About Me

Hi,


My name is Michael Leon Chrzan

       

       I am a University of Michigan student passionate about education, specifically urban education, and am working towards finding solutions to the problems facing students in urban environments. I'm a math major because "[it] is the great equalizer" and I want to show people that, although math gets a bad rap, he's actually very friendly. 

       I am strong-willed, funny, a little crazy, and usually work-oriented. I am a Gates Millennium and Coca-Cola Scholar. I try to do the right thing, the Godly thing, as I know Him. Just here to make a difference. Then I'll get some rest. Who needs sleep anyways? 

   








       


       My home town is Detroit, Michigan; home of the Red Wings, the Tigers, the Lions, the Pistons, Motown, the American Automotive industry, the Renaissance Center, the Riverwalk, the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Renaissance High School (my alma matter), etc. I guess you could say I have pride about where I am from. While it's going through a rough patch right now, I know Detroit can and will rise again from its current ashes and I just hope I can be apart of the assent. 

        My life has not been what one would call easy or smooth. I have been a victim of domestic violence, gang violence, poverty, self-esteem issues, and many other things but I have always been able to come through. In high school, I garnered a determination that has carried me very far and that determination is this: that I will be the change I want to see in the world. 

      I still rememeber the first time I saw that quote by Ghandi. I was in Boston with my high school's choir on a college tour. From then on I committed myself to one idea: being a positive force for good. That has lead me to this blog. 

     In my life, a lot of my friends tell me I am always the one who does what's right and takes the moral high ground. Hearing that really lightens my heart because I do always try to do what is right- knowing that what is right is not always what is easy- and hearing that confirmed by others is a comfort. But, if I am going to be an example, be the change I want to see in the world, I have to show others that what is right- while difficult- is not impossible. That is what I want to write about. Doing what is right in light of controversy. I don't proclaim to always know what's right, Lord knows I don't, but I do my best and that's pretty damn good. But a person show's who they is in controversial times. Dr. King said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." So.... 

This is Where I Stand

      

       

About this Blog

       Inspired by a friend of mine who is taking an endeavor into extrapersonal blogging I thought I would give it a try myself. 

       I thought long and hard about what I would write about and struggled to find an answer. For him, it was easy. He wanted to be a sports broadcaster so he writes about sports. However, for me it is not so cut and dry. 

      I want to go into education. I plan to start as a teacher and eventually move to other branches (either policy or administration). While I could easily make this a blog about education, I feel like I wanted it to be more. Education is such a vital part of society and each of our histories that writing only about education in the secondary or post-secondary sense just didn't appeal to me. It would be too easy. 

       So what to write about? As I thought about it at work on day, I thought about what I wanted to teach people. When I thought about that, I realized it was not just my subject area (mathematics) but I wanted to teach people how to attain knowledge for pleasure and use knowledge for understanding. I wanted to talk about the tough topics in a smart way. I want to give logical arguments to have educated conversations about the controversies that plague us as a society and then relate them to education. When I thought about that, it finally came to me. 

       I wanted to write about controversial topics. I wanted to show people that often there is no right answer but that is no excuse for inaction for the common good and wanted to do that through the basis for truth; Logic. I wanted to try and use logic to dispel and educate and learn from others. 

       Then came the hard part; finding a name. I thought about things like 'Chrzan's Common Sense' or 'Chrzan's Frame of Mind' and thought that they made me sound a little too narcissistic. So then I looked to those who were more philosophical about controversy and looked for their words of wisdom. It was then I came across this quote:

       Seeing Dr. Kings quote along with hearing of numerous other controversial topics inspired me to write my own opinion about them. I try to be unbiased and take in multiple ideas on an issue and make a comprehensive, logically sound idea of what'w going on in the world around me. And what better a day to start this new intiative of mine then on the day we celebrate Dr. Kings legacy, usher in the 1st African American president for the 2nd time, and the day after my birthday haha. 

      Agree or disagree (I love a good debate), it's entirely up to you, but this.... 

this is 

Where I Stand