Category: New Experiences

I had the Best Interview of my Life, and then I Cried

It’s been a hard school year. A really hard and challenging school year. There’s 7 days left with students, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I’m dying for the stress of student behavior, academics, grades, and planning to be over. I’m running on survival mode and just trying to keep positive but by the end of the day I’m a grumpy, hot, mess.

There have been times this year I really hated my job. I felt like a failure and didn’t even know if I wanted to be a teacher anymore. It didn’t help that the winter was long and bitterly cold, but I was in a funk I could not shake. Along with being a miserable winter my district was planning on cutting 100 teachers and staff and I knew my job was in danger. Fast forward to March and I found out I was involuntarily transferred to another middle school. I was fortunate to still have a job. However, my current school, despite the challenge, has been my home for three years. It is where I’ve grown the most as an educator and even though I’ve had some really tough days I am proud of my kids and the work of my co-workers.

I decided this transfer was my sign to start applying for elementary jobs. I have been wanting to try elementary again since that’s what I always intended to teach. I also knew I should not give up on teaching yet until I try a different grade level and school. I started to get excited about the idea of being back with younger kids and was hopeful for the next year.

I have probably applied for over 50 jobs. About half of those jobs have been internal positions in which I thought I would at least get an interview but have only heard back from three schools. I knew it would be hard since so many people in my district got moved to different buildings and probably wanted a say in what they were teaching. I have gotten a lot of denial emails and started to feel down again. Maybe elementary was just not in the cards?

Last Thursday, after having another challenging day at school, I was sitting up in bed when I got an email at 9:30 PM stating I was selected for an interview for an elementary position. The school district that sent me this email is the complete opposite of my current school district. My current district has a high percentage of kids in poverty while this district has a significant lower poverty percentage.  I was in shock that I had finally heard from this school district having applied back in February. My hopes rose again and I started to panic. This was a HUGE interview for me. I started to go back and look at all my lessons making a list of things I have done that make me stand out. This district was stable, my current district not so much, and I knew this was a big opportunity that I could not pass up.

Today was my interview. I was nervous but felt more prepared than my previous interviews. The questions went well. I felt like I had more specific examples and the interview became very conversational and not just question and then answer. I started to feel comfortable and confident.

We had finished up questions and I started to ask my own questions, when one of the principals asked, “You could be moving districts, what would your students say if they found out you were moving to another school district?”

This is when I lost it. I started to cry in front of five strangers, four principals and the director of elementary education.

You see, I have not told my students I had been transferred because I was waiting until I knew for sure where I would be in case I got an elementary position. I had been dreading this conversation since I found out I had been cut from my building. I did not want my students to think I was another person leaving them behind. Despite all their flaws, I care for these kids so much. I wont’ lie, I complain about them but am the first to defend them to people outside of my school.

My students are tough to like sometimes, but so easy to love. They say and do things that they shouldn’t but they are MY kids and I love them all individually. Sometimes, they just need someone to listen and care. Their stories are heart breaking and when I’ve sat and gotten to know them it puts everything in perspective. You see, that’s all they want. They want to be heard but people often see the behavior and start the judgment before they even get to know the students.

So after crying, I was honest with my interviewers. I said they would miss me and question why I was leaving. I have felt this guilt about applying outside the district because I know that even though I don’t always feel like a good teacher, I am good for these kids. My students deserve good teachers too, but I want some control in my destiny and this is why I was applying to other schools.

All of the people at my interview could tell I cared. Heck, this was the first time I realized just how much I care. I think all the stress had been building up from this year and I finally had my breaking point. I got an apology from the principal who asked the question and another principal told me tears were a sign of sincerity and passion. She also said to keep my head held high and that every student deserves that kind of love.

I should hear back from this district within the next week or two. I literally put my heart and soul into that interview. Gosh, I even had an Oscar worthy cry session in front of them so I know despite what the results might be, I did my best.

I wish education was truly equal. I wish all students had the same opportunities. I wish we were given more funding for students who need emotional and behavioral support instead of all the cuts. I wish teachers, paras, and all other support staff were treated with dignity and respect. I wish so many things for the sake of education, but unfortunately more negative things have happened lately than positive.

I know I can’t change policies or funding, but I can try and be a change for my students whoever they may be the next year.

