houston public radio

KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Tisha Shrestha

February 5, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Tisha is completing her final year in the Master in Professional Accounting Program at the University of Texas. Tisha is a native of Katy, but her parents hail from Nepal. The Nepalese culture is something that Tisha has grown to appreciate and it's the focus of her essay for Houston Public Radio's This I Believe.

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Tisha is the youngest of three children. She has a sister, who is a teacher in Austin and a brother, who is an investment banker in New York. Her parents still live in Katy and that's where the family calls home. Tisha says learning about the Nepalese culture from her grandmother has helped connect her to her roots. Tisha's essay was a part of her college application for UT, and she acknowledges that was also an opportunity to express a deeply held belief that being different is ok, in fact, she says it's a good thing.

Here's Tisha Shrestha with her essay for Houston Public Radio's This I Believe.
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"I believe that acceptance starts with your self. I am brown. When you first meet me, it's obvious, given my Nepalese background. But for the longest time, skin color was the only thing that made me Nepalese. Most of my life, I wanted to be the all-American, blue-eyed, blonde girl, but now I realize that there's more to being brown.

After years of thinking that everyone was the same, I found out how wrong I was during my fourth grade "All About Me'' project. I told classmates that my favorite color was pink, my favorite food was pizza, and I was married to a piece of fruit. Yes, married—to fruit. I know it sounds strange, but to me it wasn't a big deal because the ceremony seemed so natural and normal. My classmates had a different opinion.

"You married a piece of fruit?'' someone blurted out incredulously. I felt my face get warm as people started to snicker. My teacher told me to explain the cultural ritual and its meaning. I just shrugged because I didn't really know. After being humiliated, I decided that I did not want to be different anymore.

Years passed and I forgot about that day until a recent visit to Nepal. My family and I were reminiscing about our last trip when I asked my grandmother about the purpose of my marriage. At that moment, I realized how strange it was that I had taken so long to ask — I guess I just wanted to ignore anything that made me different from everyone else.

My grandmother explained how this marriage is a very special occasion in our Newari culture. Since the Nepalese society looks down on widows, upon entering adolescence, young girls marry a Bettlenut, representing God, so that they never become widows. I had no clue something so strange could be so meaningful — maybe being different wasn't so bad after all.

Now, as a student at the University of Texas, I have started to see the beauty of diversity. Although there are still those girls with the long, blonde hair that I used to envy, I don't have to seek their acceptance anymore. It's taken me awhile, but I've finally realized that the only acceptance I need is from me. Learning about my background and embracing it has helped me to see how special this brown girl really is. This I believe."

KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Dr. Robert Borneman

January 29, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Dr. Borneman is an educator. It's his life, it's what he loves to do and it's what brought him to Houston in 1984. With a freshly minted degree in Education from Indiana University, He was recruited by Houston I.S.D. After a year, he moved to Cypress-Fairbanks I.S.D., where's been ever since. He's furthered his own education at the University of Houston, where he received a Masters and a Ed.D. Dr. Borneman says his passion for education was first realized as a child as he describes in his essay for KUHF's This I Believe.

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Dr. Borneman is currently the Principal at Hopper Middle School in Cy-Fair I.S.D. It's a new school, open less than a year, with a diverse population. Having worked in Cy-Fair for more than 20 years, he's watched the district really grow. It's now the third largest school district in Texas recently surpassing Fort Worth and Austin.

In addition to his work at Hopper, Dr. Borneman is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston and Sam Houston State University where's he teaching the next generation of educators. He's also the President of the University of Houston, College of Education Alumni Board of Directors.

Dr. Borneman got into education hoping to "make a difference". Now that he's an administrator, he's still able to fulfill that original calling on a broader scale. He makes it a point to maintain contact with the students and he says watching them succeed is his greatest joy.

Here's Dr. Robert Borneman with his essay for KUHF's This I Believe.
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"I believe in public education.

As one of those fortunate enough to have had parents who modeled the importance of an education and supported the efforts of my own teachers in both educating and disciplining me, I grew up appreciating those who dedicated their lives to helping the next generation to reach their goals. I remember my mother asking me, when I was very young, what I wanted to be when I grew up. My response, "I want to be a teacher," brought forth a surprising reaction from her. She told me I was too smart to become a teacher. Even in my youth, that didn't make sense to me. I remember thinking, "Shouldn't teachers be the smartest people of all?" They have to know so much, and be able to share it in such a way as others are motivated to know it, too!"

