Forty individuals from around the state gathered for a day-long leadership workshop about Pearl Harbor in Tucson, AZ. The day began on the University of Arizona campus near Old Main at USS Arizona Mall Memorial, to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. 

December 7, a day that, in the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “will live in infamy” was commemorated in a special way this year by Arizona Center for Rural Leadership. Conducted by  Diamond 6 Leadership and Strategy LLC, the session included observer participants with long military background to help provide perspective and background.    Participants were assigned to a squad named for each of six battleships in Pearl Harbor that were attacked.   We were tasked with watching “Day of Infamy” and “Tora, Tora, Tora” prior to the seminar in order to have a common, solid background of the Pearl Harbor attack.  That basic understanding the motives, resources, assumptions, prejudices, military values and goals of both the Americans and the Japanese was further enriched by Diamond 6 staff with certified military historian background.  This enabled each squad to explain their answers to the leadership challenge at the end of six  “case studies” – the First Wave of the Attack; the Pineapple Pentagon; Hospital Point and the USS Nevada; The Punch Bowl; Was Japan’s Attach Successful? and The Aftermath.   Throughout, participants were encouraged to ask questions, to challenge the conclusions of other squads (and the squad leader, which changed for each case study)  to discuss gray areas  - and, of course, gaining an appreciation of the difficulty of making decisions without the benefit of hindsight.    It was a profoundly information rich, intellectually stimulating day.  The opportunity to interact with Project CENTRL friends, alumni, staff and current class members was especially satisfying.  Many thanks to the U of A, whose additional funding made this kind of workshop experience possible*, and to Executive Director Scott Koenig for his foresight in scheduling this superb opportunity on December 7th. 

Have you ever bought a new car and then noticed that wherever you go; you see more of your SAME car? How could it be? Are there really more of ‘your car’ on the road? And if not, what could cause our minds to see more of something?

A simplified explanation is: our brains can get tuned into something! Similar to how a tuning fork helps instruments or musicians get in tune; or broadcasters tell us to ‘stay tuned’ so we don’t change away from the radio or tv frequency; our brain helps us by taking short cuts to see more of what we are tuned into; even when the physical occurrences stay the same.

At the end of this year, my therapist gave me homework to note all the ways I built resiliency as a child. As I considered that, I couldn’t help but see resilience all over my life recently. I witnessed resilience in the human body as my partner successfully had an organ removed with cancerous cells in it. So far, bloodwork has shown those mischievous cells were contained in that removed organ! I am appreciative to the resolve and resilience of the CENTRL team of staff and board colleagues who helped prepare for coverage of crucial events so I could serve as caregiver.

I’ve also heard stories of resilience from the CENTRL community throughout the year. The curriculum has helped families prepare for the future as one mother got to tour the Arizona State Prison Complex in Tucson while her adult son was sentenced into the corrections system. Because of her tour, she was able to share with him more about the rehabilitation and reentry programs available to him.

The resilience of CENTRL friendships across party lines and over nearly 20 years was on display as Class 18 rallied around a classmate’s campaign. They helped Janeen Connolly win her race in Legislative District 8 to join the Arizona House of Representatives, our newest of four alumni in the current legislature.

What several say anecdotally, we now have data to support: going through Project CENTRL strengthens your network. The image below is of Class 32’s amount of communication before the program.

Some of our biggest opportunities moving forward are in strengthening the resilience of the local CENTRL networks so that alumni in each county can be as tight as each class. Imagine if the local CENTRL networks were as strong as Class 32's communication after they graduated pictured below! 

Even in talking with someone new to our organization who may serve as a keynote speaker in the year to come; he recognized that the work we do strengthens the resilience of each rural community one of our 700+ alumni return to.

I find some of the most resilient images as I explore nature and I wanted to share them with you. A sole green surviving tree of the Big Horn Fire in this patch of the Catalinas.   And another tree that grew right around this boulder in the Gila National Forest. When you look at your year that passed, where do you find resilience in your life? Thank you for your work with me, the board and staff to increase the resilience of CENTRL and rural Arizona. Scott Koenig, Class 21 Executive Director

When this program started people kept saying this experience was “life changing”. I asked myself what they could mean by that. How could it be life changing, I wondered. Would this lead to a new job? I wasn’t really looking for a new job. Would I be going into politics? Is that how a career in politics starts? I admit that when I was young, I always had an interest in politics but as I got older, I just felt that it was out of reach for someone like me.

I came into this program feeling out of place, I felt like I did not belong here. The other participants were so impressive, and I felt like I must have either got lucky, or just snuck in somehow but bottom line, I was afraid. I was definitely afraid of public speaking, I was afraid of not being smart enough, I was afraid of failing and most of all: letting everybody down.

Early in the program I gave a speech and as hard as I tried to keep it together, I cried. It was my worst fear coming to life and I just wanted to hide because I couldn’t believe I was failing already. The other participants did so well, and I went through the same training as they did but I couldn’t even deliver a good speech?! What is wrong with me, I thought. Not only that, but CRYING? How embarrassing.

But then something happened, I looked around the room and saw other people crying. Then I finished my speech and everybody stood up and clapped. That was one of the best moments of my life and I think it brought our class closer together.

I finally felt like I can do this, but also, I realized that maybe other people felt like me too. I shared parts of my life that I had never talked about, and people connected with it!

Since then, I’ve felt like everything I’ve ever done, all my experiences both good and bad have brought be to this moment in my life. Like it was all for a purpose, and maybe I have a purpose as well.

Each seminar that followed showed me a different part of the state and reminded me of a lot of the issues that have been around me my whole life. I am from rural Arizona, these are the issues that directly affect me and my family, these are the issues that are affecting my community, still to this day.

I think the biggest takeaway is that to get something done, you just have to go and do it. It’s okay to be scared, it’s ok to be different, and it’s definitely ok to cry. But at the end of it all, we are all in this together. Despite our differences, we are a lot more similar than we think.

Now, I look at the term “life changing” in a whole new way.

I’m not making more money, but everything I have is more valuable to me. I didn’t change jobs, but I have new purpose. And I’m not going into politics, but I now know how to make a difference.

This program is “life changing” in all of the best ways, and I finally understand what that means to me. I’m a better father, a better husband, and a better leader. So good job Project CENTRL! This program changed my life. Thank you!

Will you join me in making a financial gift today?

Javier Medina, Class 32, Yuma