Mona Penn-Jousset describes the challenges of working at a Dutch art academy, where issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion were either largely ignored or perceived with contempt. Feeling alone in her mission to create safe educational spaces for black, brown, and LGBTQ students while also navigating intense challenges in her personal life, Mona found herself taking the "next best step" on a moment-to-moment basis. Such steps included practicing gratitude, meditating, choosing to support her family, and staying focused on her own sense of purpose, among other healthy daily practices. These many steps in the direction of health finally led her out of her job at the art academy and closer to living out her purpose. 

Mona has since collected stories of those who have experienced the pain of working and studying in Dutch art academies. Look for the publication of her book on this topic in early spring. 

Find her on LinkedIn here (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennbusinessdiva/?originalSubdomain=nl) and her podcast here (https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/true-north-world-tnw-podcast/id1500147319). You can also follow Mona's film project, Maker, here (https://www.instagram.com/maker_amsterdam/). 

Register for "Semester Unplug" here (https://danielledelamare.com/?page_id=1066).