 

I still don’t know what I want to do when I Grow Up

Growing up is tough. It’s a concept that was harder than I ever imagined because it’s something that can’t be explained. It is a thing that just happens and all of a sudden you’re sitting on the couch thinking, where the hell did time go? Am I really get older? Am I an adult?

When is one considered a grown up? Is it when you graduate high school or college? Get your first “real” job? Or is it something more complicated like the first time you experience loss, heart ache, or have to take responsibilities for someone other than yourself? Maybe it’s not one direct moment but a bunch of events that happen to give you the wisdom to know the things that can be changed and the things that cannot.

As I’m approaching my 26 birthday it doesn’t seem possible that ten years ago I was just turning 16 and thinking I knew everything there was to life. I thought it would be simple.  Go to college, get a job, get married, have some kids and live happily ever after and I would accomplish all of this by 25. I was wrong, very wrong. In fact, right now the thought of having kids scare me, I still feel like a child at times, and I’m still confused on what I want to do with my life.

I thought going to college would lead me to my forever career but it just confused me more. There were so many opportunities out there and I felt like high school did not prepare me for all the career paths I could possibly take. What if teaching wasn’t the right choice? What if I was wasting my talents in something and there was another field out there that I should have explored more before committing to education?

I decided to stick with education and am currently in my 4th year teaching. Even though I enjoy working with my students I still doubt my career choice. Is this really what I want to be doing the rest of my life? Is the stress worth it along with the lack of respect for my career from society including members of my own family? Do I really want to be considered a “glorified baby sitter” while having more and more demands placed on myself and co-workers when I could be working in a more “respectable” profession that recognizes my hard work? These questions haunt me day in and day out. Am I really doing the right thing for myself? Yes, teaching is a noble profession and I am proud of the work we do but is this what I want to do forever?

I had a conversation a couple of months ago with a person who was also dealing with the struggle of not knowing what he wanted to do in his life. I told him the funny thing is, hardly anyone knows what they’re doing. The key to being adult is acting like you’re secretly not freaking out on the inside. This is why my mother is a saint. I’m sure when she was raising 5 kids all under the age of 8 and working nights she was slightly in a craze state but you would never know because she kept her cool at all times.

As our conversation continued, I had a light bulb moment. I told my him growing up is not about the career you decide to pursue or figuring out where you are going to settle down, but the experiences that happen along the way. I encouraged him to keep an open heart and explore any opportunities. Do not settle, always keep learning, talk to everyone, travel, and grow. When you realize there’s more to the world than the backyard you grew up in, that’s growing up.

I think of my own journey through adult hood and the things that helped me grow were the moments that took me out of my comfort zone. Sometimes I think I’m not doing enough or my life isn’t super exciting, but just looking back at the first part of my 20’s I realized a lot more has happened than I originally thought. I ran 5 half marathons, went to Ireland and England, moved across the country, got a tattoo, moved to another city closer to home, traveled to Tanzania, learned about new cultures, experienced the joy and heart aches of teaching kids who also taught me to be a better person, and recently got engaged. Life is pretty good when I reflect back. I’m doing alright.

I don’t think I will ever know what I really want to do when I grow up and that’s OK. The thing that I hope I will continue to do is be open minded, try new things, explore the unknown, and embrace change. Maybe by doing these things, the thing I’m meant to do as a grown up, will come naturally.  Until then, I’ll keep my options open.

 

Top Ten Moments from Tanzania

A month in a place thousands of miles away from home. A month living with 30 different people who barely know each other yet have one thing in common, teaching. This trip across the world to Tanzania has been life changing to say the least. In a time where I was contemplating if teaching was really for me, it gave me hope that education is where I find my passion and inspired me to do better. Below you will find my top 10 moments from my trip.

10.  4 hour bus ride that turned into a 7+ hour bus ride 

Now, many may be thinking why did this bus make your top ten moments? Well, you see this was less than 24 hours of meeting everyone and I firmly believe that this bus trip helped bond our team together. My friend Jess and I literally shared a seat and everyone was squished to the max between bodies and baggage. However, with this being our first experience we still had so much anticipation of the month ahead of us. I remember looking out the window and watching the scenery fly by thinking, “Wow, I’m in Tanzania.” You see, the journey to Morogoro was a time of reflection. I could see the people lined up along the side of the road selling and buying goods and going about their daily lives and I realized we were about to become fully immersed in a culture that differed from our own. It was a good way to start the month, despite being uncomfortable. It really got me in a good mindset of reflection and self awareness.

