Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team
and I produce content that's informative, positive, fun and uplifting. This podcast
is created and produced with the help of students from the International Community School of
Bangkok. Today's episode is packed with great conversations, inspiring stories and a brand
new adventure you won't want to miss. I'm joined again by co-host Mia and Frank. First
up we have the amazing opportunity to talk about leadership, why it matters, how it shapes
young minds and how we can all grow as leaders. And who better to discuss this with us than
our elementary school principal? Plus, we'll hear two incredible fifth graders read their
leadership essays. Trust me, this is one of the best parts. Then for segment two, get
ready, we're launching the highly anticipated sequel to our hit adventure story, The Secrets
of El Dorado. This new chapter, Legends of the Yucatan, brings back familiar faces, introduces
new characters and takes you on a thrilling journey packed with danger, suspense and hidden
mysteries. But first, before we get started, let's hear our quote of the day and get some
headline news. Our quote of the day comes from John C. Maxwell,
American author, speaker and pastor. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and
shows the way. The quote emphasizes how a leader should act. A true leader must have
the experience and knowledge to anticipate what lies ahead, as well as the awareness
and understanding of the present moment. They must navigate with wisdom and foresight, ensuring
that those who follow them are guided in the right direction. However, leadership isn't
just about intellect and strategy. It also requires a brave and kind heart. True leaders
lead with heart, not force. We wholeheartedly believe that fifth graders here today are
truly capable of demonstrating these qualities, and we wish them all the best. And that's
our quote of the day. Now onto some headline news with Mia.
Thank you for our quote of the day, Frank. Now, celebrating the fifth-grade leaders here
today, we want to introduce three great leaders in history, leading their people through heart,
intellect, and not force. All right, our first great leader would be Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
from France. He was an excellent military strategist and ruler. He reformed France's
legal system with the Napoleonic code and modernized the economy. He also expanded the
French Empire in every direction imaginable. Despite his eventual downfall, his impact
on the world history and warfare remained significant.
Next up, we have Mansa Musa from the Mali Empire. Now, as many people know, Mansa Musa
here is the richest man in history. With his intelligence and charisma, trade, culture,
and Islam in West Africa flourished. One fun fact would be that when he was performing the
pilgrimage to Mecca, he gave away so much gold to the people in the areas that the price
fell, and the people asked Mansa Musa to take it back.
All right, our final leader would be our local hero, King Thaksin the Great. He was the king
of Thailand after Ayutthaya fell to the Burmese. He reunified Thailand and moved the capital
to Thonburi, thus establishing the Thonburi dynasty. After the war, he revived the Thai
culture, trade, and economy and expanded Thai influence over parts of Cambodia, Laos, and
southern Thailand. That ends our news for this episode.
Thank you for the quote and headline news. For our first segment, we welcome to our studio
Mrs. Donnie, elementary school principal, and two young leaders from the fifth grade,
Leo and Jimin. We'll start off with a few questions first, and then we'll let Leo and
Jimin read their leadership essays. Mia will get us started.
All right. Hello, everyone. Welcome to the podcast. So to get us started, we have a few
questions for Mrs. Donnie, and then we'll have a few questions for Leo and Jimin. All
right. So Mrs. Donnie, from your experience, how can learning leadership skills at a young
age help children develop confidence and resilience? Well, I think when students learn about what
strong leadership looks like, they will learn that leaders can be, they can be quiet, they
can be shy, or bold, or brave, boisterous. All of these characteristics can be seen in
famous leaders throughout history. This can give the confidence to all students that they
can be a leader if they are kind and caring. Students will succeed and fail at leadership
as they grow up. And it's really important because resilience is learned through experiencing
difficulties, whether those difficulties come from the outside or the difficulties come
because of a bad choice the students make. Leaders learn from their mistakes and the
mistakes of others. And I believe that is resilience, learning and growing through difficulties.
Thank you. And that makes sense. So my next question is this. How does teaching and leaderships
to kids encourage them to take responsibilities for their actions and decisions? Well, a true
leader will have followers. So student leaders begin to understand the effects of their actions
on their followers when others are either praised or punished because of actions that
were followed by the leader's example. Leaders need to be aware of how others are feeling
and they need to be quick to apologize when their words or their actions or their decisions
cause other people's pain. Yeah, that's a very like really good point that you made
about like empathy, like in leadership. And in what ways do you think like this children
learning about leadership, how does it help them become better problem solvers and critical
thinkers? Oh, problem solvers. That's one of our four B's, you know, or professional
problem solvers in the elementary. We talk a lot about it. And starting as early as in
K four, teachers are helping students think through each and every problem that a kid
faces. That can be from a broken crayon to a sad heart because a friend has said something
unkind. And as students grow through the grades, teachers become more like coaches guiding
students like in their thinking about how to solve their own problems and how to evaluate
if the problem is a kid size problem or an adult size problem. It takes real critical
thinking. I still use the skill today to consider if a problem that I am trying to solve should
be solved on my own or maybe I need to take it to Mr. Luke for help. Thank you for that.
