How Fashion Saved This High School Math Teacher's Life

When I wore a Diarrablu dress to celebrate Thanksgiving, everyone the beautiful wrap design, dramatic sleeves, and bold print made quite a splash.

When I told my friends and family the pattern was generated by a math equation and designed by a Senegalese woman who lost her memory and nearly died on her path to becoming a designer, they wanted to know the whole story, naturally.

I'm guessing you're intrigued now, too, so voila: Diarra Bousso's evolution from math nerd to Wall Street bond trader to creative math teacher and fashion designer—and how she nearly lost her life along the way.

And no, she doesn't plan on choosing between the math and fashion any time soon.

"I almost feel like it's too good to be true, that I can do both things," Bousso told me. "Not just for me—the fashion brand is uplifting entire communities and artisans and providing jobs. And my work in education and research is getting kids to care and learn and be successful."

Her arrival at this poised position didn't come easy. The fulcrum of Bousso's story is a life-threatening accident in 2012 when she was 23 that left her paralyzed and with no memory. The event was precipitated by a bout of severe depression, and in Senegalese culture at the time, Bousso says mental health was considered embarrassing and not discussed openly. Hence, she kept much of her story private.

But with nearly eight years of recovery and perspective behind her, plus her current success as both a high-school math teacher and a designer (she's currently a designer-in-residence at Fashion Incubator San Francisco)—she's ready to share.

   
"It took being a teacher to realize the importance of mental health and the need to share it openly and ask for help when needed," Bousso said. "In my case, I fell into depression while working on Wall Street because I had chosen the wrong path and was miserable and felt no purpose. I didn't know what depression was, in my culture we never talked about such a thing."

Bousso is private about the specifics of the accident itself, although she's certain her depression caused it. Her art, fashion, and, surprisingly, Tumblr, all played a role in her journey to recovery.

As a teen, Bousso was a bright student who wanted to be rich. She also wanted to be a cool, respected artist and fashion maven, inspired by her stylish mother who designed most of her own wardrobe using fabrics collected from travels around the world. But no one in Bousso's family believed art was a viable career path. It was a fun hobby, and she was a gifted painter inspired by Picasso and cubism. But art wouldn't make her the earner she impatiently dreamt of becoming.

At 16, she declared to her parents that she was bored with school in Senegal and wanted a challenge. She informed them she'd be moving to Norway as one of just three students accepted by United World Colleges (she'd applied without her parents' knowledge) to study in the Nordic country. They said she was too young—she could go abroad for college in France after graduating high school, the natural progression for a smart Senegalese student.

Can Rich Content Improve Education?

Modern high-stakes testing really kicked into gear with No Child Left Behind, and then got another huge boost with the advent of Common Core. All through that era, teachers pushed back against the fracturing of reading instruction, the idea that reading is a suite of discrete skills that can be taught independent of any particular content.

The pendulum has begun its swing back. Content knowledge is coming back into vogue, and while there are plenty of cognitive science-heavy explanations out there, the basic idea is easy to grasp. If you know a lot about dinosaurs, you have an easier time reading and comprehending a book about dinosaurs. If you are trying to sound out an unfamiliar word on the page, it's easier if you already know the word by sound. If you learn and store new information by connecting it to information you already have banked, that process is easier if you actually have plenty of information already stored away.

Classroom teachers have known this. Some have argued that the Common Core acknowledged this (but did so in the appendix, none of which is tested material). And while much of the education reform crowd joined the "skills" push (one attempted catchphrase of the new SAT created under Common Core creator David Coleman was "skilled it"), some reformers never lost faith in the work of Ed Hirsch, Jr., who has himself stayed committed to the idea through his Core Knowledge Foundation.

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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul Marks Ten Years Of East Meets West Fashion On Its Runways

Istanbul has come a long way in establishing itself as a fashion destination, considering that in 2008, Istanbul Fashion Week was only a fashion lab. Today is has the support of its title sponsor, Mercedes-Benz, and was attended by over 20,000 visitors who flocked to Turkey’s capital four-day event. With conversations around inclusivity dominating the fashion industry in recent years, the theme of Spring/Summer 2020 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Istanbul was fitting: #Together. Held at the Zorlu Performing Arts Center on October 8-11, 2019, it marked the 10th anniversary of MBFW Istanbul, where guests admired collections as well as participated in conversations centered around the industry’s shifting values.


