Cohort 3: Workshop 1 + Orientation

Excitement filled the Mayer Kaplan JCC, on August 30th, at Cohort 3’s first workshop! I was feeling a bit nervous, but overall really excited! I had been waiting for the first workshop since I found out that I was accepted in July! We kicked off the workshop with the fellows and the parents together, discussing a text that talked about “our names.” We talked about how everyone has different names; what your parents call you, what your friends call you, and what you call yourself. We also discussed how we wanted our names to change over the course of the next 15 months in Diller. My name is Danielle, but by the end of the program I want my name to be Danielle “the leader”.
Next, the fellows left the parents and we went upstairs to do our own programming. Once we all got upstairs, we played a game to learn everyone's names. After that we played “the ice game.” It is where you have to hold onto a piece of ice and you to talk about yourself until the ice melts or it gets too cold. If you wondering the ice was really cold. It was great to get to know everyone in the cohort!
We spent most of the workshop getting to know one another, and started making connections with each other. I am ready to start this one and lifetime program. I am ready to create my Diller family. And I am ready to make a difference.
I would like to end the first blog post with a quote:

“Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~Mahatma Gandhi

--Danielle Wolff