And now my final question is about working with other people. So describe how students
can develop empathy and their abilities to work well with others when to learn about
leadership. Well, first of all, a student might see themselves as being a leader, but
if they don't have anyone following them, they're not actually leading. And a real leader
cannot force people to follow them. They might be able to use like fear or prizes as a way
to get people to do what they say. But a strong and caring leader is going to listen to those
around them and have a heart that looks for ways to show them care and makes decisions
that help many people, not just decisions that help themselves. All right. Thank you
for your answers, Mrs. Donnie. Now we'd like to ask two questions to our young guests
before they read their essays. All right, Leo, you can answer first and then Jimin.
All right. My question is this. What does being a good leader mean to you? Well, being
a good leader to me means that like you are open minded and like you're kind to everyone
and treat them equally and you don't force them to do things. And yeah, you just be kind
to them. Thank you. For me, it's any person who can help others and give vision to others,
such as encouragement and chasing dreams. They influence others, but also take gratitude
for everything as well as staying positive. They have to communicate and encourage people
while being responsible as well. All right. Thank you both for those answers. Now, my
second question for you is this. Could you share a time when you saw someone else showing
leadership? All right, Jimin, you can start. So one time I found someone showing leadership
is when my friend let me give a shout out to Pi R. And then when I was struggling with
my math problems, she came to me and then she actually encouraged me to try myself and
not to actually like give up. So I'd like to thank Pi R for that. All right. Thank you.
So for me, this is a shout out to one of my some of my two best friends, Joshua and Jobim.
So outside of school, we've been working on a top secret project. Top secret? And basically,
sometimes there are disagreements about it. But we all showed everyday leadership by finding
peaceful ways to compromise the problems. And we didn't end up having any fights or
anything. Can you tell us, like, give us a little hint at what the secret project is?
It has something to do with words. Okay. Are you writing a book? Maybe. Oh, all right.
Okay. I'll keep a lookout. Thank you. Okay. Thank you for your answers. Now it's time
to read your essays. Jimin, we'll start with you. Go ahead and start when you're ready.
Dear students and everyone listening, no matter who you are, you can be a leader. Yeah, someone
like a presidential leader might be hard, but you are not that kind of leader. You're
an everyday leader. You don't have to have royal blood. I'm here to explain that it's
actually not that hard. If you want to be a good role model to people younger than you
and create a more peaceful environment, it is important you act like an everyday leader
and show the way. John C. Maxwell once said, a leader is one who knows a way, goes a way,
and shows a way. The truth is, we can't all be leaders, but you need the three key qualities
of an everyday leader. A good leader has to be responsible, be kind and encouraging, and
be a strong communicator. For starters, student leaders need to be responsible in order to
lead well. Being responsible as a leader means that you need to be able to make good decisions
and be honest about what you say. In addition, you also have to take responsibility for what
you did. A quote from former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower said, leadership consists
of nothing but taking responsibility for everything that goes wrong and giving your subordinates
credit for everything that goes well. I know some great leaders do something wrong and
try to cover their mistakes up by lying. That does not make a true student or everyday leader.
That's why we learn about the 5As and all the peacemaker lessons. If you're not in
grade 5, you may not know, and they are teaching us what is right. Sooner or later, their lives
will eventually catch up and their pants will be on fire. Another example is that you may
be in this meeting or another important decision making place, and you are to make a decision.
Sometimes it may be easy to choose. For example, whether you want a pink notebook or a blue
notebook for boys or girls, that's pretty obvious for most people. But at other times,
you could be going through so much pressure to make a good decision. Imagine you are a
movie director and then you said your movie will be out in two days. Your movie is super
popular and people are waiting for this very moment your movie is going to be released.
Some already bought tickets. Unfortunately, you accidentally deleted a part of your movie
and have to film it again. Will you tell the sit-ins in sorry and the movie will be late?
Or will you do it again that day without special side effects because that is one of the most
important parts. Do you see how as a leader you will need good decision making skills
to be responsible? To be a good leader in life, you will have to be kind and encouraging.
How will your friends or people around you react if you act like you couldn't care less?
The article 10 characteristics of a student leader says, student leaders recognize that
everyone has strengths and weaknesses. An example from my life is when I had a friend
who was really good at writing. She was in grade four, but already wrote grade five or
six writings. I looked up on her because not only was she great at writing, but a great
everyday leader. Now that I think about this, she was really kind, encouraging and a great
helper to everyone. I was young and I hated writing classes because I just felt like I
was bad at it, but she insisted that she read it. She gave me comments and encouraged me.
This is why nowadays I really like writing. Take Martin Luther King for another example.
