Tanya Conklin

Volunteering has always been a passion of mine.  In the summer during some of my middle/high school years, I volunteered as a camp counselor at camp Na-Bor-Lee and was a leader at Vacation Bible School.  During the school year, I would go to the local nursing home and visit and play bingo with a woman […]

My most poignant experiences with generosity have happened through mentorship. Amongst an eclectic network of mentors – comprised of childhood dance and art teachers, colleagues and college professors to family members, peers and fellow artists – I have discovered various facets of generosity; most notably, the three S’s of Selflessness, Sharing and Service. Selflessness is […]

Each month The Current supports Partners Advancing Character Education (PACE) by publishing a guest column connected to one of PACE Character Traits. For the month of June it is Integrity, which is living a set of values encompassing honesty, respect for others, and a sense of personal responsibility. Integrity has played a large role in […]

Trustworthy is the PACE character trait for April.  As a former school counselor and now teacher I’ve learned a lot about trustworthiness, working with students and families.  To be Trustworthy means to be someone that others can trust and count on to be reliable.  Trustworthiness is essential for healthy relationships including your relationships at school, […]

Growing up in a big family has had a huge impact on me and who I have become. In my family, there seven of us living in a four-bedroom house, and I am one of the five kids in my house, so needless to say it can get pretty chaotic, but home is where the […]

 In life, rarely is anything worth having easily or immediately achieved. Sure, you may experience an immediate reward from time to time—winning the lottery is the obvious example here—but you did not do much, if anything, to earn that reward. Rather, the rewards achieved through hard work over extended periods of time are the most […]

Diligence is defined as persistence, dedication, and hard work. Some may say these qualities are deep-rooted within individuals while others say they are acquired. It is my experience that they are both. People throughout our lives influence the paths we choose through their actions. Very special people find our strengths and encourage us to better […]

Honesty can seem like a simple concept. Merriam-Webster defines it as “fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; adherence to the facts; sincerity.” Or perhaps we are more familiar with it being “to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” But, like any other traits, I believe there is more depth to it […]