Sometimes change can be unsettling.
It often requires us to get out of our comfort zone, challenging us to do things differently. Yet most often, if we embrace change, it will lead us to something better: new relationships, more efficient processes, new partnerships and new clinical practices, just to name a few.
As I reflect on this past year, I appreciate the leaders at the Munroe-Meyer Institute whose new ideas will help shape our future. As these new ideas emerge, inevitably, change will follow. All of us will need to reflect, to offer modifications, and then to implement these new ideas in order to maximize our success.
We are beginning to see new partnerships and relationships emerge across departments and with community organizations, creating an energy that is igniting new, exciting possibilities. Who would have guessed that MMI would be known for its theater productions? Or that MMI would have faculty who could help individuals with autism “fly” through computer simulation?
We have seen changes in how we let the community know who and what we do at MMI. Our history has been documented. We no longer are “the best kept secret” in Omaha.
This could only be possible with a strong foundation. The work of those who came before gives us firm footing as we continue to reach for the stars.
As we start a new year, I say: Embrace change. See where it takes us. I think we all will enjoy the journey.
Barbara Jackson, Ph.D.
Director
MMI Department of Education and Child Development