Author Archive | Katrina Neely Farren-Eller, Ph.D.

Finding Balance

My entire life I have struggled with finding balance—in everything: work and family, exercise and rest, strength and softness, learning and vulnerability, awareness and fear, justice and mercy. The older I get and the faster the world seems to go, the more visibly these tensions show up in my life; on my face, in my […]

Impact vs. Intent

The Inclusive Dubuque Network recently created a poster with a message of being welcoming and inclusive of everyone in our community in the hopes that we would see these posters in storefronts, businesses, homes, and more. We thought we’d use a quote that business leaders would recognize in order to make them feel more comfortable […]

Embracing Fear to Make a Positive Impact

Regardless of our age, race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or political views, it is safe to say that our world appears to be changing, and quite quickly. From the millions of people who marched across the globe in support of women’s and human rights to those who gathered at airports in support […]

Changing the World Starts with One

The news of the horrific hate crime that took place in Orlando over the weekend has left many in our nation, and in our city, reeling. The Inclusive Dubuque Network wants our LGBTQ friends in Dubuque, and across the globe, to know that we stand with them. More than ever, it is clear that while […]

Moving Beyond Fear to Building Community

Dubuque has experienced its share of difficulties in the last couple of weeks. Among other things, overflowing homeless shelters, heroin overdose deaths and a cross burning. While we know these kinds of things happen in many other communities across the country, we still lament the fact that they are happening here. Of course, the all-consuming […]

Beyond Critiques of Black History Month

The arrival of Black History Month usually brings with it critiques and arguments from both Blacks and Whites on whether or not we should celebrate Black history this way. On one hand, there are those who think it is racist to focus any period of time on a single race. Then there are others who […]

From an Indian Reservation to Law School

  Jessie Big Knife is currently finishing up his undergraduate degree at Upper Iowa University and is in the process of applying to law schools. He shared this personal statement, part of his application packet, with his former professor Eric Eller, finance professor at Loras College, an Inclusive Dubuque Network Partner. I grew up on […]

Let Peace Begin With Me

I found myself tearing up last night…while watching a Microsoft commercial, of all things. In the commercial, Microsoft employees, along with the Harlem Youth Choir, stand outside Apple’s flagship store to serenade Apple’s employees with the Christmas carol, “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” At the end, Apple and Microsoft folks hug and wish each […]

November Network Update

A monthly update from the Inclusive Dubuque network coordinator I thought for sure that when it was time to write this month’s update, I’d be looking out my office window at a bleak landscape. Instead, I had to shut my shade a bit because the sun was so bright. What a difference a little sun […]