Take the Time to be a Mentor

As an adult, with a million things to deal with and a million more to worry about, it is often easy to forget those who helped us along the way. We forget that there were adults and role models in our lives that praised our successes and scolded us for our mistakes. No matter what title they go by (teacher, coach, parent, etc.) they all helped to mold us into the person we are today.

Working with the athletes at East High School, I see the importance of every interaction I have with the students. Whether I am helping someone with homework or just chatting about life, each conversation I have with him or her is meaningful. I have seen the change it makes when the people in their lives show them that they want to be there. It is not enough to just be in the room with these kids, you have to care about the work you do with them, don’t put it past them, they’re smart, they’ll sense it. After working with BCEC at East High School for my second year I have seen what a truly dedicated coach looks like and one who isn’t committed to the students and let me tell you, there’s a big difference.

I take my role in each of these students lives seriously because I have seen what its like when other adults don’t. I try and make it apparent every time I am with them that what they have to say is meaningful and the things I’ve learned by just listening to them is astounding.

A conversation I had with a senior on the varsity football and basketball team told me he was “unsure” about college and his ability to succeed in higher education because he doesn’t know anyone who has. He shared that everyone he knew either went to college and quit or didn’t go at all. There’s a popular quote that reads “You can’t be what you can’t see”, if these students have never even seen a successful college student how can we expect them to go on to be successful in academia? The odds aren’t quite in their favor to begin with. I came from the Columbus City School district, from a school almost identical to East High so I can say first-hand how hard college can be. So many times I felt ill prepared for all of the demands of higher education, like my high school didn’t do enough. So I can’t imagine how much more difficult of a time I would have had if I had to navigate academia alone. I was fortunate enough to have so many adults in my life pushing me forward and lifting me up that I had faith in my ability to succeed.

Each semester we give all of the students a survey. On this survey we ask them if they have a role model and/or mentor, and you’d be amazed at how many students don’t have one adult they deem worthy of carrying the title of  “mentor” or “role model”.

We get so bogged down by our own lives that sometimes we forget that it is now our turn to be that positive influence for a child growing up. I am asking you to be that role model for a student; it doesn’t have to be at East High School (although we’d love to have you). I ask you to be a consistent and positive influence in a student’s life, show them that it’s possible, that they have whatever it takes to be whomever they choose and if they don’t, they can learn.

How I’ve come to appreciate working with kids

When people find out I have a job on campus, naturally the next question is “What do you do?” and then I start explaining.

I have the spiel down to a science. It starts with me saying “I run an after school program with my coworker…” and ends with them asking “Do you like it?” to which I respond, “Yeah, it’s great I have a lot of fun” and we both move on to another topic.

The real question though and the one no one ever asks is: “Well why do you do it?”

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, people across the world that is the question! To which to some avail I can hopefully answer.

Well like any job, it started off just as it was, a job. In fact, I chased my current boss down the street to get it and scared her half to death. However, that’s a story for another time.

Nevertheless, it developed into something more. I’m not quite sure what I’d call it or how to describe it, regardless, it became important to me.

When you work with kids you begin to see that as much as you help them, they help you even more.  Kids open your eyes to thoughts you hadn’t considered and they offer challenges or challenge you when you’re least expecting it.

I’ll give an example.

There is one particular child we work with at my site (Hamilton G.E.M. in case anyone was wondering) who is highly talented; he plays multiple instruments (piano and percussion with his pencils/knuckles for now at least) and can answer almost any question we throw at him. The challenge with him though, and many of the other kids at our site, is managing his energy as well as keeping him engaged.  When he finally sits down to work he is able to accomplish so much! His homework, the work given as part of the activity that day, and he even finds time to help others!

So for us running the program, we’re challenged to keep it fresh and interesting. That’s just one example and I’m sure there are many others, but they would all lead to the point I am trying to make.

A child’s mind is a sponge, whatever you throw at them they will learn try to learn and be eager for more. As college students, educators, and fellow humans we should try to impart whatever knowledge we can on the next generation.  Be it to children growing up with hardships or those who face the world with nothing to challenge them. For these young children in school will be the future when we are long gone.

I’ll close with this quote from Napoleon Hill, “Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”

My questions for anyone reading is who inspired your visions and dreams growing up? And whose will you inspire now or in the future?

See if you can answer those questions.

And as always, GO BUCKS!!

