1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,240 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team 2 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:14,340 and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun and uplifting. This podcast 3 00:00:14,340 --> 00:00:18,480 is created and produced with the help of students from the International Community School of 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:24,720 Bangkok. Today's episode is packed with great conversations, inspiring stories and a brand 5 00:00:24,720 --> 00:00:30,080 new adventure you won't want to miss. I'm joined again by co-host Mia and Frank. First 6 00:00:30,080 --> 00:00:35,360 up we have the amazing opportunity to talk about leadership, why it matters, how it shapes 7 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:41,320 young minds and how we can all grow as leaders. And who better to discuss this with us than 8 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:46,240 our elementary school principal? Plus, we'll hear two incredible fifth graders read their 9 00:00:46,240 --> 00:00:51,640 leadership essays. Trust me, this is one of the best parts. Then for segment two, get 10 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:56,560 ready, we're launching the highly anticipated sequel to our hit adventure story, The Secrets 11 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:02,760 of El Dorado. This new chapter, Legends of the Yucatan, brings back familiar faces, introduces 12 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:08,040 new characters and takes you on a thrilling journey packed with danger, suspense and hidden 13 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:12,680 mysteries. But first, before we get started, let's hear our quote of the day and get some 14 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,720 headline news. Our quote of the day comes from John C. Maxwell, 15 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:22,120 American author, speaker and pastor. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and 16 00:01:22,120 --> 00:01:26,600 shows the way. The quote emphasizes how a leader should act. A true leader must have 17 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:31,400 the experience and knowledge to anticipate what lies ahead, as well as the awareness 18 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:37,200 and understanding of the present moment. They must navigate with wisdom and foresight, ensuring 19 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:41,840 that those who follow them are guided in the right direction. However, leadership isn't 20 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:48,600 just about intellect and strategy. It also requires a brave and kind heart. True leaders 21 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:53,720 lead with heart, not force. We wholeheartedly believe that fifth graders here today are 22 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:58,120 truly capable of demonstrating these qualities, and we wish them all the best. And that's 23 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,320 our quote of the day. Now onto some headline news with Mia. 24 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:06,120 Thank you for our quote of the day, Frank. Now, celebrating the fifth-grade leaders here 25 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:11,760 today, we want to introduce three great leaders in history, leading their people through heart, 26 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:17,200 intellect, and not force. All right, our first great leader would be Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte 27 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:22,480 from France. He was an excellent military strategist and ruler. He reformed France's 28 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:27,240 legal system with the Napoleonic code and modernized the economy. He also expanded the 29 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:32,640 French Empire in every direction imaginable. Despite his eventual downfall, his impact 30 00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:36,200 on the world history and warfare remained significant. 31 00:02:36,200 --> 00:02:41,280 Next up, we have Mansa Musa from the Mali Empire. Now, as many people know, Mansa Musa 32 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:47,400 here is the richest man in history. With his intelligence and charisma, trade, culture, 33 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:52,200 and Islam in West Africa flourished. One fun fact would be that when he was performing the 34 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,000 pilgrimage to Mecca, he gave away so much gold to the people in the areas that the price 35 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,400 fell, and the people asked Mansa Musa to take it back. 36 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:05,120 All right, our final leader would be our local hero, King Thaksin the Great. He was the king 37 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:10,000 of Thailand after Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese. He reunified Thailand and moved the capital 38 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:15,200 to Thonburi, thus establishing the Thonburi dynasty. After the war, he revived the Thai 39 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:21,120 culture, trade, and economy and expanded Thai influence over parts of Cambodia, Laos, and 40 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:35,360 southern Thailand. That ends our news for this episode. 41 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:39,840 Thank you for the quote and headline news. For our first segment, we welcome to our studio 42 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:44,760 Mrs. Donnie, elementary school principal, and two young leaders from the fifth grade, 43 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:50,000 Leo and Jimin. We'll start off with a few questions first, and then we'll let Leo and 44 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,960 Jimin read their leadership essays. Mia will get us started. 45 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:59,360 All right. Hello, everyone. Welcome to the podcast. So to get us started, we have a few 46 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:04,320 questions for Mrs. Donnie, and then we'll have a few questions for Leo and Jimin. All 47 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:09,280 right. So Mrs. Donnie, from your experience, how can learning leadership skills at a young 48 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:16,160 age help children develop confidence and resilience? Well, I think when students learn about what 49 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:22,280 strong leadership looks like, they will learn that leaders can be, they can be quiet, they 50 00:04:22,280 --> 00:04:28,580 can be shy, or bold, or brave, boisterous. All of these characteristics can be seen in 51 00:04:28,580 --> 00:04:33,620 famous leaders throughout history. This can give the confidence to all students that they 52 00:04:33,620 --> 00:04:39,240 can be a leader if they are kind and caring. Students will succeed and fail at leadership 53 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:44,960 as they grow up. And it's really important because resilience is learned through experiencing 54 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:50,960 difficulties, whether those difficulties come from the outside or the difficulties come 55 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:56,280 because of a bad choice the students make. Leaders learn from their mistakes and the 56 00:04:56,280 --> 00:05:02,600 mistakes of others. And I believe that is resilience, learning and growing through difficulties. 57 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,440 Thank you. And that makes sense. So my next question is this. How does teaching and leaderships 58 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:12,800 to kids encourage them to take responsibilities for their actions and decisions? Well, a true 59 00:05:12,800 --> 00:05:18,560 leader will have followers. So student leaders begin to understand the effects of their actions 60 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:23,960 on their followers when others are either praised or punished because of actions that 61 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:28,940 were followed by the leader's example. Leaders need to be aware of how others are feeling 62 00:05:28,940 --> 00:05:34,640 and they need to be quick to apologize when their words or their actions or their decisions 63 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:39,200 cause other people's pain. Yeah, that's a very like really good point that you made 64 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:44,280 about like empathy, like in leadership. And in what ways do you think like this children 65 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:49,120 learning about leadership, how does it help them become better problem solvers and critical 66 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:55,200 thinkers? Oh, problem solvers. That's one of our four B's, you know, or professional 67 00:05:55,200 --> 00:06:01,520 problem solvers in the elementary. We talk a lot about it. And starting as early as in 68 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,640 K four, teachers are helping students think through each and every problem that a kid 69 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:11,520 faces. That can be from a broken crayon to a sad heart because a friend has said something 70 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:18,520 unkind. And as students grow through