Whether you take an epic cross-country road trip or stay home and explore new parks this summer, the season brings so many memories for the family to share. Even the smallest moments can stick with your kids for years, so don’t overlook the joy of an ice cream cone on the back porch.
After all that fun, why not commemorate this year’s summer adventures with a colorful, unique display? Family memory flags take the idea of scrapbooks and make them easy to display, offering your family a regular reminder of the summertime fun you’ve shared.
A Unique Way to Preserve Memories
Kids love reliving summer memories, and having something on display in their bedrooms or backyard will spark conversation.
A memory flag is just what it sounds like: A flag — made of anything from paper to fabric — that kids can decorate with words, drawings, and colors that evoke their memories of an occasion or experience.
Making these flags gives kids a chance to share what stood out to them about an event or trip; sometimes it’s surprising which family conversations can start while you’re making art! Creating keepsakes together also extends the family bonding time you started during the adventure.
Make a Plan Ahead of Time
Before summer ends, make a plan with your whole family to commemorate the fun with a memory flag or banners. As you’re enjoying your summer activities, have the kids look out for special moments they want to remember later.
You can also keep a worksheet on the fridge to fill in and keep track of memory details, which might include:
Activity names
Things you saw, heard, or smelled
The biggest emotions you felt
The colors you saw
Surprising things that happened
Photo: velishchuk via 123RF
Choose Your Style
The best part about family memory flags is that there’s no “right” way to make them! Kids can choose the shape and design that fits their aesthetics.
Before you start any decorating, have each kid pick an overall banner or flag size and shape. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you gather materials and plan your flags:
If you’d like to hang your flag outdoors, choose a waterproof material. You can purchase blank silk flags from many online companies or make one yourself from a tablecloth. Cut twice the size you need, fold the fabric over itself, and line the edges with small sticks or dowels to help the flag keep its shape. Hot glue everything in place.
Creating lots of smaller flags instead of one big flag makes it easier to move in the future and switch out components for new memories.
If you want a small flag banner that looks like bunting, you can follow this tutorial to make your own out of toilet paper tubes!
Time to Decorate!
Adding decorations and designs to the flags is the most fun part.
Encourage your kids to be creative and think outside the box. Do they want to make background patterns? Incorporate words and keepsakes? The sky’s the limit!
For the best outcome, make sure to follow these tips:
Use durable paints and materials, especially for pieces that are going outside.
Incorporate fun surprise elements like glow-in-the-dark paint or glitter.
Take photos of important items that can’t be directly added to the flags, then use those images to decorate.
The flags don’t have to be literal; some kids might paint colors and abstract shapes that evoke the feelings from their adventure.
Add a consistent border design to flags that will be grouped together in a banner or display. Even if their designs are different, a common element running throughout will make the finished pieces cohesive.
Make a plan for preservation. A coating of Mod Podge or another finishing spray can keep the artwork from chipping and fading. You can also take the finished product to an office supply store to get it laminated for even longer preservation.
The best part about family memory flags is their ability to extend important bonding time and give your family another reason to have fun together. Plus, you’ll be able to enjoy the memories for years to come!
GLP-1 medications have become one of the biggest weight management trends in recent years. But for users, building a healthy lifestyle is about more than just regular injections.
What started as a treatment for diabetes has quickly fueled a much larger conversation about weight loss, aging, energy, and long-term wellness. For many adults, these medications really are helping.
It’s easy to focus entirely on food when talking about GLP-1s because appetite changes are usually the first thing users notice. Still, doctors and health experts continue to stress the same reminder: The medication is only part of the story.
The habits and lifestyle you build around it are just as important.
Smaller Appetites Can Make Nutrition More Important
For some people, GLP-1 drugs can significantly reduce “food noise” and cravings. They might even make users forget to eat.
That effect might sound helpful at first, but eating too little or forgetting about important nutrients can leave you feeling weak, tired, or rundown over time. That’s especially true as you get older and naturally begin losing muscle.
For older GLP-1 users, protein should be a bigger priority than ever. Foods like grilled chicken, eggs, yogurt, fish, beans, and protein-packed snacks can help you maintain strength while losing weight. Instead of eating whatever sounds tolerable in the moment, you may feel better when you focus on meals that actually keep you full and energized.
Fiber matters, too, especially since stomach issues are one of the most common complaints from GLP-1 medication users. Fresh fruit, oatmeal, vegetables, soups, and whole grains can deliver your fiber requirements without making meals feel overly heavy.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, focusing on nutrient-dense foods while taking GLP-1 medications may help reduce side effects and support healthier weight loss overall.
Photo: peopleimages12 via 123RF
Movement Does More Than Burn Calories
Many adults are surprised by how important movement becomes for GLP-1 users. We’re not necessarily talking about intense workouts or long gym sessions, either — just regular movement.
When you lose weight quickly, muscle can disappear along with it. That’s one reason doctors often encourage strength training alongside weight loss. The National Institute on Aging also recommends regular movement for older adults because it supports balance, mobility, bone strength, and overall independence as you age.
That doesn’t mean you need to spend hours lifting heavy weights. Intentional movement with resistance bands, bodyweight exercises, water aerobics, or even gardening can help keep your body active.
Walking is another habit that tends to make a big difference. You might start taking a short walk after dinner to help with digestion or parking farther away at the grocery store.
These little routine changes often feel more sustainable than forcing yourself through workouts you dread.
Sleep Has a Bigger Impact Than You Think
Sleep is another factor that we often ignore in conversations about weight and wellness.
You can spend all day trying to “eat healthy,” but if you’re only sleeping for four or five hours a night, your lack of rest eventually catches up with you. Poor sleep can leave you feeling hungrier, more irritable, less motivated to stay active, and more stressed.