Buckeye Voices

Are you a STEP student wondering what to do for your experience? Or are you just a normal OSU scholar looking for a way to give back? There are so many opportunities to give back, but one way you should really consider is – becoming an active member in your community!

This past year I was a part of the STEP Program and I chose to complete a Service Learning project and Internship for my experience. I worked with and shadowed Columbus City Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Good. I decided to remain in Columbus for my experience because I believe a lot of people overlook and forget about urban school districts, and the support they need and I wanted to become civically engaged with the community I had lived in for the past two years.

When people think of urban school districts in Ohio, and across the nation, they associate them with negative stigmas and are quick to criticize the employees and students (some of whom have no other choice).  Many students and staff members from Ohio State tend to go far and beyond over their summer break to conduct research and volunteer (also known as volunteer tourism – which is the act of padding ones resume, more so than actually helping the community at hand). However, right here within the city of Columbus, literally a few miles away from Ohio State’s campus thousands of people are suffering – with poverty, inequality and a lack of education – and contrary to popular belief, they need just as much help as those aboard.

In recent months, Columbus City Schools (CCS) has made both local and national headlines; due to a data scandal that involved a vast majority of the district schools. Within my experience working with the school district and the Superintendent I was able to see so many other wonderful things the district had to offer its students and the dedication the staff there has (things that would never make it to the 5 o’clock news or morning paper).

I had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with various district administrators, principals and teachers from CCS and I realized just how complex their jobs are. I met with a middle school principal in October and shadowed her for the day. While at her school I learned about countless circumstances many of her students were facing at home, that ultimately affects their behavior and learning ability in school. There were students who were dealing with depression, a students who recently loss her grandfather (whom she lived with), a transfer student from Medina County, Ohio who was 16 in the 8th grade and two female students (cousins) whom parents are both heroin users. The principal informed me that she had reached out to Franklin County Children Services multiple times, and nothing has happened.

 

The following week I shadowed an elementary school principal and once again was in awe, at the information I gathered about the students, things that are typically overlooked but all plays a huge part in the performance of our urban and Appalachian schools. While at the elementary I learned about a third grader who was homeless and he was going through emotional distress, as his mother had recently died of an overdose, in bed beside him.

For me, this experience was not only eye opening, but it also reassured me of my passion to advocate for students of these backgrounds. It allowed me to factor in, yet another obstacle these kids are dealing it, their mental health. You hear a lot of people say “oh they’re just lazy”, “they’re just dumb” or “they’re bad” – but what I learned is these kids are none of the aforementioned; they are battling traumatic experiences that some people will never experience in their life; at such a young age. Most of these kids want to excel in schools and in life, but they just don’t know how. Some of them have to worry about where their next meal will come from or where they will sleep tonight. I think one of the most important lessons I learned is not to point the finger at one party. It’s not solely the teachers at fault, nor is it the students. It is a host of obstacles at hand and we will never accurately address the performance problem in our schools, until we address those obstacles and realize there is no “one size fits all” solution to this problem. Every school district, every school building, and every student has his or her own obstacles to overcome and we cannot expect one legislation or rule to fix everything.

Why do I care so much about urban and Appalachian schools? What’s the point of me working with Columbus City Schools?

Well, I can tell you right now that, this experience has changed my life and perspective in more ways than I previously thought it could.

I care about these schools (and students) because I am a living testimony that students in these areas can succeed, they can make it out and they can make a difference. As a student who matriculated through two urban school districts (Detroit Public Schools and proud graduate of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District), I want these students to know that someone just like them cares and I understand what they are going through; as not too long ago, I was in their seats. I personally believe America has too many “top” universities that are failing to sufficiently give back to and invest in their local school districts. For instance, right here in the city of Columbus we have schools with over 30% of their students failing the Ohio Third Grade Reading Guarantee. Weinland Park Elementary (less than 5 minutes away from OSU) had about 20% of its third graders fail, the exam. We need to see more of our urban and Appalachian area students’ matriculate to 4-year post-secondary institutions (and not 2-year community colleges).

“You can’t be what you can’t see” – Marian Wright Edelman

I also spent time interning within the school district because I believe, we currently have far too many legislators and school district administrators (on the local, state and federal levels) making decisions about students in urban and rural America, who have no direct connection to that particular group of individuals. They have never taken the time to speak with the teachers, who are in the classrooms six hours a day; the parents, or most importantly the students themselves. We also have too many citizens, right here in our very own community, who believes it’s not their responsibility to care about and advocate for these students. However, I feel that we should all have a common goal in life: to have a positive (and extraordinary) impact on the lives of others.

