Courageous author encourages others

When author and motivational speaker Jackie Waldman was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at age 21, she decided she would be the one to find a cure for the disease. Now, two books and two appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show later, Waldman has not found the cure for MS. She has, however, found the courage to give. That was the theme of Waldman's talk yesterday evening to a small group of Penn students gathered on the third floor of Houston Hall. The talk was organized as the kickoff session of Penn's Women in Leadership series. During her talk, Waldman stressed that every student has the ability to give something to his or her community through community service and volunteer work. "You don't have to do anything grand to have the courage to give," Waldman told her audience, whose books tell stories of people who overcame physical and mental disabilities. "When you go out to volunteer, do it according to who you are and your unique gifts." Waldman also shared personal feelings about her battle with MS. "When I was diagnosed with MS I was very sad, very scared and very angry," Waldman told the audience. She explained the philosophy she used to overcome these feelings, making what she hoped would be the three main points audience members would take from her speech. "Happy people are useful people," Waldman said. "Courage gives us the fuel to live. We receive from the world exactly what we give to the world." At one point, Waldman addressed the concern that Penn students are too reluctant to become involved in the West Philadelphia community. "The courage to give is the courage to step out of our comfort zone and into our community," Waldman said. "You will be surprised right here in your own neighborhood how many people need you." Waldman emphasized the importance of individual qualities in determining the types of volunteer work students should choose. She used different colored balloons to represent different personality types. "Know who you are and do what you love and share it," Waldman said. "Do not assume the role makes you who you are." Audience members, by and large, felt that Waldman succeeded in generating excitement about getting involved in Penn's community. "Jackie did a good job of explaining that you don't have to have something terrible happen to you to make a difference," College sophomore Megan Bloom said. Barbara Pittman, a woman profiled in one of Waldman's books, joined Waldman in informing students about her non-profit organization, the West Philadelphia Closet. This organization, opening in about two weeks on 45th and Locust streets and run by Penn students, will give welfare recipients business attire to wear for job interviews. Waldman encouraged her audience members to become a part of this organization and to volunteer in other organizations around campus. "If you step out of your own life long enough to reach out and help someone else, your own life becomes that much greater," Waldman said.