Sometimes, the smaller habit shifts end up helping the most. Turning your phone off earlier, sticking to a more regular bedtime, or making your room feel cooler and quieter at night can leave you feeling noticeably more rested the next day.
Stress Affects More Than Your Mood
Stress also plays a role in your holistic health, whether you realize it or not.
You may notice stress showing up in your routine in ways that have nothing to do with emotions. Maybe you stop eating when you feel overwhelmed. Maybe you snack constantly because you are mentally exhausted.
GLP-1 medications may quiet hunger cues, but they do not magically fix burnout, loneliness, emotional eating habits, or everyday stress. That’s why the bigger picture matters.
You will likely feel your best when you pay attention to all the other things, too. Drinking enough water, eating nutrient-dense foods, sleeping more consistently, moving your body in ways you actually enjoy, and finding small moments to slow down during stressful weeks can all make a difference.
The medication can help open the door to a healthier lifestyle, but your daily habits are what will help you feel better, stronger, and more like yourself in the long run.
Pictured is the Microsoft campus in Mountain View, California, on January 26. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
Pictured is the Microsoft campus in Mountain View, California, on January 26. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)
By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN
(CNN) — Microsoft is eliminating about 4,800 jobs — about 2.1% of the company’s global workforce — with its Xbox gaming unit among the hardest hit.
“Our business is changing because the world around it is changing,” Amy Coleman, Microsoft’s executive vice president and chief people officer, said in a message to employees on Monday. “The way technology is built, deployed, and used is transforming faster than at any point in my time here.”
While jobs at the company are not being replaced with artificial intelligence, the technology is “changing how work gets done,” Coleman wrote.
The changes come as Microsoft has faced pressure to establish itself as a major player in artificial intelligence while companies like Anthropic and OpenAI increasingly tailor their AI tools for business use and productivity. Microsoft, like other cloud companies, has also poured billions into AI infrastructure in recent years and is combating concerns over whether it can generate significant returns on those investments.
Monday’s cuts follow several rounds of layoffs and staffing changes across the tech industry over the past year as companies seek to cut personnel costs while ramping up AI spending.
Microsoft in April offered voluntary retirement to 7% of its US staff and said on Monday that more than 30% of eligible employees chose to participate. It also laid off around 9,000 workers roughly a year ago and 3% of its workforce in May last year. It plans to spend $190 billion in costs related to infrastructure and data centers in 2026, the company said during its most recent earnings call.
Microsoft also said it’s exploring approaches similar to its voluntary retirement program to avoid job cuts when possible.
‘We must reset Xbox’
The company plans to cut about 3,200 jobs from its Xbox division throughout the 2027 fiscal year, with 1,600 roles being eliminated today, the company’s Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said in a post on X.
The company went on a buying spree beginning in 2018, acquiring multiple video game studios in the hopes that their offerings would steer people away from competing gaming platforms. But that strategy largely hasn’t panned out.
“We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios,” Sharma wrote. “It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio.”
The Xbox layoffs also come following a slowdown in video game spending after the pandemic. While the industry has largely recovered from that slump, according to reports from Boston Consulting Group and Bain & Company, console makers are grappling with an ongoing memory shortage that has forced them to raise the prices of their products.
Xbox console prices will climb by $100-$150 depending on the model as of August 1, the company said in June. Sharma said “the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in history.”
“We must reset Xbox,” Sharma wrote.
The company has been betting on its Game Pass game subscription service and studio acquisitions to fuel growth, but those businesses “did not grow at the pace we expected,” Sharma wrote.
Microsoft will shed four of its studios as part of its changes: Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions will become independent studios, while Ninja Theory and Undead Labs will transition to new management. Xbox revenue decreased by 5% in the quarter which ended in March, the company said in its most recent earnings report.
Sharma said Xbox’s teams are 40% larger than they were when the company’s most recent consoles launched in 2020 despite a shrinking player base.
“This year, we’ll invest as much in XBOX as we ever have, but we’ll invest with greater focus, greater discipline, and greater clarity, all in service of making XBOX where the world plays and creates,” Sharma wrote.
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. It's shown here through a microscope on a slide. (Melanie Moser/CDC/DPDx via CNN Newsource)
Cyclosporiasis is an intestinal infection caused by the Cyclospora cayetanensis parasite. It’s shown here through a microscope on a slide. (Melanie Moser/CDC/DPDx via CNN Newsource)
By Brenda Goodman, CNN
(CNN) — Got a nasty stomach bug that won’t go away? It could be cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that causes weeks of debilitating diarrhea, cramps and bloating.
This infection tends to occurduring the warm summer months, but several states are reporting increases in cases beyond what they would normally expect at this point in the year.
Michigan, which says it typically logs about 50 cases of cyclosporiasis annually, says it has seen 681 since June 22, pointing to an outbreak with a common source. Several nearby states are also seeing unusual upticks.
Since the beginning of the year, Ohio says, it has received reports of 177 cyclosporiasis cases, with 171 of those coming in June, mostly since June 20.
New York state says it’s seen 112 cases this year – outside of New York City – with 107 of those reported since May 1.
Other states are reporting cases too, but it’s unclear whether these are related.
Investigations are underway to identify what may be causing outbreaks in Michigan and Ohio and perhaps other states, but it may slow going.
‘Cyclospora is a weird one’
Cyclosporiasis, which is caused by the parasite Cyclospora cayetanensis, is especially difficult to trace back to a single source, said Dr. Max Teplitski, who once led the Division of Food Safety at the US Department of Agriculture and is now chief science officer for the International Fresh Produce Association.
