2015 Class

Strength can come in many different forms. What does it mean to be resilient? How did you learn about it and where did you get it from? I believe that each generation has to overcome

Like many, my family migrated from Louisiana to Oakland in 1954. My mother, Linda Wilson, was 10-months-old and the baby of the family, as my Grandfather use to call her. She was a vibrant child

Success is not the same as resiliency. Success is the pinnacle at the end of the journey, it is the accomplished dream. Resiliency on the other hand, doesn’t have the same sense of finality that

My grandmother Minnie was quite the woman. She was the first Alaskan Native Athabascan woman to win the title of Miss Alaska, back in 1940. What an amazing opportunity for a young native woman whose

In a scene in the movie “Forrest Gump,” a young Forrest is running down a dirt road to escape some bullies. Taking the advice of his friend Jenny, to “Run Forrest Run!”, the chase turns

I occasionally glance over at the photo of my sister Peg which sits on the window sill near the kitchen sink. It’s an unframed snapshot that at times slides cock-eyed into a slit in the

I want to tell you a story about my best friend who just happens to be my mother. Her name was Marjorie Anne Solomon, but everyone called her Midge. Midge was a feisty woman, but

Open a dictionary, flip to the “R” section, and I’m certain that under “resilience” you will find a reference to my mother. You know how they say that people have a tendency to give their