By Amy Schoew, upon returning from S. Africa.

View across Alexandra from the construction site of the Nelson Mandela Museum

I visited Johannesburg for the first time, and was amazed at the incredible energy pulsing through this city. As I stood at the construction site of the Nelson Mandela museum on the corner of 7th Ave. and Richard Bayoli St. in the township of Alexandra, I looked out across the  rooftops of the homes of many of our LEAP 3 students. I had this realization, a “knowing,” that the people I am meeting during these days will have a profound impact on all of our lives. The work of transformation — educational, societal, personal — feels like slogging through mud, and sometimes it seems impassable. But other times, it feels otherworldly — full of air and light and joy, rising above. Hard, hard work — by the students, the faculty, the administration, the partners. But the successes are sweet. And so worth it.