Teplitski recently co-chaired an advisory committee tasked by the US Food and Drug Administration with digging into why cyclospora outbreaks have steadily been increasing in the United States in recent years.
“Cyclospora is a weird one,” he said.
With some foodborne pathogens, like E. coli and Salmonella bacteria, scientists can sequence, or read, their DNA to match a strain that’s making people sick with a strain that’s contaminating food or water. This gene matching is how scientists often spot outbreaks of foodborne illness in the first place.
A national network of surveillance labs called PulseNet constantly sequences the genes of bacteria that make people sick so they can compare the DNA fingerprints of cases in near-real time. When the fingerprints match across multiple cases in different states, scientists know to look for a common source.
But gene matching only works because the genetics of a particular strain of E. coli or Salmonella change very little as they transmit from food to us or from person to person. The letters of their instructions read the same way each time, so they can be tracked.
Cyclospora doesn’t work that way.
Because these parasites have sex (more on that in a minute) and swap pieces of their DNA to reproduce, their offspring share genes from their male and female parts, which means their genes look very different from one generation to the next, making the family tree nearly impossible to follow, Teplitski explained.
With no molecular testing to guide the investigation, solving an outbreak depends on shoe-leather detective work done by epidemiologists who follow up with each person who is confirmed to have a cyclospora infection. They ask a detailed series of questions about what the sick person ate and when. And because people aren’t great at remembering everything they might have had for breakfast a week ago, they also sometimes analyze data from grocery receipts and credit card purchases to help fill in the gaps. It’s painstaking work.
Typically, these questionnaires are focused on food. Teplitski says he hopes investigators are also looking at water sources like lakes and water parks.
“We certainly hope that they go back and they ask their patients, ‘What about recreational activities? What about other types of exposure to well water?’ ” he said. “All of these are multiple sources of the same parasites.”
What causes cyclosporiasis?
Cyclosporiasis is caused by a single-celled parasite spread through human feces. People get it by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, usually when swimming or when eating raw produce.
Produce that is hard to wash thoroughly, like berries and fresh herbs, is a common source, as are swimming pools, lakes, splash pads and water parks.
Foods most frequently associated with outbreaks in the US and other countries since the mid-1990sinclude:
Raspberries: 12 outbreaks
Basil: 11 outbreaks
Salad mixes (including vegetable trays and coleslaw): 8 outbreaks
Cilantro: 6 outbreaks
Berry/fruit mixes: 6 outbreaks
Lettuce: 2 outbreaks
Snap peas: 2 outbreaks
Once someone swallows the oocytes, or the egg-like stage of the parasite, a plot worthy of an “Alien” movie plays out in the intestines.
First, they differentiate into male and female forms, have sex and reproduce. (Yes, all this happens in your gut.) Their oocysts, or eggs, then burrow into the intestinal wall, where they destroy cells and are shed back into the environment when we poop.
When the weather is warm, they grow and mature outside the body for several weeks before creating more spores that are ready to infect someone else.
Because the spores need time to mature outside the body, people don’t typically pass the parasite to other people they live or work with. Transmission tends to happen more indirectly.
What are the symptoms of cyclosporiasis?
The symptoms of a cyclospora infection“are a little different than you sometimes see with Salmonella or E. coli,” said Dr. Rebecca Schein, an infectious disease expert at Michigan State University Health Sciences.
Sometimes people run a fever, she said, but it’s not especially common.
“It’s just more very watery diarrhea. More than three times a day and then feeling kind of bloated, full, uncomfortable,” Schein said. “Sort of like you just ate Thanksgiving dinner, but every day.”
Even healthy people can see this stomach bug continue for weeks.
“If you have a normal immune system, it will eventually go away, but it could take six weeks,” Schein said. The symptoms may come and go, too.
People who have compromised immune systems could see their symptoms persist.
In those cases, “The symptoms will not go away until you treat it,” Schein said.
How is cyclosporiasis diagnosed?
Normally, when doctors are looking for the cause of a stomach bug, they will check a patient’s stool with a multiplex test, a single lab test that looks for multiple pathogens at the same time.
Cyclospora is not on those panels.
“It can be easily missed if you don’t do the right test, and that’s kind of the one of the hard parts about this,” Schein said. Doctors have to order a particular kind of test that requires a special stain that turns the eggs of the parasite bright pink or orange so they can be seen under a microscope.
The Texas Department of State Health Services posted a health advisory in May warning that because the eggs shed from the body inconsistently, doctors may need to do as many as three tests spaced 24 hours apart to make an accurate diagnosis.
How is cyclosporiasis treated?
Once the infection has been diagnosed, treatment is relatively straightforward, Schein said.
The parasite is treated with a combination of antibiotics called trimethoprim-sulfa, which is sold under the brand names Bactrim and Septra. A course typically runs seven to 10 days, though people with reduced immunity may need to take it for longer.
The reason an antibiotic works on a parasite, Schein said, is that it interferes with Cyclospora’s ability to use the vitamin folate to make energy. It works on some other types of parasites as well.
If you’ve had diarrhea that’s gone on for longer than three to five days – or longer than two days if you live in an area near a known outbreak – it’s important to get tested, Schein said.
“The recommendation is to treat people who have cyclosporiasis, because it can last so long, and it’s just uncomfortable, and it can … spread into the environment if we don’t treat it,” she said.
Can you get rid of cyclospora by washing your produce?
Researchers in Norway studied this question in 2021, contaminating blueberries and raspberries with three kinds of parasites: cyclospora, cryptosporidium and giardia. Then they washed the berries three ways.