He encouraged others to follow their dreams and fight for their rights. He told them that
no matter what color they had, they were all people. Do you think Martin Luther King Jr.
told people things that brought them down? No. Of course, he did mess up a few times
because obviously no one's perfect, but did he purposely try to bring them down? That's
another no. He encouraged people to do the right thing by boycotting the buses because
the white people treated the black people badly. Last but not least, to be a great student
leader, it is important you are a good communicator. What I mean by this is that you have to be
both a good listener and speaker. Imagine someone who listens well, but suddenly says,
shush, when you are about to speak. To add on, a good communicator doesn't mean that
they just simply listen and speak well, but the words and actions they use to do that
matters too. For example, think about if you're talking to a friend, but then they suddenly
say something like, shush, nobody cares about what you think, and then take their turn to
speak. That is why most people consider disrespectful talk. The people are not suitable to be a
good leader. Like take Adolf Hitler for example. He was a great communicator, but not good
at actually doing what he said. That's why I said to be kind and encouraging, my second
reason. Also, do you remember the reasons I mentioned above of being responsible and
being kind and encouraging? This reason is especially important because if you don't
know how to communicate with respectfulness, how will you be kind and encouraging? And
if you are not a good communicator, how will you share your thoughts responsibly? This
is why you need to have good communication skills to be a good leader. Don't you agree
with me? In conclusion, everyone can be an amazing everyday leader if they have the three
most important characteristics. Leaders don't have to be a walking dictionary or have a
mind like a steel trap. You need to be a strong leader by being respectful, being kind and
encouraging, and be a good communicator. Please don't doubt yourself. I know everyone deep
down have these qualities. You may not follow these characteristics all the time, but no
one's perfect after all. Now that you've learned this, according to the Mystery Science
Team Doug, have fun and stay curious. Bye, and follow these three characteristics to
be an everyday leader.
Wow, that was really great Jimin. I really liked all the scenarios that you mentioned,
especially the movie director one, right? And then also your quotes from other leaders.
You have a really big vocabulary. I'm really impressed. Really good job. All right, next
up we have Leo. Go ahead and start when you're ready.
Dear students and fifth grade Turtle Academies, have you ever wondered what an everyday leader
is? If you want to make life better for others in your community or learn about being a leader,
you should listen to this. Being an everyday leader is an important topic that you will
lose in your life. Today I will be telling you about what I think an everyday leader
is, how I'm applying this to my life, and what it means for our communities. First,
I will talk about what I think an everyday leader is. An everyday leader is someone who
shows interest in helping others. I think a good everyday leader should be a good decision
maker. They should be honest and they should be open minded. Everyday leaders need to be
good decision makers because they have to make quick decisions under pressure, and they
need to be honest because they need to be truthful to make others follow them. They
also need to be open minded because they must listen to others' ideas to improve their
own ideas. There are other examples of how everyday leaders meet these qualities. An
everyday leader does not have to be someone who does big things like setting up a charity
for homeless people. An everyday leader is someone who does not have to have a high status
like a manager or politician, like someone like Joe Biden, and they do not need to be
rich or strong like Elon Musk or John Cena, and they can be an ordinary person. An everyday
leader can do tiny things that make a big impact. For example, Mother Teresa once said,
I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many
ripples. This means that doing small things will cause others to do the same, which adds
up to a lot. Now, I will tell you about what I'm trying to do and what you can do to be
an everyday leader. In my life and your life, the three qualities that I mentioned earlier
are important for you to do. For example, you and I can be good decision makers by choosing
to eat vegetables instead of yum yum or lays, which are very yummy. Choosing to eat fruits
and vegetables instead of junk food helps your body be healthier and makes your life
easier by not having to work to become healthy again. You and I can be honest by telling
your parents that you intentionally spend all night playing Brawl Stars and watching
TV because it was fun and that it wasn't the right thing to do instead of coming up
with an excuse. Being honest like that helps you because others will become friends with
you for it and admitting your mistakes makes others forgive you, which feels good. Also,
you and I can be open-minded by listening to your friends' suggestions such as we
should show more about what happens to the aliens in our comic book, etc. You could make
that change and the result could be much better than it would have been if you hadn't listened
to them. Being open-minded helps because you listen to others' ideas and not just your
own. This is how I have been trying to apply the everyday leader qualities to my life and
you can too. Now, I will talk about what being an everyday leader means for a community if
everyone has the qualities of an everyday leader. First, being a good decision maker
helps the community by making better results because good decisions lead to better results.
For example, people make good decisions by doing many things such as not using drugs
or breaking the law. By doing this, it makes the community a happier place. Being honest
helps the community by building trust. Being honest is admitting when you are wrong and
this makes others trust you because they trust that you will tell the truth and admit your
mistakes. Building trust reduces conflict because people trust each other more and conflict
is solved easier because people admit when they are wrong which makes the community a
better, happier place to be in. Finally, being open-minded is being open to others or accepting
people. For example, if someone had a really serious and realistic idea and someone else
had a really silly but creative idea, being open-minded would help you be open to the
silly but creative idea rather than just saying to be more serious because we don't
take creative ideas even if the serious idea is better. This helps others feel accepted
and happier making the community a better place. And that is what I think an everyday
leader is, what you and I can do to be an everyday leader and what being an everyday
leader means for a community. If you are convinced that this is what you are, what you believe,
then take action. The world is most likely running out of good leaders and we need them
and you should step up to be an everyday leader by being a good decision-maker, being honest
and being open-minded. You will not be disappointed.
