George Khalife’s Post

Graduates, it's that time of year again! As you embark on this next chapter of your life, I want to share some advice that has helped me tremendously: Dream big. With dreams, all things are possible. Remember to always keep your goals in sight and work hard towards them. Best of luck on your future endeavors! #DreamBig #GraduationAdvice

Advice to new Pepperdine grads: Creatively and intentionally develop purpose, service, and leadership in your work. It's possible to be a self-centered worker in the nonprofit sector, just as much as it's possible to be an accountant or marketing exec living out selfless service. Don't let assumptions about your industry or seniority limit your intentional cultivation and application of core values and character. What would you add? 💙🧡 🌊

It’s First-Generation Celebration Week! We’re spotlighting advice from first-generation faculty, staff, and students in the Purdue HTM - White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Here’s some guidance from Melissa Almanza, MPH, academic advisor: "As a first-generation college student, Purdue gave me ample opportunities to learn and grow. My best advice for students is to learn how to ask for help. Whether it’s from your professors, TAs, academic advisor, RA, or your peers, asking for help is the best way to connect with others and build your community of support. You are going to do great things on campus and beyond!"

The root of GNOSIS XXI started here!

At a time of division and misunderstanding, World Walker, LLC, champions a worldview where diversity is celebrated and empathy is nurtured through transformative travel. My journey to creating World Walker, LLC, began nearly 20 years ago, when I was only one of a few Black students on three separate study abroad trips as an undergraduate student. Those experiences abroad opened my eyes to new ways of thinking, a deeper understanding of self, and instilled a lasting empathy for people of all backgrounds. My transformative experiences abroad revealed a need to address disparities in study abroad access, especially as Black students represent nearly 13% of college populations but only 5% of those who participate in study abroad programs. Driven by this opportunity gap, I dedicated a decade at the University of Texas at Austin to championing international experiences for underrepresented students. During my tenure, I helped take over 650 students abroad, over 85% of whom were underrepresented students, and nearly 60% were Black. When Texas passed SB17 in 2023, banning DEI programs at public universities, I launched World Walker, LLC to ensure that global education remained accessible. This past spring, my team and I led 42 students on a life-changing trip to Japan, in partnership with UT’s Global Leadership and Social Impact (GLSI) program. Shortly after, GLSI was banned, reinforcing the urgent need for independent, equity-driven opportunities like those World Walker provides. In March 2025, World Walker will embark on two exciting spring break trips to Japan and the United Arab Emirates, open to students from Texas and across the nation, instead of one specific university. At a time marked by division, fear and misunderstanding, these trips aim to bridge cultural gaps and broaden student perspectives, championing a worldview that embraces diversity on a global scale. By empowering underrepresented students to experience the world firsthand, World Walker, LLC seeks to inspire change, personal growth, and a future in which global education is accessible to all. Over the next few weeks, I'll dive deeper into World Walker, LLC and how you can get involved. Please visit our website to learn more at worldwalker.org Devin Walker Founder and CEO, World Walker, LLC

Corporate College recently had the incredible opportunity to host executive leaders from 100 Black Men of America, Inc. for their executive leadership retreat. I had the privilege of leading a session titled "Education's Post-Pandemic Evolution: What We Provide Matters," and later joined Herman Bulls, vice chairman and international director at JLL, to discuss "Organizational Leadership, Governance, and Impact." Educational leaders, how do you see the role of education evolving in the post-pandemic world? 

A graduation speech for Stuart and Nancy Rabinowitz Honors College Students, on May 18, 2024 the night before Hofstra University's graduation ceremonies. LEARNING TO LISTEN Good evening RHC almost-graduates. I am so very pleased to be here with your family and friends celebrating your many accomplishments. Graduation ceremonies are the sweetest of all rituals. Yes, I do enjoy weddings, baptisms, anniversary celebrations and the like. But for me graduations outstrip them all, well, except perhaps for the announcement that a new baby has come into the world. New baby announcements top my list because each new life introduces to the world a unique point of view, one that has no precedent. Think about it for a moment. There will never be anyone else who can see the world exactly as you do. You were born at a very specific moment in time, in a particular place, to a specific family that was itself embedded in a particular cultural network. Why is this important? Well, as Hannah Arendt points out, these facts about you, and all of us really, turn out to be the ultimate source for all human creativity. As she explains, the solutions to our greatest problems, the production of our greatest works of art and music always begin when someone sees the world just a bit differently than everyone else and finds a way to communicate to us possibilities we hadn’t ever imagined. Continued: https://shorturl.at/hIMQy

Partnerships are the key to community success.

You are invited to our Campus County Fair tomorrow! Get ready to play some amazing games, buy some great gifts and so much more, all while supporting a great cause—the United Way! Here’s a sneak peek of what’s in store: 🎟️ Game Tickets at the Door: Grab your game tickets upon arrival and prepare for an unforgettable experience. 🍰 Bake Sale: Satisfy your sweet tooth with homemade goods that are guaranteed to make your taste buds do a happy dance. 🎨 Craft Sale: Discover unique gifts crafted with love by our talented community artisans. 🎯 Games with Amazing Prizes: Test your skills and luck with games that promise fun and the chance to win some fantastic prizes. Trust us, you won't want to miss this! 🎈 Bad Balloon Animals: You know you want one. Just don’t ask what they are supposed to be! 🔮 Fortune Teller: Peek into your future and see what exciting surprises await you. 🎶 Live Music: Tap your toes to the tunes of local musicians who'll keep the good vibes rolling. Join us as we take a break from the daily grind and come together to support the United Way. It's the perfect opportunity to start something wonderful by making a real difference in our community. Plus, it's a chance to connect with colleagues, enjoy some laughs, and maybe even win a prize or two!

Perhaps I'm just ignorant, but what and where and when is Diversity Equality and Inclusion relevant? Let's start with admittance and grades for QC courses. In my day those who scored the required SAT scores and had the required average in Highschool were accepted into QC. There was no discrimination. Just numbers. Everyone else could go to QCC and matriculate into QC for their Junior year. Diversity irrelevant. Equality, everyone got an equal opportunity, Inclusion standards were color blind and ethnic neutral. Now lets look at Main St. Flushing 1970 compared to today. Back then Diversity in all races and religions. Equality was go into a store with money and you got what you wanted. Inclusion All were welcome. Today's Main St. Flushing. 100% Asian language. 100% Asian business owned. What happened to Diversity? What's concerning is when the people in charge program AI. The one source of programming will end the 1st amendment. Then obviously old uninformed people like me will just have to accept the infallible explanations. Oh well. I guess the truth checkers will make it all right.