The first method involved putting the berries in a strainer and running them under plain tap water for one minute. The second involved filling a salad spinner with water and immersing the berries for one minute while stirring them by hand before draining and spinning them for 10 seconds. Lastly, they mixed one part vinegar with three parts of water in a bowl big enough to cover the berries and stirred by hand for one minute before rinsing and draining.
They learned a few things. It was easier to clean the smooth blueberries compared with the bumpy and slightly fuzzy surface of the raspberries, a finding that helps explain why raspberries top the list of foods associated with outbreaks.
Another curious thing was that cyclospora seemed to be extra sticky. It was tougher to get its eggs off the raspberries than it was the Cryptosporidium and the Giardia.
Finally, the vinegar water rinse got more of the parasites off the raspberries than rinsing them under plain water. It was a little bit more effective than the salad spinner method, but it wasn’t enough to make a significant difference in the results.
The salad spinner and vinegar methods were equally good, getting most of the cyclospora eggs off, but even so, some were left on the fruit. However, it’s not clear whether the remnants would be enough to make anyone sick.
Bottom line: Washing your produce is always a good practice for whatever nasties could be hitching a ride into your kitchen.
The FDA offers tips about handling and cleaning fresh produce:
Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before and after preparing fresh produce.
If the produce is damaged or bruised before eating or handling, cut away the damaged or bruised areas before preparing or eating.
Rinse produce before you peel it, so dirt and bacteria aren’t transferred from the knife onto the fruit or vegetable.
Gently rub produce while holding under plain running water. There’s no need to use soap or a produce wash.
Use a clean vegetable brush to scrub firm produce, such as melons and cucumbers.
Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel to further reduce bacteria that may be present.
Remove the outermost leaves of a head of lettuce or cabbage before using.
Loria Yeadon, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, center, received an honorary doctorate from City University of Seattle during its 2026 commencement ceremony. Yeadon also delivered a very inspiring commencement address, which can be read in its entirety below.
Loria Yeadon, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, center, received an honorary doctorate from City University of Seattle during its 2026 commencement ceremony. Yeadon also delivered a very inspiring commencement address, which can be read in its entirety below.
Good afternoon, graduates, I see you’re over here. I want to hear it from you. Good afternoon.
And also good afternoon to all of the faculty, families and friends who are here today. For those of you who’ve traveled here outside of the Seattle area, greater Seattle area, I extend to you a hearty welcome from the Emerald City.
Graduates, we know you did not get here by accident.
There was not just one late night. There was not just one sacrifice, not just one detour. There were many. Every step of your journey was non-linear, but yet and still, perfectly ordered. Taking you to somewhere worth going. Which is why you’re here today. Even the steps you did not, that did not make sense at the time and still maybe don’t make sense in this moment.
I encourage you to trust your clarity, your path, and the universe.
Today may feel like an ultimate destination, but it’s not. It’s a launching point for you. It’s a new beginning for you. Please hear me clearly. Your life going forward will continue to be non-linear. It will twist, it will pivot, and it will feel hard at times. And yes, you will encounter many defeats, but graduates never be defeated. Know that ultimately life will pleasantly surprise you if you let it.
Life will exceed your ancestor’s wildest dreams and anything you could have planned for yourself. If you embrace your non-linear path and see possibilities and embrace the opportunities life has in store just for you. So for the next couple of minutes, I’m going to share a bit about my own non-linear story to make my point. I grew up in a rural factory town in Virginia in the USA.
I became the first African American valedictorian at my high school. Thank you.
Now hear this I had completed every math and science class available at my high school prior to my senior year. I was a student body president, National Honor Society president, co-captain of the basketball team, and yadda
yadda yadda. You get my point. Okay, one afternoon, it was my turn to sit down with our guidance counselor to receive guidance on my future academic and career options.
And after reviewing my transcript and accomplishments and taking a long stare at me, I was told that maybe I should go to a junior college and maybe study liberal arts. Maybe that’s something that I could handle, she said. In that moment, honestly, I was baffled and I was disappointed because my classmates were already being encouraged to attend major universities, to become doctors and lawyers and scientists and teachers.
But somehow my performance and my accomplishments, my background, didn’t point to these options.
So I walked out of my guidance counselors office and into my former science teacher’s classroom with my ego pretty bloodied and my confidence totally deflated. Seeing my distraught face, my science teacher, Miss Helen Potts, I have to say her name. She asked me, what’s going on with you?
Yeah, she sounded the horn just like that.
And when I told her what my guidance counselor had shared, she stood up, she pounded the table, her voice rose several octaves, and she turned to me and she said emphatically, no, no, you will not go to a junior college. No, you will not study liberal arts. Not because going to a junior college isn’t a wonderful path. Not because they’re studying a liberal arts isn’t a wonderful path.
But she knew that I was capable of something much more for me. She said, you are going to a university. You are going to study engineering. That’s right. That’s what you’re going to do. And in that moment, she spoke destiny to me. She spoke confidence to me. She grounded me and spoke purpose into my life. And here’s the lesson that I hope you will take from this story.
Not everyone will see your gifts and your destiny clearly, but others on your journey will. And when they do, they will speak life into your destination and provide you the clarity that you need to lean into your destiny and be on your way. Be clear about who does and who does not see your gifts. Trust your own clarity.
So years later, I was working as an engineer. I had earned a master’s of science and electrical engineering, and something inside said there is more that I’m supposed to do.
Then came what many would call the opportunity of a lifetime and offer for a fully funded PhD and a leadership role at the University of Virginia. Wow. Sounds wonderful. And it was. But after deep reflection and tuning into my gut to find clarity, I decided to walk away from that opportunity. Why? Because I got really clear on something critical.
