Speaker: Clark Roman
What inspired you to become part of SAAEF?
Clark Roman: I was inspired to become a SAAEF fellow because I've seen the power of of advocacy firsthand in other groups I've advocated before state house and legislation and seeing how just a few dedicated voices can really change the course of the legislation and action. I was so inspired by that and I'm so inspired by the field of adult education that I really wanted the chance to learn more about advocacy and become a better advocate not only on behalf of the other causes I care about, but specifically about the causes of adult education. Adult education is such a powerful tool of good in our society, but so few people know, and I really wanted to take my advocacy skills and help the public really understand. what the adult education field really can do for the public, not just people that are affected by adult education, but the entire society.
What were your biggest accomplishments during your SAAEF fellowship?
Clark Roman: I had some pretty nice accomplishments while I was a SAAEF fellow. A few things that spring to mind is getting a proclamation from the mayor of Minneapolis on behalf family literacy and international literacy, that was pretty cool. Another really interesting and great accomplishment was having Representative Ilhan Omar visit our centers and conduct a roundtable where we talked about the impact of adult education and literacy. We actually learned she had been a VISTA with a similar program to us on behalf of family literacy, so that was really cool to see, but I would say more of what I found accomplishment, more of what the important accomplishments were as a SAAEF fellow. were the more mundane. They were the conversations I had with people that didn't really know anything about adult education and because they didn't know anything about adult education, they really undervalued its importance. So I had some really amazing conversations with individuals, both in decision making and not in decision making areas about the importance of adult education. And I think I was able to actually change some minds and help humanize the participants we serve. I think that was those were way more important to me than the big showy accomplishments. I think the one on one interactions and really changing people's minds on a case by case basis really made me feel accomplished.
What would you like to say to someone in the field who is unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate?
Clark Roman: To someone unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate, I would remind them that advocate is a noun and it's a verb. It's a noun in that it is a person that is an advocate, but it's also a verb in that it's what you do, you advocate. And I would ask people to think to themselves of all the times in their life they've advocated for causes that are important to them. Maybe they didn't think they were an advocate when they talked to their racist uncle or advocated for immigrant and refugee rights. There's lots of things where you make a small comment and you don't feel of yourself really as doing advocacy, but even in those small moments you're an advocate and think about all the small moments of advocacy that have added up to make you an advocate. It's less scary a of a thing than it sounds.