the grades, teachers become more like coaches guiding 71 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:24,000 students like in their thinking about how to solve their own problems and how to evaluate 72 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:30,000 if the problem is a kid size problem or an adult size problem. It takes real critical 73 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,880 thinking. I still use the skill today to consider if a problem that I am trying to solve should 74 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:41,560 be solved on my own or maybe I need to take it to Mr. Luke for help. Thank you for that. 75 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:45,760 And now my final question is about working with other people. So describe how students 76 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:50,080 can develop empathy and their abilities to work well with others when to learn about 77 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:56,600 leadership. Well, first of all, a student might see themselves as being a leader, but 78 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:02,600 if they don't have anyone following them, they're not actually leading. And a real leader 79 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:09,520 cannot force people to follow them. They might be able to use like fear or prizes as a way 80 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:15,280 to get people to do what they say. But a strong and caring leader is going to listen to those 81 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:20,600 around them and have a heart that looks for ways to show them care and makes decisions 82 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:26,200 that help many people, not just decisions that help themselves. All right. Thank you 83 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,960 for your answers, Mrs. Donnie. Now we'd like to ask two questions to our young guests 84 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:35,360 before they read their essays. All right, Leo, you can answer first and then Jimin. 85 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:41,000 All right. My question is this. What does being a good leader mean to you? Well, being 86 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:49,000 a good leader to me means that like you are open minded and like you're kind to everyone 87 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:59,040 and treat them equally and you don't force them to do things. And yeah, you just be kind 88 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:05,720 to them. Thank you. For me, it's any person who can help others and give vision to others, 89 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:11,360 such as encouragement and chasing dreams. They influence others, but also take gratitude 90 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:16,960 for everything as well as staying positive. They have to communicate and encourage people 91 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:22,080 while being responsible as well. All right. Thank you both for those answers. Now, my 92 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,820 second question for you is this. Could you share a time when you saw someone else showing 93 00:08:26,820 --> 00:08:35,000 leadership? All right, Jimin, you can start. So one time I found someone showing leadership 94 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:42,200 is when my friend let me give a shout out to Pi R. And then when I was struggling with 95 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:49,440 my math problems, she came to me and then she actually encouraged me to try myself and 96 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:56,360 not to actually like give up. So I'd like to thank Pi R for that. All right. Thank you. 97 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:03,000 So for me, this is a shout out to one of my some of my two best friends, Joshua and Jobim. 98 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:10,080 So outside of school, we've been working on a top secret project. Top secret? And basically, 99 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:16,380 sometimes there are disagreements about it. But we all showed everyday leadership by finding 100 00:09:16,380 --> 00:09:23,880 peaceful ways to compromise the problems. And we didn't end up having any fights or 101 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:28,560 anything. Can you tell us, like, give us a little hint at what the secret project is? 102 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:36,040 It has something to do with words. Okay. Are you writing a book? Maybe. Oh, all right. 103 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:41,120 Okay. I'll keep a lookout. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for your answers. Now it's time 104 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:45,880 to read your essays. Jimin, we'll start with you. Go ahead and start when you're ready. 105 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:51,360 Dear students and everyone listening, no matter who you are, you can be a leader. Yeah, someone 106 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:56,120 like a presidential leader might be hard, but you are not that kind of leader. You're 107 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:01,120 an everyday leader. You don't have to have royal blood. I'm here to explain that it's 108 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:07,200 actually not that hard. If you want to be a good role model to people younger than you 109 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,920 and create a more peaceful environment, it is important you act like an everyday leader 110 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:17,840 and show the way. John C. Maxwell once said, a leader is one who knows a way, goes a way, 111 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:23,360 and shows a way. The truth is, we can't all be leaders, but you need the three key qualities 112 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:29,120 of an everyday leader. A good leader has to be responsible, be kind and encouraging, and 113 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:34,440 be a strong communicator. For starters, student leaders need to be responsible in order to 114 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:39,960 lead well. Being responsible as a leader means that you need to be able to make good decisions 115 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:45,520 and be honest about what you say. In addition, you also have to take responsibility for what 116 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:51,560 you did. A quote from former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, leadership consists 117 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:56,960 of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates 118 00:10:56,960 --> 00:11:02,360 credit for everything that goes well. I know some great leaders do something wrong and 119 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:08,760 try to cover their mistakes up by lying. That does not make a true student or everyday leader. 120 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:13,000 That's why we learn about the 5As and all the peacemaker lessons. If you're not in 121 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:18,600 grade 5, you may not know, and they are teaching us what is right. Sooner or later, their lives 122 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:23,440 will eventually catch up and their pants will be on fire. Another example is that you may 123 00:11:23,440 --> 00:11:29,880 be in this meeting or another important decision making place, and you are to make a decision. 124 00:11:29,880 --> 00:11:34,440 Sometimes it may be easy to choose. For example, whether you want a pink notebook or a blue 125 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,340 notebook for boys or girls, that's pretty obvious for most people. But at other times, 126 00:11:39,340 --> 00:11:44,200 you could be going through so much pressure to make a good decision. Imagine you are a 127 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:49,160 movie director and then you said your movie will be out in two days. Your movie is super 128 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:54,680 popular and people are waiting for this very moment your movie is going to be released. 129 00:11:54,680 --> 00:12:00,120 Some already bought tickets. Unfortunately, you accidentally deleted a part of your movie 130 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:06,080 and have to film it again. Will you tell the sit-ins in sorry and the movie will be late? 131 00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:10,800 Or will you do it again that day without special side effects because that is one of the most 132 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:16,240 important parts. Do you see how as a leader you will need good decision making skills 133 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:22,040 to be responsible? To be a good leader in life, you will have to be kind and encouraging. 