Category Archives: Home & Family

Paul’s Graduation

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My son Paul has graduated from Foothill College! Hooray! We are so proud!

On Friday evening, he walked with his fellow Studio Art graduates, then we celebrated with a wonderful late dinner at Sienna Bistro in Willow Glen. On Saturday, Paul enjoyed a day of video and board games and BarBQ with friends and family at home. Paul starts his studies again in August at San Jose State University where he wants to earn a degree in studio art with a teaching credential.

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson

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Tartan and Pipes for Baptism

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Last year, my friend Laura and I bought tartan sashes at the Scottish Games.  I discovered then that my Dickinson family may be historically associated with the Paisley district tartan. Laura’s family has connections to the Boyd tartan.

Today, in honor of the baptism of our Rector’s daughter Olivia, Laura and I wore our tartans to service. Rev. Channing Smith and his wife Mary were delighted to be baptizing their baby, so the Stewart Tartan Pipes and Drums marching bagpipe band were on hand to lead us out of church. Two of the drummers in the band were women!

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

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Re-Learning the San Francisco Mission

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I am enjoying working at Everwise in San Francisco as their new Vice President – Mentoring.  It is particularly fun to get re-acquainted with my hometown. I worked for years in our family business – in a building that does not exist any more.  It was on Steuart Street at the base of Mission, across from what is now the Rincon Center but used to be the Rincon Annex US Post Office.  I used to love looking at the WPA murals while waiting in line to refill our postal meter.

In the last two weeks, I have discovered an inexpensive place to park ($10/day instead of the $28/day I paid at first), and delightful places to eat closeby:

I have also admired the newly refurbished LeRoy King carousel and plan to ride it soon!

I am still working out how best to manage the San Jose – SF – San Jose commute.  This takes between 1 hour 30 minutes, and 2 hours each way – depending on when I start. My husband John and I have both driven and taken the train. When he works from home, I have driven alone. Caltrain is less expensive ($18/day round trip) but I need to walk a mile from the station – so I arrive later and have to leave earlier. There are very few express (“Baby Bullet”) trains.  If I ride a milk train, the trip is 50 minutes longer. Driving costs about $38/day ($.55/mile x 50 miles + $10 parking) but allows a flexible work schedule.

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson

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Paul is Almost Done!

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Next Friday, my son Paul graduates from Foothill College! He turned in his art portfolio and is finishing his last two papers. Then Paul takes one final exam and he is done.

This weekend, we set up the guest bedroom (for family in town for the big event).  Paul’s hair is cut, he has new glasses, and we have an appointment with the photographer.  I pressed his graduation robes, and only asked him a dozen times if he is sure he has turned everything in. Paul is tolerating his proud mother’s fidgets very well.

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson

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New Job: Everwise Vice President – Mentoring

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Last week, I started as the new Vice President – Mentoring at Everwise in San Francisco. I am delighted to join a team helping progressive, successful corporations and non-profits to create world-class mentoring programs. My first big project will be with InovAtiva and entrepreneurs in Brazil!

Here is some of what drew me to Everwise:

  • Everwise connects professionals with the people and insights that can help them succeed at every stage of their career.
  • Everwise has re-engineered workplace mentoring using best practices culled from industry’s most effective mentoring programs and real-world experience guiding more than 60,000 successful mentoring partnerships over the course of 20 years.
  • The Everwise platform is built on the unified view that data, technology and workforce science can dramatically improve the way organizations develop their people.
  • Everwise has offices in New York City, San Francisco, and Minneapolis.

My new position at Everwise coordinates well with my ongoing activities. I will continue as the Chief Operating Officer for People to People (pro bono), as a volunteer for the TechWomen mentoring program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, as an accredited EfM Mentor, and as a member of the Anita Borg Institute Advisory Board.

My husband John and I will be commuting to work together from San Jose to SF, where he is the Principle Architect, Open Storage at EVault (Seagate). Since our son Paul is graduating this month from Foothill College and transferring to San Jose State University in September, he can get to class more easily on public transit.

Image Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson

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People to People Radio: US Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach Interview

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I just got back from a trip to Ethiopia during which I was honored to interview US Ambassador to Ethiopia, Patricia M. Haslach, on behalf of People To People Radio. Check out her advice to women and girls in the just-posted video. Thanks to my husband John Plocher for managing the recording and processing!

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson and John Plocher

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Lalibela, Ethiopia

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15 years ago in California, I bought a silver cross inspired in design by Bet Giorgis, the Church of St. George, in Lalibela Ethiopia. A few days ago, John and I finally visited Lalibela and saw the inspiring medieval monolithic cave churches in this World Heritage Site for ourselves.  Mostly built in the 12th century, Lalibela today is a major tourist and pilgrimage site, featuring good food (especially at the Mountain View Hotel, and the interestingly modern Ben Abeba restaurant) and comfortable hotels with lovely views.

John and I only had one day to visit Lalibela. After the early morning flight from Addis, we saw the cave church at Na’akueto La’ab, the northwestern church group, and Bet Giorgis. The building outsides are well maintained, and the churches themselves are in active use by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Inside are ancient painting and icons, worn rugs, big drums, and benches. Long curtains protect the holy space – inside of which is a replica of the tablets in the original Ark of the Covenant – itself said to be in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (in the town of Axum in the Tigray Province, Ethiopia). There are remains of frescoes on some church walls plus elaborate ceiling carvings.  The churches vary in size and design but all are carved from red basalt below ground level – from the living rock.

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Images Copyright 2014 by Katy Dickinson

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