“The only thing worse than kids giving up on school, is if we give up on them” – unknown

The city of Columbus, state of Ohio and the nation needs our help! Help is needed in our communities: in our schools, in our prisons, in our retirement centers, in our libraries, in our food banks and in our recreation centers. There’s no experience more valuable than being civically engaged with your community; as you have the power to make a difference.

 

Ways I give back:

I currently run a program through the Office of Student Life’s Department of Social Change, called A Day in the Life of a Buckeye; which allows me to bring inner-city and Appalachian area high school sophomores and juniors to campus, to offer them a one-on-one experience of life at The Ohio State University, and college in general, for a day.

I am actively involved with Buckeye Civic Engagement Connection (BCEC), a Student Life department, which works to connect The Ohio State University with its surrounding communities, focusing specifically on programming for individuals, families, and entire communities facing poverty and its consequences. The mission of BCEC is to bring together the communities of The Ohio State University and those of the surrounding, central Ohio area. BCEC works to provide a pathway out of poverty, by focusing on areas of need, such as health, education, and economics.

 

My name is DaVonti’ Haynes  and I am a third year, Public Affairs major at The Ohio State University and when I graduate I want to work on educational policy to increase the college-readiness pipeline of urban and Appalachian area students, to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to take advantage of an extraordinary educational experience, just as I did!

 

http://youtu.be/yKubkKHpnPY?list=PLdvsECEkK0xYLSA22U9gKgLBJhnEsoTna

Sentence Born

People always pose the question; how can we change the world?

Education is an important issue when dealing with social change. The war on education is the new civil rights movement of today. There are many ways to propose suggestions for trying to change the world and there are tons of problems that need to be overcome in order to create change.

A few of the problems that need to be overcome are the standards and policies placed in schools to forcedly make everyone follow the same path. The curriculum of schools need more in depth evaluations for students to be allowed to make changes themselves and administrative staff within the school need to be more concerned with the well being of the students rather than a paycheck.

A lot of the policies in play such as no child left behind or zero tolerance policy don’t appeal to the masses. Policies such as these are carefully designed for people of privilege and if less fortunate students don’t have adequate resources they will be targeted and held back. Race is an issue as well, no one is born racist or with a prejudice. Parenting and school curriculums place the ideas of elitism and segregation within infants minds and stories will always be passed down through history classes even if it’s not passed by parenting. One shouldn’t need to change the curriculum of schools, rather give a more in depth presentation on ways to handle these situations will better equip students to grow and change. Along with changing school curriculums, the administrative staff associated with the youth need to change. We elect and hire school officials and teachers that care more about gaining experience and receiving a pay check rather than the well being and growth of students.

In part, we as a nation sentence the majority of our youth to mediocre if not below average lives. The only way to create change is to change yourself and passionately involve yourself into lives of the youth. We also must break down all of the barriers that create segregation of our nation and actively involve ourselves in improving the lives of others rather than receiving a paycheck.

In the Minds of Our Students

Oftentimes, I am asked, “why do you love doing what you do with those students?” or “how do you connect with them so well?” The middle School students I work with go through a lot of physical, emotional, and mental changes during this time of their lives, and everyone else endures various levels of change throughout their lives. After working for 2 years in the inner city of Cincinnati, and working for my third year in the Near East Side of Columbus, I can honestly say that I would never give up working with these students. Not only do they look up to us as role models and friends, but also they teach us so much about life if you open your mind to that possibility.

Oftentimes, people volunteer for the personal feels, for instant gratification, and to personally help someone else. In my opinion, it is not about the surface acquaintances and one-stop shops where people volunteer once and it’s over. It is about communication, caring for other people, and opening your mind and heart to new people. Building long-lasting friendships with those around you, whether they are younger, older, the same age, of a different race, or whatever it may be, you learn as much about them as you do about yourself. One thing I have learned through this job is that you are not always correct, the best, the coolest, or the most fun. You are you. The students I have the privilege of knowing show me up in one way or another quite often, but they also realize that they have a lot left to learn; the same goes for me, and even though I may be better at some things than others, I still have a lot of living and learning still to do. By recognizing this and getting to truly know those around us, we are able to understand their perspective and why they do the things that they do.