134 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:26,640 How will your friends or people around you react if you act like you couldn't care less? 135 00:12:26,640 --> 00:12:32,360 The article 10 characteristics of a student leader says, student leaders recognize that 136 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:37,560 everyone has strengths and weaknesses. An example from my life is when I had a friend 137 00:12:37,560 --> 00:12:43,240 who was really good at writing. She was in grade four, but already wrote grade five or 138 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:48,120 six writings. I looked up on her because not only was she great at writing, but a great 139 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:53,320 everyday leader. Now that I think about this, she was really kind, encouraging and a great 140 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:58,720 helper to everyone. I was young and I hated writing classes because I just felt like I 141 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:04,240 was bad at it, but she insisted that she read it. She gave me comments and encouraged me. 142 00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:09,920 This is why nowadays I really like writing. Take Martin Luther King for another example. 143 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:14,800 He encouraged others to follow their dreams and fight for their rights. He told them that 144 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:20,200 no matter what color they had, they were all people. Do you think Martin Luther King Jr. 145 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:25,200 told people things that brought them down? No. Of course, he did mess up a few times 146 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:31,280 because obviously no one's perfect, but did he purposely try to bring them down? That's 147 00:13:31,280 --> 00:13:36,560 another no. He encouraged people to do the right thing by boycotting the buses because 148 00:13:36,560 --> 00:13:41,800 the white people treated the black people badly. Last but not least, to be a great student 149 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:47,680 leader, it is important you are a good communicator. What I mean by this is that you have to be 150 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:53,240 both a good listener and speaker. Imagine someone who listens well, but suddenly says, 151 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:57,880 shush, when you are about to speak. To add on, a good communicator doesn't mean that 152 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:02,280 they just simply listen and speak well, but the words and actions they use to do that 153 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:07,520 matters too. For example, think about if you're talking to a friend, but then they suddenly 154 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:12,320 say something like, shush, nobody cares about what you think, and then take their turn to 155 00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:19,320 speak. That is why most people consider disrespectful talk. The people are not suitable to be a 156 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:26,800 good leader. Like take Adolf Hitler for example. He was a great communicator, but not good 157 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:33,360 at actually doing what he said. That's why I said to be kind and encouraging, my second 158 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:38,320 reason. Also, do you remember the reasons I mentioned above of being responsible and 159 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:43,360 being kind and encouraging? This reason is especially important because if you don't 160 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:48,200 know how to communicate with respectfulness, how will you be kind and encouraging? And 161 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:52,560 if you are not a good communicator, how will you share your thoughts responsibly? This 162 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:57,000 is why you need to have good communication skills to be a good leader. Don't you agree 163 00:14:57,000 --> 00:15:02,080 with me? In conclusion, everyone can be an amazing everyday leader if they have the three 164 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:08,480 most important characteristics. Leaders don't have to be a walking dictionary or have a 165 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:14,080 mind like a steel trap. You need to be a strong leader by being respectful, being kind and 166 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:19,020 encouraging, and be a good communicator. Please don't doubt yourself. I know everyone deep 167 00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:24,400 down have these qualities. You may not follow these characteristics all the time, but no 168 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:29,120 one's perfect after all. Now that you've learned this, according to the Mystery Science 169 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:33,820 Team Doug, have fun and stay curious. Bye, and follow these three characteristics to 170 00:15:33,820 --> 00:15:34,820 be an everyday leader. 171 00:15:34,820 --> 00:15:40,160 Wow, that was really great Jimin. I really liked all the scenarios that you mentioned, 172 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,400 especially the movie director one, right? And then also your quotes from other leaders. 173 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,760 You have a really big vocabulary. I'm really impressed. Really good job. All right, next 174 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,360 up we have Leo. Go ahead and start when you're ready. 175 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:57,360 Dear students and fifth grade Turtle Academies, have you ever wondered what an everyday leader 176 00:15:57,360 --> 00:16:02,520 is? If you want to make life better for others in your community or learn about being a leader, 177 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,760 you should listen to this. Being an everyday leader is an important topic that you will 178 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:11,520 lose in your life. Today I will be telling you about what I think an everyday leader 179 00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:17,000 is, how I'm applying this to my life, and what it means for our communities. First, 180 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:21,600 I will talk about what I think an everyday leader is. An everyday leader is someone who 181 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:27,000 shows interest in helping others. I think a good everyday leader should be a good decision 182 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:31,820 maker. They should be honest and they should be open minded. Everyday leaders need to be 183 00:16:31,820 --> 00:16:36,440 good decision makers because they have to make quick decisions under pressure, and they 184 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:40,760 need to be honest because they need to be truthful to make others follow them. They 185 00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,360 also need to be open minded because they must listen to others' ideas to improve their 186 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:50,680 own ideas. There are other examples of how everyday leaders meet these qualities. An 187 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:55,140 everyday leader does not have to be someone who does big things like setting up a charity 188 00:16:55,140 --> 00:17:00,540 for homeless people. An everyday leader is someone who does not have to have a high status 189 00:17:00,540 --> 00:17:05,400 like a manager or politician, like someone like Joe Biden, and they do not need to be 190 00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:12,080 rich or strong like Elon Musk or John Cena, and they can be an ordinary person. An everyday 191 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:18,280 leader can do tiny things that make a big impact. For example, Mother Teresa once said, 192 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:25,080 I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many 193 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:29,320 ripples. This means that doing small things will cause others to do the same, which adds 194 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:34,640 up to a lot. Now, I will tell you about what I'm trying to do and what you can do to be 195 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:39,800 an everyday leader. In my life and your life, the three qualities that I mentioned earlier 196 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:45,340 are important for you to do. For example, you and I can be good decision makers by choosing 197 00:17:45,340 --> 00:17:52,160 to eat vegetables instead of yum yum or lays, which are very yummy. Choosing to eat fruits 198 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:56,600 and vegetables instead of junk food helps your body be healthier and makes your life 199 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:01,320 easier by not having to work to become healthy again. You and I can be honest by telling 200 00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:05,720 your parents that you intentionally spend all night playing Brawl Stars and watching 201 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,520 TV because it was fun and that it wasn't the right thing to do instead of coming up 202 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:15,600 with an excuse. Being honest like that helps you because others will become friends with 203 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:20,600 you for it and admitting your mistakes makes others forgive you, which feels good. Also, 204 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:25,200 you and I can be open-minded by listening to your friends' suggestions such as we 205 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:29,840 should show more about what happens to the aliens in our comic book, etc. You could make 206 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:33,960 that change and the result could be much better than it would have been if you hadn't listened 207 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:38,120 to them. Being open-minded helps because you listen to others' ideas and not just your 208 00:18:38,120 --> 00:18:42,520 own. This is how I have been trying to apply the everyday leader qualities to my life and 209 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:48,320 you can too. Now, I will talk about what being an everyday leader means for a community if 210 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:53,360 everyone has the qualities of an everyday leader. First, being a good decision maker 211 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:59,200 helps the community by making better results because good decisions lead to better results. 