Speaker: Yamir Lozada
What inspired you to become part of SAAEF?
Yamir Lozada: Hi, Yamir Lozada here from Kansas, answering the first question. What inspired me to become part of SAAEF? So, several different reasons were motivators to apply and thankfully become one of the State Advocates for Adult Education Fellowship with COABE. Several different reasons, but I think the most prominent one was really my passion for lifelong learning. Obviously, you know as leaders in the adult education field, there's always refining to do. There's always new things to improve on, but I think personally and professionally, I know that advocacy is, one of my deficiencies and I'm OK with that, you know, we're not all perfect. I'm certainly not perfect. But getting the opportunity to refine and develop these skills was important for me and important for my community and my program. I thought it was just so wonderful to get thrown into other individuals that are equally or even more passionate than I am, but most importantly, very skillful at getting the chance to listen, to hear and learn, from other SAAEF representatives from across the nation. It was truly fruitful and eye-opening. It was great to hear everyone's wins within their community because it also inspired me and others of what to do and what not to do. It was great to learn that a lot of us have similar aches and pains and barriers and a lot of us have similar wins and and motivation to do something specific for a community. That's what motivated me to continue to improve who I am, not just as a person, but as a professional and as an expert in adult education, and I learned a lot. I learned a lot from others and that's what I was hoping for when I joined and I'm so glad I did because I can, I can say that, you know, as far as being inspired to, become one it was definitely fulfilled getting a chance to, to learn from everyone. It was a delight for sure.
What were your biggest accomplishments during your SAAEF fellowship?
Yamir Lozada: All right, Yamir here answering the second question. What were my biggest accomplishments during my SAAEF fellowship? So, I suppose I have a very important one, and then a few, maybe one biggest one, I think. Making sure I touch base on the important one is crucial because that's kind of what propelled my development within this year. So my most important accomplishment, I think for me was going to DC during Adult Family Literacy Week, getting uncomfortable. That was a big leap of faith for me. I mean, one, I don't like flying. And two, I'm claustrophobic, so just being in the tin can in the air just, you know, not my favorite thing to do. But, as I mentioned in the first question, advocacy is a deficiency of mine that I wanted to develop and getting a chance to be there with incredibly passionate individuals advocating not just for their specific state and of adult education but as a nation was huge, was very important, and getting a chance to speak with legislators, getting a chance to represent adult education, getting a chance to learn from others, it was a it was a big accomplishment for me because there are many times that we are afraid to get uncomfortable, at least I am, and I was like, you know let's do it! Let's get uncomfortable. That's the only way we're gonna learn and grow, right? So that's my most important accomplishment. A couple of big, biggest accomplishments, I had a couple of proclamations, I had a couple of presentation at conferences, and advocated and presented on several different things. But it's funny actually, just yesterday, there was a very important ribbon cutting for my community. So for the past, gosh, 2 years I've been working on a building to be able to provide adult education services and workforce development services, from piecing together a lease to building the furniture together to picking colors, to figuring out how to to rewire, the thermostat, I mean, all of that, and it came to conclusion yesterday during a ribbon cutting, and the reason it's my biggest accomplishment I feel is because having the chance to have our mayor there speaking about our partnership and what we're going be doing for the community, hearing from other city leaders being there, to advocate for what we're doing, what I'm doing, and acknowledge the fact that this is what the community needs and this is what the buildings can be dedicated for. It was incredibly heartwarming and incredibly important not just for our community, but to remind me and my staff that what we do is important. And all we needed to do was to apply for grants and, you know, work our tails off to get this building up and running to provide GED, ESL, literacy, financial, workforce development services, all that jazz, but having the mayor, having a district representative, having presidents and CEOs for nonprofits and getting a chance to hear them talk was important. And that's my biggest accomplishment. It's funny, it came to head yesterday, you know, as we're wrapping up this fellowship, and I don't think I would have had the confidence in myself to get this done. I
What would you like to say to someone in the field who is unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate?
Yamir Lozada: Yamir here from Kansas answering the third question. What would you like to say to someone in the field who is unsure if they have what it takes to be an advocate? OK, so first of all, you have what it takes. Let me explain why. So if you have an ounce of passion with what you do, you have what it takes. You know, I tell my staff and my students that it does not matter what your title is, it's what your actions say. Right, and so it's on my peeps. Anyone can step up and leave at any time because leadership, it's an action, it's what you do. Not what my title is, not what your title is. It's based on our actions. And so, as far as, do you have what it takes or not? If you have passion for what you do, whether it's adult education or anything else, then you can advocate for it. I think I mentioned in the first question that I have a lot of passion, a lot of heart for adult education, but as far as advocacy and those skills, those tactical skills, I didn't have them, and that's why I joined this fellowship to refine and develop and hone those skills, to be more effective and tactical with advocacy. And so did I have what it takes? Yes. Was I great at it? No. Well, that was OK, but this is where, you know, fellowships like this are incredibly valuable to not just to individuals who join the fellowship, but for the communities that they represent, for the people they get to serve and represent and advocate for. So, if you feel like you don't have what it takes, I want you to just ask yourself, OK, do I love what I do? Do I have a passion for it? If you answered those questions, yes, I love what I do. Yes, I have a passion for it, you have what it takes. That's it.
