Community Corner
"Picture: Positivity" Exhibit: Kermit Conley
An exhibit currently open in San Jose depicts local men and women living with HIV or AIDS. It features the work of Santa Clara University students.
(Picture: Positivity, an exhibition of photographs, biographies and artist statements can be seen at the Santa Clara County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding, San Jose, now until June 20. The photographs are taken by Santa Clara University students. Here is background information about one of the subjects, and a statement from the student about their photograph on exhibit.)
Kermit Conley
58
Illinois/San Jose, CA
“My brother and sisters, do not fear me. I am paid for. Acknowledge me. Learn from me as I with you. I cannot survive alone”-- Kermit Conley.
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At a young age, Kermit explains, he was chosen to be part of his family, gifted with his parents. When Kermit lost his father, he felt emptiness. Not only emptiness, he says, but he also faced hard times dealing with being gay and having contracted HIV.
Kermit says he was able to change his perspective when he began to spend time on the Stanford University campus. He felt spiritually connected to Stanford, he explains, and his passion for human and natural architecture and design made him fall in love with the place. He walked inside the Stanford’s ornate Memorial Church and told his dad, “Here, Dad, I am going to show you what I am capable of doing.”
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Kermit likes to the use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality measurement tool often used by organizational psychologists and career coaches, to describe his personality. Based on the questionnaire, he is an “INTJ”, or Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging. INTJs are often highly intelligent and perplexingly mysterious individuals, he says, highlighting that they are naturally curious.
Kermit currently helps conduct research for the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University Medical Center. He has been able to find calm and peace at Stanford University, he says, helping and learning from others. Stanford offers a support system and values to live up to, Kermit emphasizes. “Stanford is very spiritual,” Kermit says. “It has helped me rebuild my life.”
Marluve Veltze
It was those long curled eyelashes that caught my attention the moment Kermit Conley took off his sunglasses at Pizza My Heart.
I ordered a Hawaiian slice pizza and he ordered a Pepperoni slice pizza. While I did not have the chance to meet Kermit at the gathering where all students and participants got to know each other, I was fortunate to have an engaging and interactive two-hour conversation with him over pizza instead.
I shared some of my personal story about how I came to the United States from Bolivia and Kermit opened up about his own life. We enjoyed the afternoon talking about subjects ranging from technology in developing countries to our families and achievements in life.
We met a second time at Stanford at the house of Kermit’s friend, Drew. Soon after Drew’s dogs bounded out the door at us, Kermit was rolling on the ground hugging the dogs. Just seeing the love Kermit has for animals showed me who he really is. Kermit is a man with a warm heart, willing to learn from others as well as to share his own knowledge.
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