212 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:04,120 For example, people make good decisions by doing many things such as not using drugs 213 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:09,200 or breaking the law. By doing this, it makes the community a happier place. Being honest 214 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:14,160 helps the community by building trust. Being honest is admitting when you are wrong and 215 00:19:14,160 --> 00:19:19,120 this makes others trust you because they trust that you will tell the truth and admit your 216 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:25,520 mistakes. Building trust reduces conflict because people trust each other more and conflict 217 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:30,880 is solved easier because people admit when they are wrong which makes the community a 218 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:40,160 better, happier place to be in. Finally, being open-minded is being open to others or accepting 219 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:45,480 people. For example, if someone had a really serious and realistic idea and someone else 220 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:50,480 had a really silly but creative idea, being open-minded would help you be open to the 221 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:55,440 silly but creative idea rather than just saying to be more serious because we don't 222 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,640 take creative ideas even if the serious idea is better. This helps others feel accepted 223 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:05,360 and happier making the community a better place. And that is what I think an everyday 224 00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:09,760 leader is, what you and I can do to be an everyday leader and what being an everyday 225 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:14,880 leader means for a community. If you are convinced that this is what you are, what you believe, 226 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:21,120 then take action. The world is most likely running out of good leaders and we need them 227 00:20:21,120 --> 00:20:26,160 and you should step up to be an everyday leader by being a good decision-maker, being honest 228 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,040 and being open-minded. You will not be disappointed. 229 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:34,440 Alright, thank you, Leo. That was a really well-written essay like both of you and I 230 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:39,840 just have like a little extra question starting the script. Who is someone that you look up 231 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,480 to? People who are in charge of me. 232 00:20:44,480 --> 00:20:52,360 Oh, oh, your parents? My parents and my teachers because it's kind 233 00:20:52,360 --> 00:21:01,120 of hard to decide who you look up to because usually you just know what to do. So usually 234 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:06,520 I guess I look up to my inner subconsciousness. Oh, right, inner subconsciousness. Okay, 235 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:15,720 oh you, Jimin. Most of the time I look up to my friends more than my parents because 236 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:22,920 I feel like I don't really like people who actually boss me around so much. But my friends 237 00:21:22,920 --> 00:21:29,400 Lala, Nana and Pi-ar don't actually boss me around. They just actually help me understand 238 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:36,760 it, things like that. But mostly like Leo said, I also look up to my inner self so that 239 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:42,040 I can believe in myself. Okay, self-confidence. Alright, thank you both. 240 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:45,880 Great response from Leo and yes, the world definitely needs great leaders and I won't 241 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:50,600 lie, leaders that are leading us right now, like some of them aren't doing so well. So 242 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:53,480 yeah, good job pointing that out and good responses. 243 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,760 Okay, thank you everybody. What a great discussion on leadership. We heard some inspiring insights 244 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:04,120 from our principal and two incredible fifth graders who showed us that leadership isn't 245 00:22:04,120 --> 00:22:10,200 just about being in charge. It's about setting a good example, helping others, making a positive 246 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:16,240 impact and last but not least, eating your vegetables. No matter your age, you can be 247 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:21,600 a leader in your own way by taking action. So as you go through your day, think about 248 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:27,580 how you can lead with kindness, confidence and integrity. Okay, we'll be right back with 249 00:22:27,580 --> 00:22:33,580 part one of our adventure story right after this short PSA announcement. 250 00:22:33,580 --> 00:22:40,680 One, two, three, four. ICS invites you to a classical music concert, 251 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:46,640 Echoes of Elegance. Enjoy soothing and thrilling works from Bach, Sibelius, Dvorak, a Mozart 252 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:51,960 symphony and more, played by the combined forces of ICS High School Orchestra and the 253 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:57,600 Emanuel Orchestra. Emanuel Orchestra is a ministry of the Music for Life Foundation, 254 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:02,520 under the direction of the esteemed Dr. Krit Niramitam. For more than 20 years, the Music 255 00:23:02,520 --> 00:23:07,320 for Life Foundation has offered classical music education in Khlong Toi, Bangkok's 256 00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:12,280 largest slum. Some of their players have won scholarships to Mahirun University and returned 257 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:17,180 to teach with the foundation. They have five levels of orchestra and ICS has the privilege 258 00:23:17,180 --> 00:23:22,880 of playing alongside some of their top musicians. Dr. Krit and our own orchestra director, Mrs. 259 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:27,660 Sara, will share the podium. Admission is free at the door. Donations will be accepted 260 00:23:27,660 --> 00:23:33,240 to benefit the Music for Life Foundation. Join us on Thursday, March 20, 630 p.m. at 261 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:48,400 Christchurch, Bangkok, Convent Road, Silom. I hope to see you there. 262 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:53,080 And we are back with our second segment. For the next ten episodes, we'll be bringing 263 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:58,460 you another adventure story, just like we did last season. Our new story is a sequel 264 00:23:58,460 --> 00:24:04,640 to last season's story titled The Secrets of Valdorado, uncovering a legacy of greed 265 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:11,040 and deception. You can listen to our first story in episodes 55 through 64. The Secrets 266 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:17,400 of Valdorado story is also available as a paperback book on Amazon.com or as a digital 267 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:24,200 PDF download on our website at Students Incorporated dot com. Our new story includes a few characters 268 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:29,360 you'll recognize from the past, as well as a whole new set of characters. So buckle up 269 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:34,720 as we dive back into a world of intrigue, danger, and mystery. Now, and without further 270 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:40,440 ado, we bring you the first part of our ten-part sequel to The Secrets of Valdorado, titled 271 00:24:40,440 --> 00:24:58,120 Legends of the Yucatan, uncovering a mystery of love and betrayal. 