Just because something is a good opportunity doesn’t mean it’s your opportunity. Didn’t mean it was my opportunity. And a month later, after walking away from this opportunity, a memo crossed my engineering desk. My company was selecting two engineers to become patent attorneys. By the time the memo was shared with my department, they had already narrowed from 200 engineers down to the final five.
And something inside of me said with infinite clarity. This is the opportunity for me. So I call the general counsel of the company on a Friday morning, and he listened, but then said, sorry. The down select process is already closed. I continue to advocate respectfully, sir, this opportunity is for me. Then he invited me to submit my resume and cover letter to be considered for the program next year.
And then he, he shooed me. He hurried me off the phone. I knew what I had to do. I dusted off my resume. I wrote a cover letter that would foretell my advocacy skills well into the future, and I sent that over to the general counsel. Later that Friday, I received an invitation from the general counsel to come to his office on Monday morning.
By the end of that Monday meeting, I was informed that they had extended the final five to the final six and that I was the sixth candidate.
It all sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, then came the conditions. I had 30 days to take the law school entrance exam and get into a local law school. Be careful what you ask for, my friends. You just might get it. I walked out of his office. I was feeling really excited, but at the same time overwhelmed and standing on the sidewalk as I exited the building was my mentor, Gwendolyn P Taylor, who I swear has eyes in the back of her head.
And she said, I heard you’re a finalist for the new patent trainee program, and you have a lot to do in 30 days. And she began to outline all the significant investments that I had to make and resources in time, and that I needed to begin to make these investments right away. Now I’m really overwhelmed because I could not see a path where I could afford to get it all done in the next 30 days.
And she turned to me and her parting comment was, and if you don’t have the resources, I’m here for you. If you don’t have the financial resources, I have a checkbook. And in that moment, I learned that you will never be called to a plan or a purpose without provision already prepared just for your path. With the help of Gwen Taylor and so many other amazing people planted in my path, I was selected for that patent training program, and I trained by day, full time as a patent attorney and went to law school at night for four years.
Not an easy path, nor a linear path, but my perfectly ordered path to achieve my purpose.
Engineering led to law. Law led to leadership. And now I’m the president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle.
This is a path, honestly, I could have never imagined. As an African American kid growing up in the rural, segregated South. But when I look back, I realize that every single step of my non-linear path was perfectly ordered in preparation for this moment. The universe knows many of you are balancing careers, families, education all at once. You’re already you already understand something incredibly powerful, and that is resilience.
You have not followed a traditional path, and that is your strength, because the world doesn’t need more people who follow scripts. The world needs more people like you who dare to write new scripts to new destinations.
This past week, you may have seen a very special announcement about the YMCA of Greater Seattle and City University of Seattle entering a powerful partnership. And under this collaboration, the City University will provide a scholarship to a YMCA staff and also a scholarship to a Y scholar, as well as discounted tuition for all Y staff. And we
are so grateful.
But I can say that for all of the City University students, staff and faculty, there’s something in this for you, too. Courtesy of the YMCA, you will receive a complimentary Try the Y membership for you and your family. You will also have access to need-based financial assistance so that you can take care of your health and well-being, which is so important, especially now.
This is what happens when purpose aligns with collaboration. And I just want to say thank you to my friend and the incredible President Walsh.
So as I close today, graduates, I say to you, trust your gut. Trust your voice, trust your path. Trust your clarity, even when you can’t yet see the full picture and you’re baffled by the picture you are seeing. Trust your clarity. Trust that the universe is ordering your steps with destiny and purpose and taking you somewhere worth going.
Go faithfully with clarity. Answer your calling. Live your purpose. Do it your way, in your time and on your path. Congratulations.
July is recognized as BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month, an observance that highlights the unique mental health challenges experienced by Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities while raising awareness about persistent health disparities, barriers to care and the importance of culturally responsive treatment.
Mental health professionals say the observance also provides an opportunity to examine how culture, history and lived experiences influence both mental health and access to care.
“BIPOC Mental Health Month is important because it recognizes that mental health cannot be separated from culture, history, and social conditions, and it creates space to advocate for healing practices that honor Afrikan identity, resilience, and community,” said Steven Akuffo, a mental health therapist at Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic. “Raising awareness also challenges deficit-based narratives and reminds us that many mental health struggles are understandable responses to oppressive conditions rather than personal shortcomings.”
For Charisse Williams, a psychologist and director of the Center of Restorative Practices at the University of Washington Medicine, dedicating a month to these issues helps bring greater attention to the reasons those disparities continue to exist.
“It starts to highlight not only that health disparities exist, but also what some of the reasons are for those health disparities. Sometimes health disparities are blamed upon BIPOC communities in terms of talking about maybe utilizing healthcare systems less,” Williams said. “And that is actually far from the truth. A lot of the reasons for health disparities are disproportionate living environments, as well as the concept of weathering. Which is the fact that BIPOC people have to deal with racism and other isms that impact our stress levels and our ability to have an overall good level of health.”
The term “weathering” refers to the cumulative physical and emotional toll that chronic exposure to racism, discrimination and other forms of stress can have on the body over time, contributing to long-term health disparities.
Janarthan Sivaratnam, Ph.D., a psychologist with Providence Swedish South Lake Union Primary Care, said raising awareness is important because many of the inequities affecting BIPOC communities continue to shape patients’ experiences today.
“If we are at a 100-yard sprint, certain demographics already have a 20-yard head start. So, what we want to do by raising awareness is not trying to get a head start, but we are trying to catch up,” Sivaratnam said. “In order to catch up, we need to have some attention focused on this topic. Whether it is through awareness months or even in the exam room, the best way we can do that is by talking about it. We are not always focused on a quick solution. We are just trying to listen and discuss how it impacts someone, and I think that can be really powerful.”