Alright, thank you, Leo. That was a really well-written essay like both of you and I
just have like a little extra question starting the script. Who is someone that you look up
to? People who are in charge of me.
Oh, oh, your parents? My parents and my teachers because it's kind
of hard to decide who you look up to because usually you just know what to do. So usually
I guess I look up to my inner subconsciousness. Oh, right, inner subconsciousness. Okay,
oh you, Jimin. Most of the time I look up to my friends more than my parents because
I feel like I don't really like people who actually boss me around so much. But my friends
Lala, Nana and Pi-ar don't actually boss me around. They just actually help me understand
it, things like that. But mostly like Leo said, I also look up to my inner self so that
I can believe in myself. Okay, self-confidence. Alright, thank you both.
Great response from Leo and yes, the world definitely needs great leaders and I won't
lie, leaders that are leading us right now, like some of them aren't doing so well. So
yeah, good job pointing that out and good responses.
Okay, thank you everybody. What a great discussion on leadership. We heard some inspiring insights
from our principal and two incredible fifth graders who showed us that leadership isn't
just about being in charge. It's about setting a good example, helping others, making a positive
impact and last but not least, eating your vegetables. No matter your age, you can be
a leader in your own way by taking action. So as you go through your day, think about
how you can lead with kindness, confidence and integrity. Okay, we'll be right back with
part one of our adventure story right after this short PSA announcement.
One, two, three, four. ICS invites you to a classical music concert,
Echoes of Elegance. Enjoy soothing and thrilling works from Bach, Sibelius, Dvorak, a Mozart
symphony and more, played by the combined forces of ICS High School Orchestra and the
Emanuel Orchestra. Emanuel Orchestra is a ministry of the Music for Life Foundation,
under the direction of the esteemed Dr. Krit Niramitam. For more than 20 years, the Music
for Life Foundation has offered classical music education in Khlong Toi, Bangkok's
largest slum. Some of their players have won scholarships to Mahirun University and returned
to teach with the foundation. They have five levels of orchestra and ICS has the privilege
of playing alongside some of their top musicians. Dr. Krit and our own orchestra director, Mrs.
Sara, will share the podium. Admission is free at the door. Donations will be accepted
to benefit the Music for Life Foundation. Join us on Thursday, March 20, 630 p.m. at
Christchurch, Bangkok, Convent Road, Silom. I hope to see you there.
And we are back with our second segment. For the next ten episodes, we'll be bringing
you another adventure story, just like we did last season. Our new story is a sequel
to last season's story titled The Secrets of Valdorado, uncovering a legacy of greed
and deception. You can listen to our first story in episodes 55 through 64. The Secrets
of Valdorado story is also available as a paperback book on Amazon.com or as a digital
PDF download on our website at Students Incorporated dot com. Our new story includes a few characters
you'll recognize from the past, as well as a whole new set of characters. So buckle up
as we dive back into a world of intrigue, danger, and mystery. Now, and without further
ado, we bring you the first part of our ten-part sequel to The Secrets of Valdorado, titled
Legends of the Yucatan, uncovering a mystery of love and betrayal.
Our story begins in the quaint and famous, well now even more famous, town of Coloma,
California, which is located in El Dorado County. Coloma's significance resides in
the fact that it's known as ground zero of where the California Gold Rush started in
the mid-1800s. Coloma and the surrounding area is not only etched in the history as
the starting place of the California Gold Rush, but is now also known as the little
town that helped expose one of the largest and longest U.S. government scandals of all
time. The scandal is now known worldwide as the Great California Gold Rush Scandal. The
region and county has seen growth among visiting tourists. Over the last year and a half since
the Gold Rush scandal broke, tourism has almost doubled, which has contributed to much higher
revenues for local businesses. Coloma City Council members have had to hold several extra
meetings with real estate developers, city planners, zoning officials, and contractors
to develop plans for infrastructure improvements, road expansions, and new business-friendly
zones. El Dorado College, located in Coloma, has seen a jump in enrollment since the scandal
was exposed as well. Curiosity and intrigue have brought many more students from all over
the United States to the college to study. Both the history and science departments have
seen a significant increase in enrollment. Even though the county of El Dorado and the
town of Coloma are experiencing population growth, the region still holds on to its cultural
and historical charm.
I'm Lily. Remember me? I'm thankful for all the up-pouring of support and love I've
received since being part of the group who helped expose the truth of the Gold Rush scandal.