272 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:03,880 Our story begins in the quaint and famous, well now even more famous, town of Coloma, 273 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,760 California, which is located in El Dorado County. Coloma's significance resides in 274 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:13,600 the fact that it's known as ground zero of where the California Gold Rush started in 275 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:18,880 the mid-1800s. Coloma and the surrounding area is not only etched in the history as 276 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:23,380 the starting place of the California Gold Rush, but is now also known as the little 277 00:25:23,380 --> 00:25:28,200 town that helped expose one of the largest and longest U.S. government scandals of all 278 00:25:28,200 --> 00:25:34,600 time. The scandal is now known worldwide as the Great California Gold Rush Scandal. The 279 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:39,760 region and county has seen growth among visiting tourists. Over the last year and a half since 280 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:44,480 the Gold Rush scandal broke, tourism has almost doubled, which has contributed to much higher 281 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:49,600 revenues for local businesses. Coloma City Council members have had to hold several extra 282 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:55,000 meetings with real estate developers, city planners, zoning officials, and contractors 283 00:25:55,000 --> 00:25:59,880 to develop plans for infrastructure improvements, road expansions, and new business-friendly 284 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:05,400 zones. El Dorado College, located in Coloma, has seen a jump in enrollment since the scandal 285 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:10,480 was exposed as well. Curiosity and intrigue have brought many more students from all over 286 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:15,280 the United States to the college to study. Both the history and science departments have 287 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:20,560 seen a significant increase in enrollment. Even though the county of El Dorado and the 288 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:25,920 town of Coloma are experiencing population growth, the region still holds on to its cultural 289 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:33,240 and historical charm. 290 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:38,320 I'm Lily. Remember me? I'm thankful for all the up-pouring of support and love I've 291 00:26:38,320 --> 00:26:43,600 received since being part of the group who helped expose the truth of the Gold Rush scandal. 292 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:47,880 Because of my involvement in helping expose this scandal, I will be granted a permanent 293 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:53,400 green card to live and work in the U.S. upon completing all my studies. I've had some 294 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:58,480 weird flashbacks the last year and half of my time being held in the tunnels, which have 295 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:04,440 helped the FBI piece other small details together over time. I'm still connected with Ava, 296 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:10,640 Ethan, and Ciara, and of course Professor Hawthorne at the college. I completed my bachelor degree 297 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:16,320 in forensic science from El Dorado College and I've started my master's degree. With 298 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:22,080 the influx of new students came more demands for expanded programs at the college. So, 299 00:27:22,080 --> 00:27:26,960 I'm part of the first cohort in the newly developed Forensic Science Master's degree 300 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:32,120 program, which I'm super excited about. I'm also taking a few extra classes in the history 301 00:27:32,120 --> 00:27:37,840 department, as I really would love to specialize in a career that does forensic investigation 302 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:43,800 of past events, places, and artifacts. I was able to secure a TA position with Professor 303 00:27:43,800 --> 00:27:48,720 Hawthorne and Professor Case. I really enjoy having my feet in both the history and science 304 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:54,000 worlds and I just really love to learn. Hey there, it's Ava Turner here. You may remember 305 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,720 me from my previous adventure. I helped break the series of stories of the California Gold 306 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:04,960 Rush scandal when I was working at the Sacramento Bee. I'm not even 30 years old yet and I 307 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:09,320 feel like I've lived a lifetime already with the amount of exposure and opportunities I've 308 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:14,560 had since those stories came out. The events and circumstances of that adventure have changed 309 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:19,400 my career and life in so many positive ways. I've only been out of college for two and 310 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:24,920 a half years and I now work as an independent writer and investigative reporter. I'd say 311 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:30,760 that 90% of my contract work now comes from Reuters. Reuters is a valued source of news 312 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:35,280 of which they then source to newspaper all over the country, like the Sacramento Bee 313 00:28:35,280 --> 00:28:40,500 and hundreds of other papers, both online and offline. In fact, Reuters is quite famously 314 00:28:40,500 --> 00:28:47,480 known as the first to break the news in 1865 that President Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated. 315 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:51,960 I'm so honored to be working with them and appreciate the arrangement we have together. 316 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:57,320 Hello, I'm Amanda Chase. My students call me Prof. Chase. I'm 36 years old and new 317 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:03,040 to the area. I accepted a position at Aldorado College last year and now help teach several 318 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:09,160 classes in the history and science departments. I'm a rare person as I've done two doctoral 319 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:15,120 degrees, one in general history and one in general science. I think that's why I landed 320 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:20,720 this faculty position at Aldorado College as I'm qualified to teach in both the history 321 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:26,040 and science departments. I'm married and my husband is a lawyer who specializes in 322 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:32,020 business and corporate law. We have two elementary age children and we are originally from New 323 00:29:32,020 --> 00:29:37,480 York. My husband and I were inspired by the events and bravery of the people involved 324 00:29:37,480 --> 00:29:43,240 with exposing the Gold Rush scandal. It was good timing as we both were looking to make 325 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:49,360 a change and wanted to relocate. After reading all the articles and watching all the news 326 00:29:49,360 --> 00:29:55,920 reports and interviews, I knew we had to be out there. Anyway, when I saw that the college 327 00:29:55,920 --> 00:30:01,640 was hiring for a new faculty position and that person would be working in the same department 328 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:07,600 as the great professor Hawthorne, I knew I wanted this position. And now here we are 329 00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:12,840 a year later and I've made it through my first year at the college. Oh, by the way, 330 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:19,520 fun fact as well, my kids attend the school where Ciara Reese now teaches art. You know, 331 00:30:19,520 --> 00:30:24,400 Ciara, she was also part of the gang who helped expose the corrupt officials from the Gold 332 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:25,400 Rush scandal. 333 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:32,200 Hola, I'm Thomas Froles. I'm a 52 years old man. I'm a family man, always have been. 334 00:30:32,200 --> 00:30:37,320 My students call me Professor Tommy, which is Prof Tommy. I'm on staff at UNAM and 335 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:42,160 I've been here for quite a long time now. Professor Hawthorne, I go way back. In fact, 336 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:46,960 James and I worked together on several dig projects here in Mexico and Central America 337 00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:53,040 years ago. I'm well connected at the university and the museum, my university department, 338 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:58,480 the department of archaeology and anthropology works closely with the museum and much of 339 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:03,880 our work is directly related to the city and state cultural and heritage type initiatives. 340 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:09,760 Let's just say the Mexican Ministry of Culture Affairs is one of our biggest supporters and 341 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:11,120 financiers. 342 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:16,160 Tony Garcia over at the museum is a good friend of mine. I helped to mentor him as he gained 343 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:21,280 seniorities at the museum. We probably grab lunch together at least once a month. I'm 344 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:25,360 surprised he still has time with as large as Safia is now over there. 