Williams said the effects of racial trauma are often compounded by limited access to culturally competent care and a lack of understanding of the social determinants of health.
“I have noticed that there are more challenges with access to culturally competent care and an understanding of the social determinants of health,” Williams said. “When you combine that with racial trauma, and dealing with racism and other isms, it not only creates more stress, but that stress creates a differential impact in terms of our ability to be well.”
Sivaratnam said those stressors often appear in his patients, although conversations about mental health may look different depending on a person’s cultural background.
“Depression and anxiety are the most common diagnoses that I see right now. Something else that I see quite a bit, particularly in my tech folks, is that they are probably the most common patients,” Sivaratnam said. “As far as how mental health is talked about in BIPOC communities, it is not often talked about as much.”
Rather than describing emotional symptoms directly, many patients first talk about how stress affects them physically, Sivaratnam said, creating an important entry point for conversations about mental health.
“Mental health usually comes across as either relationship stress, particularly in collectivist cultures, or physical stress. I am thinking about one patient recently, where we only talked about their mental health as far as how it feels in our bodies,” Sivaratnam said. “And for a lot of cultures, that is actually a common gateway into describing how they are doing mentally. When it comes to the patients that I have worked with, sometimes it is just a little bit more of that slow burn.”
Williams believes culturally competent care plays a critical role in improving treatment outcomes for BIPOC patients. She said providers must understand how culture shapes a person’s healthcare experience while recognizing the importance of representation within the healthcare workforce.
“Culturally competent care is also providers being able to have enough cultural fluidity that they understand the differences in culture and how that may impact someone’s wellness. For example, referring to an older Black patient by their last name,” Williams said. “Some of those kinds of cultural considerations, I think, help improve the healthcare experience for BIPOC people. It is important that our healthcare workforce has people in it who not only have cultural knowledge, but also have lived experience as well, because that representation in healthcare is incredibly important.”
For Akuffo, culturally competent care goes beyond simply recognizing racial differences. It also acknowledges the historical, cultural and social realities that shape the lives of Black children and families.
“An Afrikan-centered approach recognizes the importance of identity, spirituality, extended family, community, collective responsibility, and the ongoing effects of racism as essential components of assessment and treatment,” Akuffo said. “Effective care affirms cultural strengths, builds resilience, and helps children develop a healthy sense of self rooted in the richness of their Afrikan heritage rather than in society’s stereotypes.”
Sivaratnam said current events and economic uncertainty continue to add another layer of stress for many BIPOC patients.
“I do see a lot of BIPOC patients concerned about the political climate. I think that if you couple this with just the overall impact of how the economy has really impacted certain demographics more than others, those are common stressors,” Sivaratnam said. “It is hard, particularly in primary care, because we are the first exposure people have to mental health, and we are all swamped, but we do the best we can with what we have.”
Williams said understanding why someone may hesitate to seek mental health care is an important step toward reducing inequities. She believes healthcare systems should focus on reducing barriers while bringing services directly into underserved communities rather than expecting vulnerable populations to navigate the system on their own.
“It is about reducing barriers, and thinking of creative ways to bring healthcare systems to the most vulnerable communities, as opposed to having them come and find us,” Williams said. “In general, I think what we need to be very mindful about is how we are promoting our services, how we are addressing those health inequities, and being very vocal about what we are doing in order to ensure that we are culturally competent and we are addressing those barriers.”
Akuffo said many Black families’ hesitation to seek mental health care is understandable given the long history of discrimination, exploitation and cultural misunderstanding within healthcare and mental health systems.
“Seeking support should not be viewed as a weakness but as an act of self-determination, healing, and protecting future generations. Mental wellness has always been a part of Afrikan traditions through community, spirituality, storytelling, elders, and collective care, and professional support can complement, not replace, these strengths when it is culturally affirming,” Akuffo said. “I would encourage families to seek providers who demonstrate cultural humility and an understanding of the Black experience, while also utilizing trusted community resources.”
Mental health professionals encourage anyone experiencing persistent anxiety, depression or emotional distress to speak with a primary care provider or a licensed mental health professional, noting that early conversations and culturally responsive care can play an important role in improving long-term health outcomes.
Aaron: “I will just say that I am glad that they lost. I am upset with how our world is today, and yes, it may have been nice for them to win. It might have been nice for the USA, but right now, I don’t think the USA is doing a very good job of being the USA. It wouldn’t have been deserved. Until we can get our act together, I am not going to reward you.”Seven: “I think they did better than they deserved to, but worse than they should have.”Rosewood: “They underperformed. They could have played better, but they played up to the level of their competition, and sometimes you just get beaten. Somebody has to win.”Tasha: “They played well. They were very competitive and driven. I thought they were determined this year, even though they were eliminated in the Round of 16, but they did make it far.”Mike: “I like to play soccer. I used to play soccer, but I get so bored watching sports, so I didn’t care for the World Cup. Even with everything going on around here, I have just been keeping to myself and not being a part of it.”Damian: “This past game was a fair game; they just got beat bad. But the rest of the time, I would say they were competing well, and they made it pretty far.”
As tobacco and cannabis companies increasingly market their products through social media and digital advertising, a Seattle nonprofit is helping young people recognize those tactics, think critically about the messages they receive and make informed decisions about their health.
Through its youth-led STAND program, the Center for MultiCultural Health (CMCH) is equipping teens across Washington with the tools to understand how commercial tobacco and cannabis companies target vulnerable communities while encouraging youth to become advocates for healthy living within their own neighborhoods.