Because of my involvement in helping expose this scandal, I will be granted a permanent
green card to live and work in the U.S. upon completing all my studies. I've had some
weird flashbacks the last year and half of my time being held in the tunnels, which have
helped the FBI piece other small details together over time. I'm still connected with Ava,
Ethan, and Ciara, and of course Professor Hawthorne at the college. I completed my bachelor degree
in forensic science from El Dorado College and I've started my master's degree. With
the influx of new students came more demands for expanded programs at the college. So,
I'm part of the first cohort in the newly developed Forensic Science Master's degree
program, which I'm super excited about. I'm also taking a few extra classes in the history
department, as I really would love to specialize in a career that does forensic investigation
of past events, places, and artifacts. I was able to secure a TA position with Professor
Hawthorne and Professor Case. I really enjoy having my feet in both the history and science
worlds and I just really love to learn. Hey there, it's Ava Turner here. You may remember
me from my previous adventure. I helped break the series of stories of the California Gold
Rush scandal when I was working at the Sacramento Bee. I'm not even 30 years old yet and I
feel like I've lived a lifetime already with the amount of exposure and opportunities I've
had since those stories came out. The events and circumstances of that adventure have changed
my career and life in so many positive ways. I've only been out of college for two and
a half years and I now work as an independent writer and investigative reporter. I'd say
that 90% of my contract work now comes from Reuters. Reuters is a valued source of news
of which they then source to newspaper all over the country, like the Sacramento Bee
and hundreds of other papers, both online and offline. In fact, Reuters is quite famously
known as the first to break the news in 1865 that President Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated.
I'm so honored to be working with them and appreciate the arrangement we have together.
Hello, I'm Amanda Chase. My students call me Prof. Chase. I'm 36 years old and new
to the area. I accepted a position at Aldorado College last year and now help teach several
classes in the history and science departments. I'm a rare person as I've done two doctoral
degrees, one in general history and one in general science. I think that's why I landed
this faculty position at Aldorado College as I'm qualified to teach in both the history
and science departments. I'm married and my husband is a lawyer who specializes in
business and corporate law. We have two elementary age children and we are originally from New
York. My husband and I were inspired by the events and bravery of the people involved
with exposing the Gold Rush scandal. It was good timing as we both were looking to make
a change and wanted to relocate. After reading all the articles and watching all the news
reports and interviews, I knew we had to be out there. Anyway, when I saw that the college
was hiring for a new faculty position and that person would be working in the same department
as the great professor Hawthorne, I knew I wanted this position. And now here we are
a year later and I've made it through my first year at the college. Oh, by the way,
fun fact as well, my kids attend the school where Ciara Reese now teaches art. You know,
Ciara, she was also part of the gang who helped expose the corrupt officials from the Gold
Rush scandal.
Hola, I'm Thomas Froles. I'm a 52 years old man. I'm a family man, always have been.
My students call me Professor Tommy, which is Prof Tommy. I'm on staff at UNAM and
I've been here for quite a long time now. Professor Hawthorne, I go way back. In fact,
James and I worked together on several dig projects here in Mexico and Central America
years ago. I'm well connected at the university and the museum, my university department,
the department of archaeology and anthropology works closely with the museum and much of
our work is directly related to the city and state cultural and heritage type initiatives.
Let's just say the Mexican Ministry of Culture Affairs is one of our biggest supporters and
financiers.
Tony Garcia over at the museum is a good friend of mine. I helped to mentor him as he gained
seniorities at the museum. We probably grab lunch together at least once a month. I'm
surprised he still has time with as large as Safia is now over there.
Hello, my name is Anthony Garcia and I'm the lead curator for the Museum of National Anthropology
in Mexico City. My close friends just call me Tony. I'm 44 years old and I've worked
at this museum for almost 24 years now. I started working here as an intern while I
was finishing my college degree and never left. I guess you could say that I've almost
made it to the top rung of the corporate ladder here. I routinely meet with my boss, the museum
director and prominent city and government officials regarding all things culture and
heritage. And I get to interact with the UNAM professors and students on a regular basis
as well. I learned how to curate some of the rarest artifacts and relics from around the
world and bring them to this museum for shows and installations. We do however specialize
in rare relics and artifacts of the ancient Mayans and have done a lot of study of the
Aztec civilization.
I love my job. Let's just say I don't plan on going anywhere. I converted a section of
my large corner office into a studio apartment as I'm often here overnight working. Chances
are if you need to find me, you always find me at the museum somewhere.