345 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:31,080 Hello, my name is Anthony Garcia and I'm the lead curator for the Museum of National Anthropology 346 00:31:31,080 --> 00:31:35,840 in Mexico City. My close friends just call me Tony. I'm 44 years old and I've worked 347 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:40,040 at this museum for almost 24 years now. I started working here as an intern while I 348 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:44,080 was finishing my college degree and never left. I guess you could say that I've almost 349 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,560 made it to the top rung of the corporate ladder here. I routinely meet with my boss, the museum 350 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:53,440 director and prominent city and government officials regarding all things culture and 351 00:31:53,440 --> 00:31:58,880 heritage. And I get to interact with the UNAM professors and students on a regular basis 352 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:03,140 as well. I learned how to curate some of the rarest artifacts and relics from around the 353 00:32:03,140 --> 00:32:08,240 world and bring them to this museum for shows and installations. We do however specialize 354 00:32:08,240 --> 00:32:13,160 in rare relics and artifacts of the ancient Mayans and have done a lot of study of the 355 00:32:13,160 --> 00:32:14,840 Aztec civilization. 356 00:32:14,840 --> 00:32:19,200 I love my job. Let's just say I don't plan on going anywhere. I converted a section of 357 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:24,720 my large corner office into a studio apartment as I'm often here overnight working. Chances 358 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:28,920 are if you need to find me, you always find me at the museum somewhere. 359 00:32:28,920 --> 00:32:35,120 Hello, I'm Miranda Martinez and I'm 28 years old. I was born and raised in Mexico City with 360 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:40,280 family ties to Texas. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. My younger brother plays 361 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:45,520 for one of Mexico City's pro soccer teams and my sister is studying pre-med. I'm a 362 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:51,720 graduate of UNAM's undergraduate and graduate programs of history and anthropology and I'm 363 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:56,320 one of the youngest team leaders the university has ever sent out in the field. One of my 364 00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:00,440 biggest accomplishments besides being the first female in my family to graduate with 365 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:05,520 honors from UNAM was that I helped lead the team that discovered the now famous and very 366 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:11,240 rare Jade Vessel Artifact. You'll hear about that later. My family is pretty well connected 367 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:16,360 among the elites in Mexico City. My mother and father own and manage several high end 368 00:33:16,360 --> 00:33:20,880 restaurants that have been featured on multiple international food programs. The restaurants 369 00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:26,880 regularly host some of Mexico's most influential politicians and business moguls. Although 370 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:31,400 I grew up in the world of elites and influence, I don't really enjoy it. I'd rather be 371 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,440 out in the countryside learning about our past so I can help preserve it, not only for 372 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:41,560 my generation but for future generations as well. Hi, my name is David Silva. I'm 31 373 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:48,760 years old, well almost 32 to be exact. I'm a dual US Mexican citizen. I was born in Mexico. 374 00:33:48,760 --> 00:33:53,880 My father is American and my mother is Mexican. My father moved to Mexico City for work where 375 00:33:53,880 --> 00:33:58,520 he met my mom. They then got married and had me two years later, which was a big surprise 376 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:03,240 to both of them at the time. At least, that's what they tell me and maybe that's why I'm 377 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,440 an only child. My father then relocated us to the US right before I started middle school. 378 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,640 I spent my middle school and high school years attending school in Los Angeles, which was 379 00:34:12,640 --> 00:34:17,720 a big adjustment for me. My parents still live and work there. I had a knack for swimming 380 00:34:17,720 --> 00:34:22,360 and won several high profile swim meets in high school. I didn't know what I wanted 381 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:27,240 to do after high school so I joined the US Navy. I knew that I ever wanted to go to university 382 00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:32,360 sometime that the best way to get that pay for was through the GI Bill offered by the 383 00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:37,880 US government. While on the Navy, I trained and worked as a rescue and recovery diver, 384 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:43,640 which took me all around the world, mostly to natural disaster zones. We were often contracted 385 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:49,440 by both private and public companies and even sometimes other governments for our services, 386 00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:54,520 some of which have been classified. I left the Navy after 10 years and was quickly recruited 387 00:34:54,520 --> 00:35:00,560 by the Mexican government as a private citizen to help recruit and train new dive technicians 388 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:05,200 for the Mexican Navy. My former senior Navy officer recommended me when he found I was 389 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:10,760 leaving. I also accept contracts for dives from pirate companies and the university. 390 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:15,720 In fact, I was a diver on the team that found the golden mass of Chichen Itza. You'll hear 391 00:35:15,720 --> 00:35:17,840 about that later. 392 00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:22,400 Professor Hawthorne here, you probably remember me from my previous adventure with Ava, Lily, 393 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:27,720 Ethan and Sierra. The last two years have been quite crazy, good and bad. One of my 394 00:35:27,720 --> 00:35:32,160 closest friends and colleagues at the college, Bill Sharpton, was charged and convicted of 395 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:37,840 multiple felonies and is now serving prison time for his role in the Gold Rush scandal. 396 00:35:37,840 --> 00:35:42,520 Other prominent city and state leaders were also caught and convicted. The public's trust 397 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:47,160 in our city, county and state leaders has been greatly diminished because of the great 398 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:52,600 Gold Rush scandal. Well, this is what the national network news agencies have named 399 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:57,000 it now. I still get the feeling there are others involved who haven't yet been caught. 400 00:35:57,000 --> 00:35:59,920 Well, it's in the hands of the FBI now. 401 00:35:59,920 --> 00:36:03,240 Moving on to some of the good things that have happened in the last two years, my wife 402 00:36:03,240 --> 00:36:07,300 and I have had the opportunity to travel around the country along with several of the others 403 00:36:07,300 --> 00:36:12,320 to tell the story of our involvement. I'm thankful to HarperCollins for picking up my 404 00:36:12,320 --> 00:36:16,760 book, The Secrets of El Dorado and sending us on a book tour. We had a great time meeting 405 00:36:16,760 --> 00:36:21,600 so many people all over the country and are thrilled to tell our story and we're glad 406 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:26,200 it inspired them. El Dorado College enrollment has grown, so it's good to have a new faculty 407 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:32,080 member, Amanda Chase, join my team and she helps teach several different classes. With 408 00:36:32,080 --> 00:36:37,260 this newfound 15 seconds of fame, many of our old friends and work colleagues have reached 409 00:36:37,260 --> 00:36:41,920 out to see how things are going. I even got reconnected with an old friend from UNAM in 410 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:44,960 Mexico City, which you'll hear about soon. 411 00:36:44,960 --> 00:36:49,020 To conclude the preface and before we get started with the story, I want to give you 412 00:36:49,020 --> 00:36:54,240 some details about UNAM and a few other places the story will take us. UNAM is short for 413 00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:59,640 the National Autonomous University of Mexico. It's ranked as Mexico's number one university 414 00:36:59,640 --> 00:37:06,640 and ranks as number two in all of Latin America. UNAM has an enrollment of over 360,000 students. 