Daily, if not hourly, we are bombarded with reports and alerts of “bad news” from around our world — wars, bombings, murders, disasters, and scandals to categorize a few.

There are equally as many good news stories about people making a difference in their own communities, in their own countries and in our world. Rarely do we hear their stories and we do not often know their names. My frustration is that our news media report them with far less frequency and typically without prominence. This past weekend as an exception.

On January 5, 2009, CBS Sunday Morning News Show aired a cover piece on Greg Mortenson, climber and author of Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson, after a climbing expedition gone badly in Pakistan was jolted into action. The emaciated and ill climber was taken in by remote villagers near K2 who surrounded him and nursed him back to health. During his recovery, he learned the children of a village attended school on a flat, dusty piece of ground. Moved by their compassion and generosity, Mortenson promised to build their children a school. His life as well as that of thousands of children in Pakistan and Afghanistan has been changed forever. Mortensen and the Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace, two organizations he founded, have built 78 schools in the last 15 years and 8 more are under construction. Mortenson is on a mission to promote peace through education.

LTC Chris Kolenda ’87 experienced Mortensen’s work first-hand in Afghanistan and shares his philosophy on not only building the school, but designing an education program and how to sustain the school. Because Mortensen engaged the villagers in creating and sustaining the schools, the violence in the regions where many of the schools are located has dropped significantly.

This is truly an inspiring piece on commitment, leadership and action and someone making a difference, and changing our world.