Many of my students have experienced more than a few tragic events in their lives, which has jaded them from trusting people the way that many of us are used to trusting others. Instead of looking at everything new as an opportunity, they may perceive certain situations as dangerous or risky. Being able to relate to their feelings and perspectives, we can share a common ground, communicate more effectively, and create a larger impact because we are connected mentally and emotionally. I have been through middle school, I remember how difficult it was and how many changes I endured. By showing them a vulnerable side instead of always being a disciplinarian, you help others see that you are on their side, that you recognize their viewpoint, and that you are there when they need you. Who knew that bringing my puppy to an event would make an entire kid’s month, or that giving students a photo of them and their friends would make such a difference.

A student who I’ve known for the past two years at Champion Middle School moved to East High School this year. He went through so much in Middle School, and after seeing him a few weeks ago, I am proud of the type of person he has grown to be. I’m grateful and glad to receive a hug and a friendly conversation with him anytime he comes to visit. We still talk like close friends after going many months without seeing each other, and that’s what true friends have the ability to do. So, the next time you say that you will volunteer for one day, think about how much you and those people you are “helping” will miss from a potentially life-changing friendship or experience. And this doesn’t just relate to volunteering- it relates to everything you do in life. So take some time to appreciate those around you and look to understand the many brilliant minds that you are surrounded by each and every day.

-Rachel

The Realities of Suspension

“Everybody in Linden has been suspended.” This was the answer to my question when I asked our group of students at Linden McKinley who has never been suspended from school. This answer alarmed me and made me uneasy. Of course this was an exaggeration by my 9th grade student, however after asking around it seems as if this statement was closer to being truth than hyperbole. The reason for the high number of suspensions is something that must be explored. In addition, the results of such a large number of students being suspended should be addressed.

I only work with a small number of students at Linden McKinley STEM Academy; therefore I cannot say exactly what is occurring with all the students. However, it is possible to take some of the information my students have given me in order to gain a better understanding of what is going on with the rest of the population.

I believe that a lot of these suspensions have been for petty reasons. Some of these suspensions are for things as small as tardiness and talking back to the teacher. While these are behaviors that must be addressed and cannot go on, they are still not grounds for suspension. These are issues that should be addressed by teachers in the classroom. However, it seems that Linden is taking the easy way out by just suspending the students and hoping that this behavior magically disappears.

Taking a student out of school for just a few days can do a lot to that child’s success. Often I am left to teach a student material that they missed because they were suspended. Fortunately, our students are able to get tutoring from OSU students. But what about the rest? These kids are probably left to dry, and may never fully understand the material because they missed a couple of days of classes. It is scary to think about the long term effects that this Zero Tolerance Policy will have on Linden McKinley as well as the Linden community. By constantly kicking children out of school for minor behaviors Linden McKinley is failing in its responsibility to educate the youth of the Linden neighborhood.

The Importance of Mentorship

What is the role of a mentor? Why is mentorship so important? These are just a couple of the questions I have found myself asking over the past two years.  I have had the privilege of serving as a mentor in a variety of places these past 2 years and at each location, my role as a mentor appears somewhat different, but there are always a few commonalities: encouragement, motivation, and passion.  A mentor may appear as a tutor, coach, friend, or just a college student.

I have had experiences working with students in schools, after-school programs, and within maximum-security facilities. Too many of these students are not able to identify a positive role model or mentor in their lives. For example, only 2 young men on a high school football team claimed to have a mentor they looked up to.  I have found myself asking how is it that these youth are surrounded my so many adults: parents, teachers, coaches, officers, etc. and yet they cannot seem to name one person they identify as a mentor. Then I take a step back and watch and/or listen to their surroundings and it becomes clearer.  Parent’s claim it’s not their job to help with homework, “that’s the teachers’ job.” Strike one. The student then hears from some teachers/coaches that “you’re a loser, stupid, won’t make it college” etc.  Strike two.

It may seem unfathomable that these youth are receiving these messages and we all think, “well these teachers, coaches and officers are all here because they are passionate about their jobs and love what they do.” The unsettling reality is that many of them are there just because “it pays the bills” or they “needed something for now, since my last job laid everyone off.” We are failing our kids by not giving them accredited, adequate, and passionate teachers and staff they deserve. So many of our youth are not receiving encouragement or support at home or in the classroom.  Many of them also do not know anyone in college let alone a doctor, lawyer, architect or anyone with an attractive or admirable career.