Hello, I'm Miranda Martinez and I'm 28 years old. I was born and raised in Mexico City with
family ties to Texas. I have a younger brother and a younger sister. My younger brother plays
for one of Mexico City's pro soccer teams and my sister is studying pre-med. I'm a
graduate of UNAM's undergraduate and graduate programs of history and anthropology and I'm
one of the youngest team leaders the university has ever sent out in the field. One of my
biggest accomplishments besides being the first female in my family to graduate with
honors from UNAM was that I helped lead the team that discovered the now famous and very
rare Jade Vessel Artifact. You'll hear about that later. My family is pretty well connected
among the elites in Mexico City. My mother and father own and manage several high end
restaurants that have been featured on multiple international food programs. The restaurants
regularly host some of Mexico's most influential politicians and business moguls. Although
I grew up in the world of elites and influence, I don't really enjoy it. I'd rather be
out in the countryside learning about our past so I can help preserve it, not only for
my generation but for future generations as well. Hi, my name is David Silva. I'm 31
years old, well almost 32 to be exact. I'm a dual US Mexican citizen. I was born in Mexico.
My father is American and my mother is Mexican. My father moved to Mexico City for work where
he met my mom. They then got married and had me two years later, which was a big surprise
to both of them at the time. At least, that's what they tell me and maybe that's why I'm
an only child. My father then relocated us to the US right before I started middle school.
I spent my middle school and high school years attending school in Los Angeles, which was
a big adjustment for me. My parents still live and work there. I had a knack for swimming
and won several high profile swim meets in high school. I didn't know what I wanted
to do after high school so I joined the US Navy. I knew that I ever wanted to go to university
sometime that the best way to get that pay for was through the GI Bill offered by the
US government. While on the Navy, I trained and worked as a rescue and recovery diver,
which took me all around the world, mostly to natural disaster zones. We were often contracted
by both private and public companies and even sometimes other governments for our services,
some of which have been classified. I left the Navy after 10 years and was quickly recruited
by the Mexican government as a private citizen to help recruit and train new dive technicians
for the Mexican Navy. My former senior Navy officer recommended me when he found I was
leaving. I also accept contracts for dives from pirate companies and the university.
In fact, I was a diver on the team that found the golden mass of Chichen Itza. You'll hear
about that later.
Professor Hawthorne here, you probably remember me from my previous adventure with Ava, Lily,
Ethan and Sierra. The last two years have been quite crazy, good and bad. One of my
closest friends and colleagues at the college, Bill Sharpton, was charged and convicted of
multiple felonies and is now serving prison time for his role in the Gold Rush scandal.
Other prominent city and state leaders were also caught and convicted. The public's trust
in our city, county and state leaders has been greatly diminished because of the great
Gold Rush scandal. Well, this is what the national network news agencies have named
it now. I still get the feeling there are others involved who haven't yet been caught.
Well, it's in the hands of the FBI now.
Moving on to some of the good things that have happened in the last two years, my wife
and I have had the opportunity to travel around the country along with several of the others
to tell the story of our involvement. I'm thankful to HarperCollins for picking up my
book, The Secrets of El Dorado and sending us on a book tour. We had a great time meeting
so many people all over the country and are thrilled to tell our story and we're glad
it inspired them. El Dorado College enrollment has grown, so it's good to have a new faculty
member, Amanda Chase, join my team and she helps teach several different classes. With
this newfound 15 seconds of fame, many of our old friends and work colleagues have reached
out to see how things are going. I even got reconnected with an old friend from UNAM in
Mexico City, which you'll hear about soon.
To conclude the preface and before we get started with the story, I want to give you
some details about UNAM and a few other places the story will take us. UNAM is short for
the National Autonomous University of Mexico. It's ranked as Mexico's number one university
and ranks as number two in all of Latin America. UNAM has an enrollment of over 360,000 students.
Popular tourist attractions and archaeological sites in Mexico are sprinkled along the Yucatan
Peninsula. Cancun, being the popular destination for tourists and holiday goers, sits on the
east coast of the peninsula and is about a 20-hour drive from Mexico City or just a 2.5-hour
flight. The Yucatan is full of ancient archaeological sites. One well-known site is known as Chichen
Itza, one of the largest Mayan cities. It's just over 90 minutes from the city of Merida
and just over two hours from Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Chichen Itza is a notable site
of ancient Mayan ruins. At its center is the massive step pyramid known as El Castillo
or the Temple of Cuculcan. This ancient city thrived between 600 AD and the 1200s and its
stone carvings have endured over time. Key structures such as the ball court, the Temple
of the Warriors, and the Wall of Skulls still display detailed carvings from the past. Nightly
sound and light shows illuminate the building's sophisticated geometry giving visitors a spectacular
view of the city. Another location popular with tourists and archaeologists is Tulum.
Tulum is a resort town on Mexico's Caribbean coast and south of Cancun. The 13th century
walled Mayan archaeological site at Tulum National Park overlooks the sea. It incorporates
the cliff-top Castillo built as a watchtower and the Templo de las Pinturas with a partially
restored mural. In land, the Coba archaeological site has pyramid-shaped temples with views
over the surrounding jungle. Finally, Calacumul is another ancient site of the Mayan people
and is located near the border of Guatemala and Belize. Over 6,700 ancient structures
have been discovered and identified in this area which date back to 1000 BC. The entire
site is located in the protected tropical forest of Calacumul in Campeche, Mexico. This
area has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Because of this designation,
many of the ancient structures have been hidden once again by the imposing jungle forest.