415 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:11,080 Popular tourist attractions and archaeological sites in Mexico are sprinkled along the Yucatan 416 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:16,160 Peninsula. Cancun, being the popular destination for tourists and holiday goers, sits on the 417 00:37:16,160 --> 00:37:21,600 east coast of the peninsula and is about a 20-hour drive from Mexico City or just a 2.5-hour 418 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:28,160 flight. The Yucatan is full of ancient archaeological sites. One well-known site is known as Chichen 419 00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:33,420 Itza, one of the largest Mayan cities. It's just over 90 minutes from the city of Merida 420 00:37:33,420 --> 00:37:38,600 and just over two hours from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Chichen Itza is a notable site 421 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:44,360 of ancient Mayan ruins. At its center is the massive step pyramid known as El Castillo 422 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:50,440 or the Temple of Cuculcan. This ancient city thrived between 600 AD and the 1200s and its 423 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,600 stone carvings have endured over time. Key structures such as the ball court, the Temple 424 00:37:55,600 --> 00:38:00,400 of the Warriors, and the Wall of Skulls still display detailed carvings from the past. Nightly 425 00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:05,600 sound and light shows illuminate the building's sophisticated geometry giving visitors a spectacular 426 00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:09,760 view of the city. Another location popular with tourists and archaeologists is Tulum. 427 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:15,200 Tulum is a resort town on Mexico's Caribbean coast and south of Cancun. The 13th century 428 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:20,280 walled Mayan archaeological site at Tulum National Park overlooks the sea. It incorporates 429 00:38:20,280 --> 00:38:25,880 the cliff-top Castillo built as a watchtower and the Templo de las Pinturas with a partially 430 00:38:25,880 --> 00:38:31,440 restored mural. In land, the Coba archaeological site has pyramid-shaped temples with views 431 00:38:31,440 --> 00:38:36,360 over the surrounding jungle. Finally, Calacumul is another ancient site of the Mayan people 432 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:41,840 and is located near the border of Guatemala and Belize. Over 6,700 ancient structures 433 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:47,560 have been discovered and identified in this area which date back to 1000 BC. The entire 434 00:38:47,560 --> 00:38:53,160 site is located in the protected tropical forest of Calacumul in Campeche, Mexico. This 435 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:58,800 area has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of this designation, 436 00:38:58,800 --> 00:39:04,000 many of the ancient structures have been hidden once again by the imposing jungle forest. 437 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:09,400 Viewed tourists venture to this location because of its remote and less accessible location. 438 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:26,280 And now onto our story. Part 1, The Proposal. 439 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,840 Professor Hawthorne looks down at his watch and then he glances up at the clock in the 440 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:34,980 back of the room. Hmm, I guess the batteries finally died in that old clock. The professor 441 00:39:34,980 --> 00:39:40,820 mumbles to himself as he starts to pack up his papers and laptop. As he carefully slips 442 00:39:40,820 --> 00:39:46,080 his laptop in his very worn leather shoulder bag, he clears his throat and then he says 443 00:39:46,080 --> 00:39:52,060 with a loud voice, Ahem, Okay everyone, there is about 10 minutes remaining in class to 444 00:39:52,060 --> 00:39:57,380 finish up. Make sure to read the final instructions before turning in your work. And don't forget 445 00:39:57,380 --> 00:40:01,400 to have a great holiday break. And I'll see you next year. 446 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:05,860 The professor smirks a bit as he says that last part, hoping at least one of the students 447 00:40:05,860 --> 00:40:11,740 would laugh. Or at least crack a smile and look back. Nope, not this year again. Maybe 448 00:40:11,740 --> 00:40:16,600 the joke has worn itself out over the countless years he's used it with his last class on 449 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:21,860 the last day before the college goes on break for Christmas and New Years. The professor 450 00:40:21,860 --> 00:40:26,560 looks up as Lily-chan approaches the front table as he's closing his bag and putting 451 00:40:26,560 --> 00:40:33,240 on his jacket. Tough ground today, he says to Lily. Yes, they were. They were probably 452 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:38,200 just tired and happy that their final exam is over. Lily responds as she hands in some 453 00:40:38,200 --> 00:40:44,540 leftover papers that were left behind by several eager to leave early students. She then asks, 454 00:40:44,540 --> 00:40:49,420 Is there anything else we need to do today? The professor responds, Not that I can think 455 00:40:49,420 --> 00:40:53,580 of and if there is something, well, it can wait until we get back from break. That's 456 00:40:53,580 --> 00:40:58,120 the thing about work. It'll always be right here where you left it. It's not going anywhere. 457 00:40:58,120 --> 00:41:01,620 Professor Hawthorne and Lily follow the last two students out of the classroom, turn off 458 00:41:01,620 --> 00:41:06,740 the light and shut the door behind them. As they walk down the hallway toward the elevator, 459 00:41:06,740 --> 00:41:12,100 the professor says, Well, how does it feel to complete your first semester as a TA? Very 460 00:41:12,100 --> 00:41:17,180 different from when you were a student, right? Honestly, it's been great. I mean, I didn't 461 00:41:17,180 --> 00:41:22,420 really know what to expect as far as the day to day responsibilities, but so far I've really 462 00:41:22,420 --> 00:41:29,020 enjoyed it. And as a bonus, I'm able to receive three extra college credits. And by the way, 463 00:41:29,020 --> 00:41:33,300 I really appreciate you allowing me to join your department. Thanks for fitting in the 464 00:41:33,300 --> 00:41:34,300 word for me. 465 00:41:34,300 --> 00:41:40,020 Ah, you're welcome. And that's good to hear, Professor Hawthorne says. The entire TA experience 466 00:41:40,020 --> 00:41:45,580 can be a make it or break it depending on who you're TAing for. I mean, I feel really 467 00:41:45,580 --> 00:41:49,220 bad for the poor souls who get stuck TAing in the English department. 468 00:41:49,220 --> 00:41:53,900 Yeah, that's what the rumor is around here. Don't TA in the English department, Lily 469 00:41:53,900 --> 00:41:59,500 says with a half smile and then adds, Professor Chase has been great as well. She told me 470 00:41:59,500 --> 00:42:04,320 she loves it when she has the opportunity to mentor TAs in her classes. Lily makes eye 471 00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:09,860 contact with one of the two students up ahead who is holding the elevator and then says, 472 00:42:09,860 --> 00:42:11,460 Thanks for holding that for us. 473 00:42:11,460 --> 00:42:16,960 The professor then says, You all go ahead without me. I've got to stop back in my office 474 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:22,320 before I leave anyway. Oh, by the way, Lily, if you find yourself without plans for Christmas 475 00:42:22,320 --> 00:42:27,260 or New Year's, please reach out to me or the missus. We usually host several students who 476 00:42:27,260 --> 00:42:29,780 can't make it back home for the holidays. 477 00:42:29,780 --> 00:42:35,220 Lily nods her head, smiles and says, Okay, thank you and will do as the elevator doors 478 00:42:35,220 --> 00:42:39,300 close. 479 00:42:39,300 --> 00:42:44,300 The professor makes his way to his office and notices that just about every other classroom 480 00:42:44,300 --> 00:42:50,940 and office is already closed, dark and empty except for Amanda's office a few doors down. 481 00:42:50,940 --> 00:42:55,100 Well this place clears out fast this time of year. He says this as he unlocks and enters 482 00:42:55,100 --> 00:43:00,580 his office while the faint sound of a vacuum sweeper hums in the background. As he enters 483 00:43:00,580 --> 00:43:05,980 his office, he notices that there is one last manila envelope resting upright in the mail 484 00:43:05,980 --> 00:43:11,280 receiving basket which sits on a chair just inside the door on the right and just under 485 00:43:11,280 --> 00:43:17,360 the mail receiving slot in the wall. I'll grab that on my way out, he thinks to himself. 486 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:21,700 After finishing a few last minute things, the professor grabs the manila envelope, turns 487 00:43:21,700 --> 00:43:26,280 off the light, pushes the lock button on the back of the doorknob and then closes the door 488 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:32,040 behind him. The professor makes it a point to stop at Amanda's office to see if she actually 489 00:43:32,040 --> 00:43:36,860 is still here or if it's the cleaning staff that are in her office finishing up before 490 00:43:36,860 --> 00:43:41,260 break. He peeks through the door and sees Amanda packing her backpack while sitting 491 00:43:41,260 --> 00:43:43,220 at her very tiny desk. 492 00:43:43,220 --> 00:43:47,940 Oh hey there, the professor says. Looks like you're getting out of dodge as well. 493 00:43:47,940 --> 00:43:52,940 Oh hey professor, Amanda replies. Getting out of dodge? Haven't heard that one before. 494 00:43:52,940 --> 00:43:57,240 Yeah, it's something my father and I used to say to each other when we were excited 495 00:43:57,240 --> 00:44:01,980 or ready to leave a place. We used to watch that old western show, Gunsmoke, together 496 00:44:01,980 --> 00:44:06,620 when I was a kid. And that saying was used a lot on the show, even though neither of 497 00:44:06,620 --> 00:44:12,120 us had ever visited dodge city, Kansas. The professor responds with a small chuckle. 498 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:17,340 He continues, Lily just left and said she has really enjoyed TAing for the department 499 00:44:17,340 --> 00:44:21,460 and especially for you. