DISES President’s Letter – April 2024

Hello Dynamic DISES Members,

As I move through different transitions of my spring season, I find myself continuing to say,  just do the next right thing, everything will fall into place in due time. And with that spirit I send you my April message as we begin May. Thank you Lao Tzu for your words, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

I am excited to share a few upcoming events: 

• May 4: DISES, DCDT, DARTS, and DEC are so excited to host our LIVE Virtual Art Gallery | Honoring and Expressing Intersectionality Through the Visual and Performing Arts this Saturday, May 4th, at 3 pm EST! Register here TODAY. We will be welcoming artists from K-12 to adulthood to share about their intersectional identities using visual and performing arts.
• May 18: The Family Engagement Committee is excited to announce DISES is hosting a Sip & Chat event on May 18th. Join us by registering here. Our Sip & Chats are free events and open to all, so if you know someone who is interested in learning more about DISES or would like to join in on a global conversation about Family Engagement, we would love to see you there. If you have any questions, you can reach out to Robai Werunga at Robai_Werunga@uml.edu.

• 
• June 26-28: DISES International Conference is being hosted in Panama City, Panama. Presenters, please be on the lookout for conference program and other information. We have some amazing speakers, excursions, and fellowship opportunities.
• Save the dates:
  • July 17 6 pm Sip & Chat
  • August 27 11:30 am Getting Involved Committee Check-In Register here
  • August 10 2 pm Sip & Chat
  • October 12 10 am Sip & Chat
  • DISES Student Engagement Events:

I would be remiss if I forgot to honor a few of our amazing DISES members:

• Alexis Bacon-Yates, Kenyon Andrews, Keitha A.M. Osborne, and Srinivas Pannela will be representing DISES (selected from over 100 applications) as a member of the 2024/2025 CEC’s Diversity Leadership Academy (DLA).
• Saurym Quezada will be representing DISES on the CEC Leadership Program.
• Keri Mignano, DISES Member-at-Large, who has graciously been involved in DISES social media, virtual events, awards committee, CEC Conference Planning team, DISES Panama Conference Planning team, creating visual slideshows, and so much more. We appreciate all you do while you juggle teaching, working on your doctorate, and taking care of friends, family, and your wellbeing. You are a gift to this organization!

As we move into May, please be gentle with yourself. 

Rebekka J. Jez, EdD

DISES President