A mix of seasoned and emerging designers showcased their collections, and for the first time,“Pioneering Designers”, a selection of up-and-coming designers, presented their work in group fashion shows. Among those was Turkish-based Armenian designer Emre Pakel, who founded his label in June 2018 just five months after winning the Koza Young Fashion Designer Award, a ‘prestigious Turkish fashion contest and Aegean export union designers contest’. Fast forward to present day, this season Pakel presented his spring-summer 2020 collection, titled "Pakel Cooperation", which channels Japanese street style in response to Hollywood fashion.

Mercedes-Benz Türk, the Turkish outpost of German automobile company, chose to support emerging Turkish designer Kadir Kılıç and his brand MiiN, with the “Mercedes-Benz presents Miin by Kadir Kılıç” runway show of his Spring/Summer 2020 collection.  Kılıç, an alumnus of Işık University as well as Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design & Marketing, presented a collection that was a radical departure from MiiN’s core black-and-white aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from the work of abstract expressionists, Kılıç infused color and texture into a timeless collection that spanned all seasons. MiiN’s usual minimalist color palette was shaken up by hints of baby blue, pastel pink, lilac and mints, as well as vibrant neons of yellow, green and blue. From graphic printed pant-suits and neon orange translucent jackets, to metallic silver rain jackets and navy-blue coats speckled with glitter, the collection balances timeless style with ergonomics and functionality.

Fashion Designer Roksanda Ilinčić Curates The Prettiest Penthouses In London

Roksanda Ilinčić is known for giving seriously cool catwalk looks, and now she’s turned her talented hand to interior design.

The designer has beautifully offered her own take on The Penthouse at Gasholders London, specially curating interiors and artwork. The penthouses are apart of a landmark residence, built within a refurbished triplet of Grade II-listed, cast-iron gasholder guide frames in the heart of London’s King’s Cross.

Working with the three-bedroom duplex penthouse, Roksanda had the opportunity to go to town on the aesthetics and she did just that. As one would expect, there’s an elegant amalgamation of furniture, art, ceramics, books and objet d'art, creating a contemporary and exquisitely stylish narrative between rooms.

Roksanda has primarily focussed on women makers, both established and emerging. The space features murals, artwork, and textiles by Caroline Denervaud which act as a beautiful backdrop to the furniture by Lina Bo Bardi and Charlotte Perriand. Expect objects and ceramics by Australian ceramicist Alana Wilson, Berlin-based potter Christine Roland and Londoner Annette Lantsoght.

Postmodern and Mid-century accents include  a coat rack from the Netherlands, a dining table by Angelo Mangiarotti and Pierre Jeanneret chairs from the 1950s with a Francois Châtain Floor Lamp.

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How The China-Based Sangha Retreat Promises Leadership When It Comes To Wellness

Taking the concept of spas to a new level is Sangha Retreat,  which has recently added to its immersive offering and is launching to an international traveller. Found in the historic garden city of Suzhou, China, west of Shanghai, it looks set to cause a frisson of excitement – or at least a nod of holistic approval – in the wellness industry and beyond. It is the first of its kind by the OCTAVE Institute, which was founded by international business leader, Frederick Chavalit Tsao.

The Octave Institute is a platform to help people find harmony and clarity in life, and its first retreat was conceived by Tsao, whose own inward journey of conscious awakening led him to "create a space for societal healing with the intention of fostering harmonious communities".  What does this actually mean in reality? In short, it is a 47-acre space which goes beyond the normal spa offering – from the At One clinic, offering Chinese and Western medical therapies, to The Village, an interactive learning community. Open to families, individuals and friends – the ethos here is that all are welcome – there's also a collection of Sangha Villas made up of 108 private residences.


While it initially quietly opened its doors in 2017, Tsao has spent the last two years finessing the offering and the retreat now offers an international team of doctors and wellness experts; an expansive healing spa, with a 12-stage hydrothermal circuit; movement studios and gym; a sound healing dome; a restaurant serving customized menus, featuring local, organic products; and a complete village to host quantum leadership retreats.