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know you've really made an 500 00:44:21,460 --> 00:44:25,300 impact on her in her short time here so far. So thank you. 501 00:44:25,300 --> 00:44:29,500 Oh and by the way, the contractor spoke with me this morning and said that your new office 502 00:44:29,500 --> 00:44:34,180 would be completed by the time you returned after break so you don't have to put up 503 00:44:34,180 --> 00:44:36,540 with this small closet of a space anymore. 504 00:44:36,540 --> 00:44:42,980 Wow, that's so nice to hear. Lily's been so helpful in so many areas, not just with 505 00:44:42,980 --> 00:44:49,260 typical TA things like helping do attendance, checking work, and so forth. But she's also 506 00:44:49,260 --> 00:44:55,700 given my family and I great advice about the town and surrounding area. I know we've only 507 00:44:55,700 --> 00:45:02,180 just been here a year and a half now, but my family and I feel very connected and grounded 508 00:45:02,180 --> 00:45:04,740 already with the community and the school. 509 00:45:04,740 --> 00:45:10,180 As Amanda gets up, turns out her light and walks out of her small closet-sized office 510 00:45:10,180 --> 00:45:15,980 space and she continues as Professor Hawthorne walks next to her down the hallway towards 511 00:45:15,980 --> 00:45:21,540 the exit of the building. Our two girls love their new school. Byron and I made the right 512 00:45:21,540 --> 00:45:26,980 choice by enrolling them in that new charter school you and your wife recommended. Ms. 513 00:45:26,980 --> 00:45:32,660 Ciara Reese is their art teacher. I've gotta say, it's pretty cool to be surrounded by 514 00:45:32,660 --> 00:45:38,580 the heroes of the famous California Gold Rush scandal. I didn't think that would happen 515 00:45:38,580 --> 00:45:40,660 when I accepted this job. 516 00:45:40,660 --> 00:45:46,260 As Professor Hawthorne and Professor Chase exits the building together and into the almost 517 00:45:46,260 --> 00:45:52,180 empty parking lot, Amanda then says, and yes, I'll be ready to move out of that small closet 518 00:45:52,180 --> 00:45:55,580 I call my office as soon as the other office is ready. 519 00:45:55,580 --> 00:46:00,580 Ha, I'm sure you will be. Think of it as a late Christmas present from the college. 520 00:46:00,580 --> 00:46:05,920 The professor says this with a smile as he turns to walk towards his parked car. He hesitates 521 00:46:05,920 --> 00:46:10,420 for a moment and then turns around. Oh, and one more thing. Merry Christmas and Happy 522 00:46:10,420 --> 00:46:16,540 New Year to you and your family. Thank you. And you too. Please give my best to your wife. 523 00:46:16,540 --> 00:46:19,820 Amanda responds as she turns and walks to her car. 524 00:46:19,820 --> 00:46:23,860 As Professor Hawthorne opens the driver's door on his old Bronco, he looks down at the 525 00:46:23,860 --> 00:46:28,620 envelope he's been carrying since he left his office. He glances down at the top left 526 00:46:28,620 --> 00:46:33,000 corner of the front of the envelope where the return address has been affixed. The address 527 00:46:33,000 --> 00:46:40,180 reads The National Autonomous University of Mexico, School of Political Social Sciences, 528 00:46:40,180 --> 00:46:45,820 Pro City, Mexico. This large and famous school is better known by its nickname, which is 529 00:46:45,820 --> 00:46:52,380 UNAM. Hmm, it can't be. The professor says to himself as he starts his engine, puts the 530 00:46:52,380 --> 00:46:59,100 Bronco in drive and then leaves campus, ready to enjoy the next four weeks of holiday break. 531 00:46:59,100 --> 00:47:03,220 Shortly later, the professor arrives home to an empty house, remembering his wife was 532 00:47:03,220 --> 00:47:07,620 working at a local charity fundraising event downtown today. He sits down on one of the 533 00:47:07,620 --> 00:47:12,660 stools at the island in the kitchen and places the envelope on the table. His phone then 534 00:47:12,660 --> 00:47:18,580 dings, almost on cue, like he had planned it that way. As he is opening the envelope 535 00:47:18,580 --> 00:47:22,900 and pulling out the contents, he looks down at his phone and sees that he's got a new 536 00:47:22,900 --> 00:47:28,580 email and it's sent to his personal email account. Hmm, that's funny, he thinks. I 537 00:47:28,580 --> 00:47:33,080 don't give that address out to many people, so I wonder who that could be. He focuses 538 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:36,980 on the papers that he pulled out of the envelope and scans them until he finds exactly what 539 00:47:36,980 --> 00:47:42,780 he's looking for at the bottom of the second document. There you are, the professor says 540 00:47:42,780 --> 00:47:47,540 with a grin as he reads the name at the bottom of the letter. Sincerely, Professor Tommy 541 00:47:47,540 --> 00:47:54,060 Flores, UNAM School of Political Social Sciences, Mexico City, Mexico. 542 00:47:54,060 --> 00:47:57,740 Hawthorne notices that the two documents in the envelope appear to be a formal invitation 543 00:47:57,740 --> 00:48:03,220 and a proposal directed to both El Dorado College and him personally. He picks up his 544 00:48:03,220 --> 00:48:09,500 phone and opens the email that had just arrived. He notices that the from address is tommyf 545 00:48:09,500 --> 00:48:16,460 at unam.edu.mx. The email message is quite short and to the point and reads, 546 00:48:16,460 --> 00:48:22,760 James, this is Tommy. Long time man. Hope you received the official invite from me already. 547 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:26,900 Also send an official invite to your college dean and administrative staff. After you read 548 00:48:26,900 --> 00:48:30,560 it please let me know if this is something that can happen. I didn't have your work 549 00:48:30,560 --> 00:48:35,380 email only your personal email address. Anyways, I'm hoping you still check this account. 550 00:48:35,380 --> 00:48:38,320 Let me know. All the best, Tommy. 551 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:42,900 Professor Hawthorne scans the two documents again and more thoroughly this time. The first 552 00:48:42,900 --> 00:48:47,660 document is like a cover letter introducing several different people. UNAM is a higher 553 00:48:47,660 --> 00:48:53,320 educational institution and one of the more well-known museums in Mexico City. The second 554 00:48:53,320 --> 00:48:57,740 page or document is the official invitation and proposal which consists of three main 555 00:48:57,740 --> 00:49:04,660 things guest lecturing sitting on a Q&A panel and an official invitation to an honorary 556 00:49:04,660 --> 00:49:10,220 guest to a formal event being held at the Museum of National Anthropology, Mexico's 557 00:49:10,220 --> 00:49:15,900 most prominent natural history museum. The museum event will include the unveiling of 558 00:49:15,900 --> 00:49:22,440 two rare somewhat controversial Myron artifacts that were recently discovered by an archaeological 559 00:49:22,440 --> 00:49:27,620 team from UNAM. The artifacts will be turned over to the museum for further study and 560 00:49:27,620 --> 00:49:33,660 research purposes. Hmm, this could be a fun experience. The professor says out loud that 561 00:49:33,660 --> 00:49:38,440 he finds two more important details towards the end of the second document. The first 562 00:49:38,440 --> 00:49:42,620 is that the events would be happening during the first and second week of May, which is 563 00:49:42,620 --> 00:49:48,640 a week before both UNAM and El Dorado College hold graduation ceremonies. The other detail 564 00:49:48,640 --> 00:49:53,920 is an invitation to bring a small group of like-minded students from the El Dorado College 565 00:49:53,920 --> 00:49:59,940 and the other California Gold Rush Scandal heroes. Hawthorne thinks to himself, this 566 00:49:59,940 --> 00:50:05,260 is quite the proposal, especially since travel and food expenses would be paid for by one 567 00:50:05,260 --> 00:50:11,720 of UNAM's many cultural exchange grants. I like this idea a lot. I just hope the dean 568 00:50:11,720 --> 00:50:17,300 will be keen on this as well. Professor Hawthorne puts the documents down and eyes the fresh 569 00:50:17,300 --> 00:50:21,520 pumpkin bread loaf sitting on the kitchen counter, grabs a fork from the drawer and 570 00:50:21,520 --> 00:50:26,020 says to himself, well, it's time to start celebrating the holidays early and I know 571 00:50:26,020 --> 00:50:41,520 just where to start. 572 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:47,000 And that ends part one. Stay tuned for next week as we bring you part two of Legends of 573 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:54,000 the Yucatan. 574 00:50:54,000 --> 00:51:07,280 Wow, what an episode. We explored the power of leadership, heard inspiring stories from 575 00:51:07,280 --> 00:51:13,480 young voices and kicked off an epic new adventure. Whether it's leading with kindness or embarking 576 00:51:13,480 --> 00:51:18,520 on a thrilling quest, there's always a new challenge to take on. Thanks for joining us 577 00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:24,760 and until next time, keep leading, keep exploring and we'll see you in the next episode. Stay 578 00:51:24,760 --> 00:51:29,760 tuned for our next episode as we dive back into the topic of business and then bring 579 00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:36,300 part two of our adventure story, Legends of the Yucatan. And as always, this podcast would 580 00:51:36,300 --> 00:51:40,840 not be possible without the hard work and support of our international student production 581 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:41,840 team. 582 00:51:41,840 --> 00:51:46,520 All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives 583 00:51:46,520 --> 00:51:49,640 sharing copyright free images, videos and music. 584 00:51:49,640 --> 00:51:54,400 And we are signing off until next time. We are Students Incorporated because your voice 585 00:51:54,400 --> 00:52:20,560 matters.