“Our mission at CMCH is to do our best to eliminate health disparities in communities of color,” said Kerry Holifield-Alcantara, program director for the Center for MultiCultural Health. “The work that we do for the STAND program is cannabis and commercial tobacco prevention and education. We use an intersectional approach to prevention by encouraging youth to understand their agency and advocate for healthy living within their communities.”
Founded in 1976, the Center for MultiCultural Health serves communities of color, immigrants, refugees and individuals with limited English proficiency throughout Washington. Rather than relying on traditional prevention campaigns, the organization emphasizes culturally responsive education led by people who reflect the communities they serve.
Holifield-Alcantara said the organization’s approach is rooted in working alongside communities rather than prescribing solutions. By employing staff who share the lived experiences and cultural backgrounds of the people they serve, CMCH aims to build trust and create programs shaped by the voices of the community rather than outside assumptions.
Holifield-Alcantara said STAND moves beyond fear-based messaging by helping young people understand how advertising, social media and cultural stereotypes influence decisions.
“What that really means is making sure that they know that there are deeper things going on in our community besides what they’re seeing on social media,” she said. “Our power as a community comes from who we are as a culture and what we can do when we lean into listening to our elders and empowering our youth, aside from the way that we’re portrayed by other communities and on social media.”
The program also examines the long history of targeted marketing in communities of color. Past STAND campaigns have explored how tobacco companies heavily promoted menthol cigarettes in Black communities and how cannabis advertising can normalize substance use among young people. Holifield-Alcantara said understanding those strategies helps youth recognize when they are being targeted rather than simply marketed to.
But Holifield-Alcantara said STAND intentionally avoids judging youth who use substances.
“I just wanted to be clear for the youth that we do not vilify youth who use or misuse substances,” she said. “We know that there is a warranted historic distrust of the medical community in our culture, and it can make it really difficult to feel confident about accessing mental health resources. We just want youth to make educated decisions and know that the elders in their community are looking out for them and that there is a place for them to go.”
For Ana-Liyah Dumas, the program’s message became personal long before it became her career.
Dumas first joined STAND as a teenager and now serves as the program’s youth coordinator, helping guide the next generation of participants.
“It was useful for me as a youth because I truly learned things that I didn’t know when it came to subjects like marijuana and tobacco,” Dumas said. “Often it can be normalized, but I never fully knew the repercussions and the ways that it can affect your physical health as well as your mental health. And the targeted advertising that we experienced in our community, these are things that were around, but we never knew the ins and outs of it.”
She said understanding how companies market products to young people changed the way she viewed the world around her.
“Learning those things helped me make different decisions based on what I was being exposed to and what was around me,” Dumas said. “It was more about the awareness, having the right information to make educated decisions and to make my own outlook on stuff.”
Today, Dumas works to engage a new generation of youth, although she acknowledges that reaching teenagers has become more challenging.
“The challenges, I feel, are more so reaching the youth, getting them involved, active, and excited about doing what we’re doing,” she said. “The time has kind of changed a little bit from when I was a youth.”
For Divaa Nkanatta, an international student who moved to the United States in 2024, STAND provided something even more fundamental: a sense of belonging.
“I moved to America in 2024,” Nkanatta said. “And it was really hard finding my voice, finding my community, and just adjusting to the culture as a whole. In school, marijuana and tobacco were really easily accessible. It was really easy for me to go into those groups of people and kind of get persuaded into joining them just because I wanted to fit in.”
She said participating in the program gave her the confidence to make decisions based on her own values instead of social pressure.
“I joined STAND and it was really, really helpful for me to make my life choices based off the program, because now I know more about the use of marijuana and tobacco,” she said. “It shed light on me preserving my identity. If I was not in STAND, then it would have made me make choices I would regret in the future in terms of trying to fit into school and finding my people.”
Nkanatta now encourages other young people to reject stereotypes and define success on their own terms.
“It shows you that you can be who you are regardless of where you come from or what your background is,” she said. “You can have your own voice, have your own identity, and have your own purpose in life without having to battle with generational misconceptions and stigmas around your community. You can find yourself through this program.”
Holifield-Alcantara said that focus on empowerment is what separates STAND from traditional prevention programs.
Rather than simply telling young people to avoid tobacco or cannabis, the program encourages them to understand the broader social and cultural forces that shape decision-making while equipping them to become advocates within their schools and communities. Youth participate in discussions, creative projects, presentations and community outreach that encourage them to share what they have learned with their peers and families.
That approach has helped the program’s youth leaders reach more than 700,000 people across Washington through peer-led presentations at schools, community centers and places of worship.
As CMCH continues expanding the program, Holifield-Alcantara said the organization’s greatest source of optimism remains the young people themselves.
“Our tagline at STAND is that ‘we speak up for our block,'” she said. “STAND stands for Speaking Truth and New Direction. I’m not normally encouraged by the external forces that I see at play in the United States today, but every day I come into work and I’m inspired by the light in the youth of our community.”
Byrd Barr Place will bring neighbors, families and friends together this Saturday for its third annual Block Party, a free community celebration designed to reconnect residents with Seattle’s historic Central District while honoring the neighborhood’s rich history, culture and resilience.
The event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, at 18th Avenue and Cherry Street. Admission is free, and attendees can enjoy complimentary food, live entertainment, family activities, community resources and opportunities to support local businesses and artisans.
Organizers say the Block Party is more than a summer gathering. It is an intentional effort to create a welcoming space where longtime residents, newcomers and families can celebrate the Central District’s legacy while strengthening community connections.