My career aspirations went through the typical swings and shifts as I matured — fireman, doctor, lawyer — but when the time came to declare a major and pursue a college degree, I chose education. I couldn't imagine dedicating a lifetime to any other career. I've completed three degrees to this point, all in education. I've been a teacher, an assistant principal, a director of instruction, and a principal. I currently serve as a principal of a brand new school opened less than a year. It's a very diverse campus serving just over 1300 middle school students grades six through eight.

I believe educators are, generally, people with very big hearts. We are often maligned by the press and our legislators. Occasionally parents, too, show a lack of support for our work, but, happily, there seems to be a shift in that trend. Our efforts have been focused on building strong relationships with our students, their parents, and the greater community. I believe our staff's commitment and drive have already made a strong impression on our students as well as the adults in our community. I believe that our students know and understand that the adults within these walls care deeply about their success, and will pour heart and soul into their work to ensure that each student is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. And, I still believe that teachers should be the smartest people there are. We have to be. Our future depends on it. This, I believe."

I'm Paul Pendergraft, Senior Producer for News and Public Affairs with KUHF-Houston Public Radio. The radio series This I Believe is a national project designed to engage people by writing, sharing and recording their core values and beliefs that guide their daily lives.

This current version of "This I Believe" is actually a revival of a 1950s radio program of the same name, hosted by acclaimed journalist Edward R. Murrow. His program aired from 1951 to 1955.

In creating This I Believe, Murrow said ..."In this brief time each night, a banker or a butcher, a painter or a social worker, people of all kinds who need have nothing more in common than integrity, a real honesty, will talk out loud, about the rules they live by. The things they have found to be the basic value in their lives. We hardly need to be reminded that we live in an age of confusion. A lot of us have traded in our beliefs for bitterness and cynicism. ... Around us all ... is an enveloping cloud of fear. ... What truths can a human being afford to furnish the cluttered nervous room of his mind with when he has no real idea how long a lease he has on the future? It is to try to meet the challenge of such questions that we have prepared these broadcasts."

For five minutes each day, Americans heard from everyday people and many famous ones as well including Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Harry Truman and baseball legend Jackie Robinson.

The original "This I Believe" series has been revived and is now broadcast on National Public Radio and locally on 88.7 FM, KUHF-Houston Public Radio. The hallmark of this program is hearing the beliefs and guiding principles of average citizens...our neighbors, our coworkers and the people with whom we worship.

Just as in the 1950s, this is a time when our beliefs have a way of separating us as a nation. This series is designed to help us express our beliefs, hear what is really being said and find an understanding and a common ground that Edward R. Murrow called ..."the essence of brotherhood and the floor of our civilization."

For more information about "This I Believe," please visit the main site at ThisIBelieve.org.

KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Grant Shafer

January 22, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Grant claims Texas and Louisiana as home, but currently, he's living and working in the Washington D. C. area. While living in Houston, he attended and graduated from the University of Houston. Grant says that's where he grew to appreciate the importance of service to others. Grant says serving others helps give his own life a deeper meaning, as he explains in his essay for KUHF's This I Believe.
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KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Wayne Gardiner

January 15, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Wayne was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was raised in the northeast, but once he became a geologist, he moved to Texas to work in oil exploration. Wayne did graduate work at Texas A & M University and has lived in Houston since 1986. Wayne and his wife have two daughters and his role as a parent is the focus of his essay for Houston Public Radio's This I Believe.
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KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Peyman Pakzaban, M.D.

January 8, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Peyman Pakzaban is a Neurosurgeon practicing in the Houston area. Peyman and his wife moved to Houston ten years ago and they have two daughters. Dr. Pakzaban says being a physician and a father, he encounters a lot tears. He believes those tears represent much more than pain or joy. He says human tears are proof to him of a human soul.
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KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Yuan Ji

January 1, 2010
by: Paul Pendergraft

Yuan was born in China and in 1995, along with her parents, she moved to the United States. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, she moved to Houston to work as an analyst in the oil trading sector. Yuan has many interests including the Argentine tango. In her essay, Yuan recalls a unique encounter in New Orleans that celebrated the romantic dance.
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KUHF-Houston Public Radio's "This I Believe" with Paul Nevels

December 25, 2009
by: Paul Pendergraft

Paul Nevels remembers visiting his Grandparents home in Louisiana and looking out their second story window. What he saw was a beautifully landscaped neighborhood filled with trees, dotted with flowers and highlighted with small town life. To this day, Paul appreciates a room with a view and describes his belief in his essay for Houston Public Radio's, "This I Believe."
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