Greeter: Jordan Kaufman
Invocation: Jean Luc Slagle
Flag Salute: Cathy Abernathy

Guests:

Amy Travis introduced Debbie Bowman with SBI Asphalt
Jean Luc Slagle introduced Jacob Erakat with the City of Bakersfield

Toni Tax:

Jay puts himself during his presentation.

Jay Rosenlieb took up about half our time together talking about his travels—and, of course, brought back some of the oddest gifts for President Toni. Unfortunately, Jay couldn't pick up on the audience's social cues to bring his ‘short’ program to an end and ultimately earned himself a $1,500 contribution to the Waterman Foundation. Thanks, Jay… we guess!

Nic Boone brought back a bag of chocolate-covered raisins from CASA de Fruta in Hollister, CA. Nothing says “souvenir” quite like chocolate-covered fruit!

Kelly Youngstrom joined her boys at CAMP Keep last week and brought back a few goodies for President Toni—including a broken mug! Kelly, it was the thought that counted.

Dr. Jerry Fliger—not to be confused with Fluger, his successor at Bakersfield College (good going, President Toni!)—presented President Toni with a bottle of Canadian wine.

Good News & Announcements:

Sarah Haggard reminded fellow Rotarians about the Connection Event on Thursday, August 24, at 5:30 p.m. at Temblor Brewing. All are welcome, so come out, connect, and enjoy some time together!
President Toni recognized Andrea Hansen for proudly wearing her Rotary pin at Media Day for Kern Dance Alliance. Great job, Andrea! Representin’ Rotary wherever you go!
And finally, President Toni shared a recent photo of Rotarians Jim Damian and Lizette Gomez at Meeting of the Minds. She had a few words about Jim Damian’s struggle to grow a decent mustache. She polled the club, and the overall consensus was clear: the mustache is a no-go. Sorry, Jimmy Boy.

Program:

In the remaining minutes we had left, thanks to Jay, we were fortunate to hear from Alisyn Palla of Meraki Creative Works, who shared an inspiring—and occasionally hilarious—story about trading in her life as a longtime attorney for a life filled with metal, welding, creativity, and a whole lot of saying “yes” to uncomfortable opportunities.

Alisyn began welding in 2012 after a neighbor dropped off a used welder and essentially told her, “You’re going to learn how to weld.” Being completely self-taught, she started by creating pieces for family and friends. In 2013, she took the leap and publicly displayed her artwork for the first time. Every piece sold that night, giving her the confidence to continue pursuing her creativity.

Over the next decade, Alisyn balanced her legal career with her art, eventually taking a break from metalworking when the demands of both became too much. In 2023, on the 10th anniversary of selling her first piece of art, she decided it was time to get back to creating. She traveled to New Jersey for an intensive welding workshop, where she learned more about the craft—and, perhaps more importantly, challenged herself to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

That experience led to a year of saying “yes.” Yes to public art. Yes to learning new skills. Yes to putting herself out there. And yes to opportunities she never imagined would come her way.

Today, Alisyn has created numerous public art installations, partnered with major industry leaders, traveled across the country demonstrating and teaching welding, and built a growing community around her passion for the trades. She recently opened Meraki Creative Works, a creative studio where people of all experience levels can learn to weld, create something with their own hands, and—hopefully—have a really good time doing it.

One of the most meaningful parts of Alisyn’s presentation was her story about teaching a young girl to weld at a farm show. What started as an attempt to rescue a bored nine-year-old from an exhausting day at the show turned into a memorable experience for both of them. Years later, the girl's mother reached out to Alisyn to tell her how much that experience had meant to her daughter. It was a reminder of the impact we can have when we take the time to share what we know and encourage someone to try something new.
Alisyn left us with two challenges. First, she encouraged Rotary to think beyond traditional college scholarships and consider supporting trade school and vocational programs as well. Second, she encouraged us to embrace creativity, curiosity, and the willingness to step outside our comfort zones.

Her message was simple but powerful: when you do something, do it with heart, soul, and passion—and leave a little piece of yourself behind in everything you create- ‘Meraki’.
And judging by Alisyn’s story, a little courage, a lot of curiosity, and perhaps an old welder can take you a surprisingly long way.