Talking of which, the international launch coincides with Tsao's first book Quantum Leadership: New Consciousness in Business, due to be published this July. In the title, he articulates Sangha Retreat's ethos as applied to the world of business. "By unleashing creativity, individuals, communities and businesses can begin to solve today's problems and challenges in a truly sustainable way," he maintains.

Inspired by the Sanskrit word for ‘community', Sangha Retreat, says Tsao, aims to be a pioneer of ‘conscious living'. Offering more than conventional spa and wellness concepts, it promises to be a visionary environment where travellers can have the opportunity to seek self-clarity, find harmony, and achieve a new level of consciousness within and beyond their hectic day-to-day lives.

Prayer to the Trinity a dynamic exchange

I've noticed as my prayer life evolves, I don't clutter prayer moments with as many words as I used to.

This seems strange, since words are what I do — you might even say to a certain extent, who I am — but I find when it comes to prayer, often less is more.

I wrote a talk on The Trinity not long ago and presented it to the We Are the Church gathering in Streator in April.

Even as I wrote, my ever-changing personal understanding of The Trinity in my life became clearer to me.

Even more, just like human relationships are different with each individual, the way I relate to each member of The Trinity is unique.

In short, this is how I find myself addressing each member of The Trinity these days, and the basic way I pray to each of them:


When I sit with Abba in centering prayer (with a goal of twice a day for 20 minutes at a time), I am learning to let go of the chatter in my head. Each time a thought or sensation comes to mind, I gently return to my key word "Abba." I am giving Abba the chance to silently work inside my heart, digging and scraping — in an ever so gentle way — all the old trauma that's buried there, and through that work creating a new heart within me, as he promises to do for each one of us in Scripture.

The transformation from this kind of prayer is ongoing. But in the time I've been doing it, I notice an overall calmer interior, a more joyful interior and exterior and feeling less of a need to speak my opinion when there is no reason to do so. In other words, Abba is teaching me humility. And I have a long way to go.

In short, centering prayer — and Abba's work through it — brings me an inner peace that grows ever deeper the more I engage in it.

There are as many ways to pray to Jesus as there are people. One of the best ways, of course, is to enter into the Gospel narratives and imagine you are there, part of the scene. Each time you do this, you might notice something different happening.

As perfect as a way of praying this is, I must admit I rarely do it.

Instead, as my relationship with Christ has developed over time, and I've heard the Gospel proclaimed at Mass every week, and I've read from it myself, I have come to know (at least in my mind, to the extent it is possible) who Jesus is, why he came and what he wants to do for each of us.

All of this boils down to the four words that boil up in my heart when I find myself most in need:


By cutting out all the noise, I affirm my belief in who Jesus is, and I assent to his healing work inside of me.

And over time, sometimes little by little, and sometimes in a big spectacular way, he does it.


In a similar way, my prayer to the Holy Spirit has simplified a great deal as I've experienced the extraordinary ways he has worked in my life, and therefore know there is no need for wordiness.

Once you open the door to the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, you can't help but be blown away by the power and love of this member of The Trinity, and how it drives you out into the world to share that Spirit with others.

A Comprehensive Comparison of Four Decentralized Exchanges

To date, over $1.3 billion have been stolen from centralized exchanged hacks. Hacks occur because centralized institutions hold the private keys of its users. With this knowledge, hackers only need to compromise the system of the exchange to access the private keys. They can then send stolen cryptocurrencies worth tens of millions of dollars to their preferred wallet destination. This glaring security weakness is a risk that most traders and investors take when buying and selling cryptocurrencies.

Enter decentralized exchanges (DEX).

Decentralized exchanges solve this security problem by eliminating the third-party service provider (centralized exchange) to facilitate the trade. Instead, trades occur directly between users through a peer-to-peer system. Without the need to deposit funds to a centralized exchange, users control their funds and their private keys all the time. Under this system, hackers need to compromise the system of thousands, if not millions of users, to steal millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies. That’s just not worth the effort.

DEX appears to be the magic bullet that can solve security problems and possibly pave the way for mass adoption. The promising potential of a DEX motivated us to look into Binance DEX, Resistance DEX, eFin, and Bisq to see what the future may hold.