That is where we come in. A mentor does not need to be an expert in any one particular area to have a positive effect on a child’s life. What we do need to have is an encouraging word, a smile, and a positive role model.  It takes time for kids to open up to you, to believe and trust that you believe in them and for them to actually listen and consider what you have to say. But the feeling you have when they call you to invite you to their graduation, tell you about their plans for college or, thank you for helping them get an A on their test, that feeling is indescribable.

While it is an inexpressible feeling to see my kids succeed and strive for their best, one of the harsher realities that I have had to face is that we cannot simply change our kids.  They have to want to make better choices.  They have to want to succeed.   And most importantly, they have to believe in themselves that they can be more than what they have been told.  It is not by any means easy to not take it personally when a child just doesn’t do his/her homework, doesn’t want to go to college, or when s/he falls back into old ways and ends up in even more trouble.  What we must never do is to give up on them. No matter how deep in despair they get, we can only continue to try to be the little angel on their shoulder, speaking positivity and encouragement to them.

Buckeye REACH

As a veteran BCEC member, I’ve participated in almost all of our programs. Buckeye REACH stands out as one of my favorites because of the relationship we’re able to build with the youth in the facility. As your bond with each child becomes stronger, it’s impossible not to feel passionate about helping them to improve as individuals and bettering themselves in preparation for their release. One of the youth in our Circleville REACH program has been with us for nearly three years, and has shown significant improvement with his behavioral issues, leadership capabilities, and self-efficacy. Earlier this month, several members of our team and myself were able to serve as witnesses to his early-release hearing at the Franklin County Municipal Courthouse.

Walking into the courthouse in the midst of serious renovation construction, a thick layer of chaos filled the air. Tons of people were scrambling around, bombarding the elevators, and lost in confusion. The general consensus was that there was an overflow of cases that week because judges moved hearings to fit their holiday vacation schedules. As we made our way to the sixth floor, the elevator doors opened to a long wall of eerie paintings of children. I felt uneasy looking at these happy children on the wall knowing that this is the exact same place where some children’s lives are ruined.

Inside courtroom 57, the greatly unorganized judicial system kept us waiting until 11:35am for a 9:00am scheduled hearing. When our REACH student finally approached the table, I was flooded with emotions. I was so happy to see him in this opportunity that he’d been waiting three and a half years to experience; but I was also terrified that the ambition, optimism, and hope of this child would be crushed by the judge’s decision. After several minutes of legal jargon between his public defender and the state attorney, our youth stood to make a statement. Listening to his plea, hearing the emotion in his voice, and watching a mother stare at her son as he begged for his freedom, I couldn’t help but breakdown.  Within ten minutes of our student taking the stand, the judge had made his decision, and the young man’s shackles and orange jumpsuit were removed. He was finally free.

Why it’s Important

Being a pre-med student comes with a lot of expectations and assumptions. 1) I’m smart and getting good grades is easy. 2) I’m hardworking. 3) I love and am good at the sciences. 4) I do research and volunteer at hospitals/ clinics. 5) I’m competitive. 6) Everything I do is to advance me forward in my career path. It is as if choosing a profession determines who I am, what I have to do and how I get treated. Although what I do and what I strive for does involve those previous expectations, I resent these stereotypes, because they limit and trivialize my life. I don’t do those things because I have to, but because I want to. Turning interests into expectations makes being pre-med very stressful.

I’m a third-year, and am applying to medical school at the end of spring semester. That being said, the pressure that started building in high school has really begun to escalate. According to everyone, I need to find a medical internship, shadow extensively, take challenging courses (and succeed!), volunteer at hospitals, test well on the MCAT, and do research on top of everything else. Otherwise good luck getting into medical school, which the statistics for acceptance into medical school reflect. Obviously, to be a doctor one has to be extremely knowledgeable, hardworking and experienced in all things medical.  But there is so much more to being a doctor than that. If just those attributes are accomplished, I feel that one has the resources to be a doctor, but no idea how to use them to improve the lives of others. What is the job of a doctor? Why do people want to become doctors? To save lives? To discover the cure for cancer? To come up with new surgical methods? To become head of the surgical department? To make tons of money? To be known and respected internationally?