“The Byrd Barr Place Block Party is more than a celebration. It’s a homecoming,” said Dr. Angela Griffin, CEO of Byrd Barr Place. “It’s an opportunity to gather in the heart of the Central District, celebrate our culture, support local businesses, and remind one another that community will always have a place here.”
For Byrd Barr Place, community gathering is an extension of its mission to serve and strengthen Seattle residents. The organization says the annual event reflects its commitment to preserving the history of the Central District while creating joyful spaces for future generations.
Throughout the afternoon, attendees can enjoy a full lineup of entertainment featuring host Deaunte Damper, live music from Zach Bruce and Friends, spoken word performances by Genieva Arunga, performances by the Double Dutch Divas and interactive karaoke led by YourFavoriteKaraokeDuo.
Families will also find activities for all ages, community resource tables, local vendors and makers, and a backpack giveaway for school-age children while supplies last.
In addition to celebrating community, organizers hope attendees will support the local entrepreneurs, artists and small businesses participating in the event. The Block Party provides an opportunity for neighborhood businesses and makers to showcase their work while strengthening the local economy.
As Seattle continues to evolve, Byrd Barr Place says creating spaces where people can gather, reconnect and celebrate the Central District remains an important part of its work. Organizers believe investing in community events helps foster a sense of belonging while reminding residents that the neighborhood’s history and culture continue to thrive.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Admission and food are free, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, invite friends and neighbors, and spend the day celebrating the spirit of the Central District.
Those planning to attend are encouraged to RSVP in advance to receive event updates and additional information.
The Seattle Public Library has launched Summer Quest, a new summer learning program that encourages reading, creativity and community exploration for people of all ages. The program is a redesigned version of the library’s 107-year-old summer reading program, expanding the previous 15-day challenge into a 30-day experience designed to promote literacy, creativity and community engagement.
Summer Quest replaces the library’s longtime Summer of Learning program with a flexible “Read, Do and Go” format that encourages participants to build literacy, explore their communities and discover new interests through reading, hands-on activities and local experiences.
“It is an updated version of our 107-year-old summer reading program. Everyone can participate in tracking reading and other activities, earn prizes and other incentives, and attend a range of programs and workshops,” said Elisa Murray, communications strategist for the Seattle Public Library. “For kids, the focus is on encouraging reading and literacy skill building, to help children combat summer slide and discover new interests and the joy of learning.”
Throughout the 30-day challenge, participants are encouraged to read for at least 20 minutes each day while also completing activities that inspire creativity, introduce them to new perspectives and encourage exploration throughout Seattle.
Educators have long recognized the “summer slide,” the loss of academic skills that can occur during summer break when students are not regularly engaged in learning. Summer Quest is designed to help children maintain or strengthen those skills while making learning enjoyable and self-directed.
“In the past, our summer program asked kids to read or do a learning-based activity for 15 days. This year, we are challenging kids and teens to go even further to achieve their goals for 30 days,” said Erika Miller, temporary youth and family learning services manager. “Summer Quest encourages kids to read and explore what they want in terms of formats and topics. We want learning to be fun, and something the kids choose to do.”
Murray said the program’s flexible design allows participants to tailor activities to their own interests while encouraging lifelong learning.
“Summer Quest is flexible by design, offering many kinds of activities for kids to explore. Or they can come up with their own and ask a librarian for help! We love to help match kids up to books, activities, and interests,” Murray said. “Libraries, as a third place in the community that are welcoming and open to everyone, focus on offering summer learning opportunities that help children and teens discover and follow their own interests and discover the joy of learning on their own.”
For Miller, one of the most rewarding parts of working in libraries has been seeing the program create connections beyond reading.
“One of my favorite memories is when a mom told me that bringing her child to the library made her feel less lonely. She had moved to a new state and was a single mom without much help at home,” Miller said.
“The library gave her and her child something to do together, and she made new friends at the library along the way.”
Miller said that experience reinforced the idea that the library’s summer programs are about more than literacy.
“This taught me that our summer program was not just about learning, it was about finding community outside of school for both the child and the parent,” she said.
That philosophy shapes Summer Quest’s wide variety of activities, which are designed to appeal to different learning styles and interests.
“We designed our new Summer Quest program around these principles and are excited to see families and kids of all ages participating,” Miller said. “For example, we will offer programs in Indigenous storytelling, and crafting workshops that build fine motor skills. Summer Quest programs also include music programs, which can also help improve literacy by slowing down language and help kids sound out words.”
The library also hopes the program helps children recognize that learning extends far beyond a traditional classroom.
“We want kids to discover that learning can be about anything, and it can look like a number of different ways,” Miller said. “Kids can practice their writing skills with poetry, they can practice mindfulness by sitting in nature, and they can gain confidence with their reading skills by being able to read whatever they want!”
Miller believes the 30-day challenge can help students return to school better prepared in the fall.
“This is where 30 days of learning for fun will make a big difference! Kids will be more interested in learning when it means that they can choose how they want to learn and what they want to learn about,” Miller said. “Any kind of learning and play will make a difference, especially when they are trying something new! Doing any activity for 30 days will help solidify the skills they are choosing to practice.”
Looking ahead, Murray said the library plans to gather community feedback to continue refining Summer Quest while supporting student achievement and lifelong learning.
“We look forward to getting lots of feedback this year so that we can improve Summer Quest for next year,” Murray said. “We hope that Summer Quest will play an important role, along with other library programs like Homework Help and Global Reading Challenge, in supporting student achievement over the long haul, and making summer learning fun and engaging!”
Families can participate by visiting any Seattle Public Library branch to pick up a Summer Quest activity tracker or by visiting spl.org/SummerQuest to begin logging 30 days of Read, Do and Go activities for prizes and other incentives.