Entrepreneurship Education: Viable Tools for Opportunity Youth

As opportunity youth continue to struggle to connect to the economy, entrepreneurship offers a chance for them to learn the skills and mindset needed to thrive in today’s economy. Opportunity youth, the 4.6 million young people who are neither in work nor in school, often encounter significant barriers to education and employment, and entrepreneurship programs may offer solutions to the challenges they face.

Through the Opportunity Youth Forum (OYF), the Forum for Community Solutions (FCS) works with a network of over two dozen urban, rural, and tribal communities seeking to reconnect opportunity youth to employment and education opportunities. FCS looks for myriad ways to create these pathways, which was the basis behind the launch of the Youth Entrepreneurship Fund (YEF) in 2017.

Through funding support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, YEF responded to the interest expressed by OYF communities and youth leaders in exploring entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic self-determination and wealth-building in low-income communities.

The YEF seeks to promote racial and economic equity by ensuring that youth experiencing barriers to participation in the economy – including youth of color, Native American, and rural youth, as well as youth who are low-income and reside in public housing – are provided with a full range of opportunities to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and skills that can help them thrive in today’s economy, as well as access to tools and resources needed by aspiring entrepreneurs.

A new publication, Creating Entrepreneurship Pathways for Opportunity Youth, co-written with FIELD at the Aspen Institute, examines the potential for using these YEF programs to engage and create pathways for opportunity youth by exploring results from OYF communities that received YEF grants and have entrepreneurship initiatives now in progress.

Mali Linton, 22, worked with Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) and HOPE SF Initiative last year and said the experience allowed her to acquire knowledge she couldn’t have learned on her own.

The focus in the Bay Area provided entrepreneurial education, mentoring, financial literacy training, business development classes, and wrap-around supports to youth residing in public housing, who are among the most marginalized of San Francisco residents and do not have a path into the rich entrepreneurial ecosystem of the city.

"I learned how to be creative and innovative while building my business from the ground up," Mali says. "I’ve also learned that entrepreneurship isn’t for everybody. I had to be comfortable being uncomfortable a lot."

One of the goals of the YEF is to not just teach young people the tools to create businesses, but to use entrepreneurial education to develop skills that can support them in whatever career they choose.



"People starting their own businesses start to feel empowered, they believe in themselves and their ability to take control of their destiny," he says. "I’ve seen entrepreneurship spark excitement in the eyes of these young people, the ability to be their own boss and make their own money goes hand and hand with the street mentality we develop in our community."

Canadian higher education in review

Mental health on campus
What role do faculty have in supporting student mental health? How should university administrators respond to reports of worrisome behaviour on campus? Questions on the perennial issue of mental health never seem to fade, especially as demand for help on campus rises. In this vein, our writers have also discussed the emotional toll of teaching, cultivating resilience in students and an appeal to professors to err on the side of trust when it comes to sick notes.

Cannabis policies
It is hard to ignore the sweeping impact cannabis legalization has had on many sectors, including higher-ed. Before the law was set to take effect, researchers were gearing up to track the social, economic and health effects of this historic change in public policy. Universities were in a pinch to come up with campus cannabis policies with the onset of a new academic year. And, student journalists at four institutions took notice of the complicated patchwork of guidelines in place.

Equity, diversity and inclusion
The federal government has made no secret of its interest in bringing about change in equity, diversity and inclusion in research. For a long view of gender and full-time faculty in Canada, here are six charts that tell a partial history. This past summer, after the launch of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee, consultations began on the new $275-million tri-council fund, which included discussions of EDI. Consultations also kicked off for a ‘made-in-Canada’ Athena SWAN program, which will go beyond gender equity, and NSERC aims to unveil details of a pilot in 2019. With the federal budget coming up in the spring, university groups have EDI on their radar as well in their pre-budget submissions.

Reckoning with reconciliation
“Reconciliation” was always a hefty word with action needed to back it up. In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action, universities continue to work toward a shared commitment to closing the Indigenous education gap. One of those efforts: law schools are revamping their programs to respond to what one dean calls “the most significant shift in the Canadian legal landscape in our lifetimes,” Kerry Banks reports. Columnist Sheila Cote-Meek remarked on the need for structural changes at universities rather than quick fixes that don’t stand the test of time. And, at the most recent Building Reconciliation Forum, the theme was Ts’its’u’ watul tseep, meaning “to help one another” in the HUL’Q’UMI’NUM’ language.