I truly believe that the work I do at Trevitt Elementary will make me a better doctor. When I accepted the position as a site leader, my friends, family, and advisors had the same reaction. “Why are you wasting your time doing something that doesn’t benefit your goals at all? Why aren’t you gunning for something medical?” Really? What I have committed to doing is a “waste of my time?” It is so hard for some people to understand that just because it isn’t medically related doesn’t mean that I can’t learn from it to become a better doctor. And why should that be my only motive for doing things? Granted, I am not learning anything medical that will benefit me directly by giving me an edge over my fellow competitors, but I really am learning how to be a better doctor. I am learning how to be a positive contributor to society. I am learning how to be more understanding, more empathetic, more patient, and more willing to use my good fortune to help those not so fortunate. I could easily be in the same boat as those in the East Side of Columbus, had I been born into a different family. We all could. How can you be a good doctor if you can’t understand why someone doesn’t have insurance, or hasn’t visited a doctor for that lump they noticed 5 years ago? How can you be a good doctor if you can’t get past the medical technology/ mindset and see your patient as a person? Through my shadowing experience in the medical field, I have witnessed that medical care is a privilege we all take for granted. Fresh food, new clothes, good teachers, present parents, toys/ books, and so much more are privileges we have that those in Columbus do not have. Especially as one of the fortunate ones in this world, I see it as our duty to better the world around us. It can be as little as being friendly to those who are not so friendly, or giving that homeless man you pass everyday a dollar. Thinking of others is something that our culture lacks to teach us, and it is scary to me how selfish every aspect of our lives can be.  Instead of seeking out activities that will benefit ME and US, why don’t we look for commitments that benefit OTHERS? In a world that is centered around me, me, me, I challenge you to think about others.

 

Jo Chen

New Observations

When I work with kids from different cultural backgrounds, I sometimes think about my own experiences as a child. These are some thoughts that I have never had before my internship in BCEC. I am so thankful that Dr. Patty offered me this experience and encouraged me to reflect on my feelings as an ESL student.

After my first day of work with some Latino kids at the Northside Library, an idea flashed into my mind — what role should I take if I were the first Asian adult that they met in their life? Here I want to share my early experience with people of different colors in China. When I was in 2nd grade, I attended a summer English school in which I had my first “real” English teacher. My limited memories of this summer school are all about him: he was so tall, I thought that he must be the tallest person in the city; he was even whiter than the whitest girl in the class; he always started his class with some greetings about the weather (I assumed he was British); he bought us ice-cream on the last day of the class; he was nice and funny. Another person was a gentleman from Germany who was employed as a “foreign teacher” in my high school. He had blue eyes and short blond hair. He was funny, easy-going, and he had a great sense of humor. He loved his country and showed us many pictures of Germany and the funniest German car advertisements that I had ever seen before. However, he got fired because the school thought he brought us too much “entertainment” rather than “knowledge”. Then the school hired a white woman who completed her task well by teaching us boring knowledge of English instead of feeding our curiosity about the outside world, which was so important for us as high school students. This poor lady, I don’t even remember her face.

Considering my work at BCEC, I would say that I am to these kids what those two gentlemen were to me. What I learn from my own experience is, rather than trying hard to teach them something, it is more important to give them a positive impression, which represents my personality, my country, and the culture. I am not sure if these kids are going to remember me when they grow up, and I am not as humorous as those gentlemen either, but I am still trying to build up an image of an Asian student who has yellow skin, brown eyes, black hair that is nice, caring, and knowledgeable and is willing to take challenges. I hope they could have that curiosity and keep it as they grow up. And some day in the future, they could visit different cultures and explore the world by meeting people and traveling rather than accepting information from the media.

But at the same time, I am also impressed that some of the kids are already open to the world. When I am afraid that I am a stranger who looks different from them, they smile and say hello to me; when I am worried about my non-fluent English, they look at me and listen to me; when I am expecting a few responses from them, they all raise hands and are willing to answer my question; when I am wondering if I need an English name, they speak out my Chinese name and try to say it correctly. I cannot name all of them but I am truly impressed by all these scenes. Thanks to the diverse society, the kids are more likely to gain the cultural competence than the kids in other countries. However, it can also lead to a completely opposite outcome due to inadequate education and individual experience.

At last, I just want to make an advocacy for kids based on my observation in different programs, schools and communities. Please build less prison-like school and more outdoor playground, schedule reasonable lunch time and provide healthier lunch for kids.

                                                                                                                                                            -Yunning