Viewed tourists venture to this location because of its remote and less accessible location.
And now onto our story. Part 1, The Proposal.
Professor Hawthorne looks down at his watch and then he glances up at the clock in the
back of the room. Hmm, I guess the batteries finally died in that old clock. The professor
mumbles to himself as he starts to pack up his papers and laptop. As he carefully slips
his laptop in his very worn leather shoulder bag, he clears his throat and then he says
with a loud voice, Ahem, Okay everyone, there is about 10 minutes remaining in class to
finish up. Make sure to read the final instructions before turning in your work. And don't forget
to have a great holiday break. And I'll see you next year.
The professor smirks a bit as he says that last part, hoping at least one of the students
would laugh. Or at least crack a smile and look back. Nope, not this year again. Maybe
the joke has worn itself out over the countless years he's used it with his last class on
the last day before the college goes on break for Christmas and New Years. The professor
looks up as Lily-chan approaches the front table as he's closing his bag and putting
on his jacket. Tough ground today, he says to Lily. Yes, they were. They were probably
just tired and happy that their final exam is over. Lily responds as she hands in some
leftover papers that were left behind by several eager to leave early students. She then asks,
Is there anything else we need to do today? The professor responds, Not that I can think
of and if there is something, well, it can wait until we get back from break. That's
the thing about work. It'll always be right here where you left it. It's not going anywhere.
Professor Hawthorne and Lily follow the last two students out of the classroom, turn off
the light and shut the door behind them. As they walk down the hallway toward the elevator,
the professor says, Well, how does it feel to complete your first semester as a TA? Very
different from when you were a student, right? Honestly, it's been great. I mean, I didn't
really know what to expect as far as the day to day responsibilities, but so far I've really
enjoyed it. And as a bonus, I'm able to receive three extra college credits. And by the way,
I really appreciate you allowing me to join your department. Thanks for fitting in the
word for me.
Ah, you're welcome. And that's good to hear, Professor Hawthorne says. The entire TA experience
can be a make it or break it depending on who you're TAing for. I mean, I feel really
bad for the poor souls who get stuck TAing in the English department.
Yeah, that's what the rumor is around here. Don't TA in the English department, Lily
says with a half smile and then adds, Professor Chase has been great as well. She told me
she loves it when she has the opportunity to mentor TAs in her classes. Lily makes eye
contact with one of the two students up ahead who is holding the elevator and then says,
Thanks for holding that for us.
The professor then says, You all go ahead without me. I've got to stop back in my office
before I leave anyway. Oh, by the way, Lily, if you find yourself without plans for Christmas
or New Year's, please reach out to me or the missus. We usually host several students who
can't make it back home for the holidays.
Lily nods her head, smiles and says, Okay, thank you and will do as the elevator doors
close.
The professor makes his way to his office and notices that just about every other classroom
and office is already closed, dark and empty except for Amanda's office a few doors down.
Well this place clears out fast this time of year. He says this as he unlocks and enters
his office while the faint sound of a vacuum sweeper hums in the background. As he enters
his office, he notices that there is one last manila envelope resting upright in the mail
receiving basket which sits on a chair just inside the door on the right and just under
the mail receiving slot in the wall. I'll grab that on my way out, he thinks to himself.
After finishing a few last minute things, the professor grabs the manila envelope, turns
off the light, pushes the lock button on the back of the doorknob and then closes the door
behind him. The professor makes it a point to stop at Amanda's office to see if she actually
is still here or if it's the cleaning staff that are in her office finishing up before
break. He peeks through the door and sees Amanda packing her backpack while sitting
at her very tiny desk.
Oh hey there, the professor says. Looks like you're getting out of dodge as well.
Oh hey professor, Amanda replies. Getting out of dodge? Haven't heard that one before.
Yeah, it's something my father and I used to say to each other when we were excited
or ready to leave a place. We used to watch that old western show, Gunsmoke, together
when I was a kid. And that saying was used a lot on the show, even though neither of
us had ever visited dodge city, Kansas. The professor responds with a small chuckle.
He continues, Lily just left and said she has really enjoyed TAing for the department
and especially for you. Anyway, I thought you'd like to know you've really made an
impact on her in her short time here so far. So thank you.
Oh and by the way, the contractor spoke with me this morning and said that your new office
would be completed by the time you returned after break so you don't have to put up
with this small closet of a space anymore.
Wow, that's so nice to hear. Lily's been so helpful in so many areas, not just with
typical TA things like helping do attendance, checking work, and so forth. But she's also
given my family and I great advice about the town and surrounding area. I know we've only
just been here a year and a half now, but my family and I feel very connected and grounded
already with the community and the school.
