What an insightful conversation with Benny Blades! Benny is a counselor and dedicated mentor within Santa Monica College and is alma mater, UCLA. Among many forms of community service, he serves as a dynamic Board Director in the International Society of Black Latinos. All of this and his avid study of world history adds to our conversation about transitioning into post-pandemic life in our work and academic environments. In the process, we focused on the opportunities to shift our mindset in the interest of healing ourselves and cherished communities. Empathy remained at the center of all reflections. Thanks, Benny! #TransitioningIntoANewWorld #PostPandemicGrowth #TheShift #ImaginingtheWorldontheOtherSideofthePandemic #healingourcommunities #healingourselves