable for you to do. . . . If you see something that needs to be done, and you feel like you could maybe do something there, step in and see what happens. I’ll bet there’s going to be folks around that will guide you along and you can probably learn, too.”
“Work in your circle but consider the impact of your actions for not only yourself but for generations to come . . . follow your passion, be respectful, learn as much as you can, and think as far forward as possible. You can find good in so many different places.”
“We have some people in this county trying to drag down the community . . . Others are working hard, very hard, to build it up. And those two factions are fighting against each other . . . You’ve got to find ways to compromise.”
“A better society, from my point of view, is a society that grows together. This is a little thing that gives us hope: the fact that we can come together, regardless of where we come from or our political ideas, and make something happen.”
“For me, community is when a group of individuals come together, regardless of differences, for a common goal…a greater good and try to do something. That could be my Mien community, my work community, or my community here in Shasta County.”
“Whiskeytown Environmental School has been in existence since 1970. It’s actually the second oldest environmental education center within the National Park Service. (The WES staff) are a small but mighty group of dedicated people who believe very deeply in the importance of introducing children to nature and outdoor science.”
“I’ve always been a doer. I’m just a very active person, and I’ve never been one to say, ‘Well, why don’t they do this?’ I see it and if it has to be done, I do it. I’m not a complainer. If I can do it, I’m going to do it.”
I often urge my clients to see beyond good and bad to what “works.” What works is to love. It doesn’t work to hate. What works is to care for one another, and seek to understand one another and find common ground. It doesn’t work to hate one another and hurt one another.