As Amanda gets up, turns out her light and walks out of her small closet-sized office
space and she continues as Professor Hawthorne walks next to her down the hallway towards
the exit of the building. Our two girls love their new school. Byron and I made the right
choice by enrolling them in that new charter school you and your wife recommended. Ms.
Ciara Reese is their art teacher. I've gotta say, it's pretty cool to be surrounded by
the heroes of the famous California Gold Rush scandal. I didn't think that would happen
when I accepted this job.
As Professor Hawthorne and Professor Chase exits the building together and into the almost
empty parking lot, Amanda then says, and yes, I'll be ready to move out of that small closet
I call my office as soon as the other office is ready.
Ha, I'm sure you will be. Think of it as a late Christmas present from the college.
The professor says this with a smile as he turns to walk towards his parked car. He hesitates
for a moment and then turns around. Oh, and one more thing. Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year to you and your family. Thank you. And you too. Please give my best to your wife.
Amanda responds as she turns and walks to her car.
As Professor Hawthorne opens the driver's door on his old Bronco, he looks down at the
envelope he's been carrying since he left his office. He glances down at the top left
corner of the front of the envelope where the return address has been affixed. The address
reads The National Autonomous University of Mexico, School of Political Social Sciences,
Pro City, Mexico. This large and famous school is better known by its nickname, which is
UNAM. Hmm, it can't be. The professor says to himself as he starts his engine, puts the
Bronco in drive and then leaves campus, ready to enjoy the next four weeks of holiday break.
Shortly later, the professor arrives home to an empty house, remembering his wife was
working at a local charity fundraising event downtown today. He sits down on one of the
stools at the island in the kitchen and places the envelope on the table. His phone then
dings, almost on cue, like he had planned it that way. As he is opening the envelope
and pulling out the contents, he looks down at his phone and sees that he's got a new
email and it's sent to his personal email account. Hmm, that's funny, he thinks. I
don't give that address out to many people, so I wonder who that could be. He focuses
on the papers that he pulled out of the envelope and scans them until he finds exactly what
he's looking for at the bottom of the second document. There you are, the professor says
with a grin as he reads the name at the bottom of the letter. Sincerely, Professor Tommy
Flores, UNAM School of Political Social Sciences, Mexico City, Mexico.
Hawthorne notices that the two documents in the envelope appear to be a formal invitation
and a proposal directed to both El Dorado College and him personally. He picks up his
phone and opens the email that had just arrived. He notices that the from address is tommyf
at unam.edu.mx. The email message is quite short and to the point and reads,
James, this is Tommy. Long time man. Hope you received the official invite from me already.
Also send an official invite to your college dean and administrative staff. After you read
it please let me know if this is something that can happen. I didn't have your work
email only your personal email address. Anyways, I'm hoping you still check this account.
Let me know. All the best, Tommy.
Professor Hawthorne scans the two documents again and more thoroughly this time. The first
document is like a cover letter introducing several different people. UNAM is a higher
educational institution and one of the more well-known museums in Mexico City. The second
page or document is the official invitation and proposal which consists of three main
things guest lecturing sitting on a Q&A panel and an official invitation to an honorary
guest to a formal event being held at the Museum of National Anthropology, Mexico's
most prominent natural history museum. The museum event will include the unveiling of
two rare somewhat controversial Myron artifacts that were recently discovered by an archaeological
team from UNAM. The artifacts will be turned over to the museum for further study and
research purposes. Hmm, this could be a fun experience. The professor says out loud that
he finds two more important details towards the end of the second document. The first
is that the events would be happening during the first and second week of May, which is
a week before both UNAM and El Dorado College hold graduation ceremonies. The other detail
is an invitation to bring a small group of like-minded students from the El Dorado College
and the other California Gold Rush Scandal heroes. Hawthorne thinks to himself, this
is quite the proposal, especially since travel and food expenses would be paid for by one
of UNAM's many cultural exchange grants. I like this idea a lot. I just hope the dean
will be keen on this as well. Professor Hawthorne puts the documents down and eyes the fresh
pumpkin bread loaf sitting on the kitchen counter, grabs a fork from the drawer and
says to himself, well, it's time to start celebrating the holidays early and I know
just where to start.
And that ends part one. Stay tuned for next week as we bring you part two of Legends of
the Yucatan.
Wow, what an episode. We explored the power of leadership, heard inspiring stories from
young voices and kicked off an epic new adventure. Whether it's leading with kindness or embarking
on a thrilling quest, there's always a new challenge to take on. Thanks for joining us
and until next time, keep leading, keep exploring and we'll see you in the next episode. Stay
tuned for our next episode as we dive back into the topic of business and then bring
part two of our adventure story, Legends of the Yucatan. And as always, this podcast would
not be possible without the hard work and support of our international student production
team.
All music and sound effects are courtesy of Pixabay.com, a vibrant community of creatives
sharing copyright free images, videos and music.
And we are signing off until next time. We are Students Incorporated because your voice
matters.