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Why yes, this bus is tilted. Don’t worry, we got it fixed eventually.

9.  Not being prepared for a 2 hour cold spell, while waiting for lunch during the hike up Uluguru Mountains

Again, this seems to be a negative moment at first glance. At the time I was truly freezing, uncomfortable, and in a great need of warmth. The heroes of the group came forward as I saw my fellow group members and the hiking guides come to our aide. People were literally giving clothes off their back away to help keep others warm. The main guide led us in songs and chants to keep our spirits up. A lady literally slaved away along a fire to cook 30 people a meal and welcomed us into her living space. That is a common theme in Tanzania, especially Morogoro, people are so welcoming. They may not have much, but they give all they have to others.

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7, All smiles after being given jackets from friends.

8. Tea Time and Experiencing Chapati for the 1st Time

In American schools, most teachers are lucky to have time to eat and even luckier if they have a prep period. In Tanzania, the schools I observed had Tea Time. Tea Time is a little less than an hour of tea and snacks. Students have a recess type period and teachers are able to relax, drink tea or coffee, eat snacks, and converse. Many teachers have classes of 50+ students so they also did marking at this time. Tea time was the first time I had Chapati which is a type of flatbread used for snacks or to go with meals. It is delicious and tastes almost like a fresh tortilla. It was definitely a comfort food while abroad. During tea time, we really got to know our teachers and enjoyed each others company.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Our Lovely Hotel Room

I had the pleasure of going on this journey with my good friend, Jess. We are now closer than ever due to sharing some interesting experiences. We stayed in a great place that was quite charming and above our expectations but we quickly realized we weren’t in the USA anymore. Granted, my Father has taken me to some sketchy places before, you know the ones that give you Bates Motel vibes, so the Hilux was heaven compared to some places I’ve stayed.  The people were welcoming and became quick friends. At one point the air stopped working in our room and we were told to move rooms. Once in our new room we found bugs everywhere, it smelled of urine and body odor, and it looked neglected. However, because our hotel staff were amazing, they cleaned it and it was enjoyable. We even had hot water which we never got in the old room. However one late night, I was about to fall asleep when I head Jess screaming from the bathroom. Jess is notorious for screaming bloody murder when insects are around, so I assumed there was a bug. When she continued to scream I got out of bed to find water shooting out from the faucet which resulted in some confusion from hotel staff but it got fixed and all was fine and dandy. Despite blowing up water faucets, bugs, and cold showers, I really enjoyed the Hilux. It truly became a home away from home.

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6. Jungle Speed

At night we had down time when we didn’t have conferences to plan. A few of us found games quite enjoyable and would play at night. One game was called Jungle Speed. It is a fast paced game where the goal is to grab this object in the middle of the table. When your shape matches another person’s shape. It got pretty competitive and intense. Even though I sucked, it was still fun and I have even bought the game for my classroom. The nights where everyone would just hang out and enjoy each other’s company reminded me of being back in college. You could hang out with your friends for no reason at all and it was chill and completely OK. No need for fancy plans or reason, just hang out to hang out.

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5. Safari

As a kid, my favorite movie was Lion King. My poor Dad probably watched that every weekend with me but I don’t think he minded. Going on a safari was literally living the scenery of Lion King. It was the most surreal experience and I still can’t believe I was there. Our safari group was great. We bonded over the hunt to find all the animals and singing Toto’s Africa over and over again. The fact that we were apart of the animals’ home and not just in a zoo was crazy. Seeing a lion for the first time not in a cage was breath taking. They are such powerful and majestic creatures. The sunset and sunrise was so peaceful, until Joe started eating chips but that’s a story for another day.

 

4. Conference Days

Our main mission for going to Morogoro was to give the local teachers strategies they could use in their classroom. This was a challenging task, because when I first observed a classroom I had no idea how I could help them. Their classes are huge. Anywhere from 50 to 150 kids in one room. They were literally sitting on top of each other in some cases because there was no where else for them to go. How could I, someone who’s highest number of students was 26, ever help these teachers who were doing the best they could under these conditions? I also have never led or planned a PD for teachers so it was a whole new experience, but I learned a lot from it. With the help from my group, we were able to come up with some good strategies and prepare some excellent sessions. The best part of the conferences were how much our two schools were interacting with each other. They seemed to really enjoy each others’ company and even if we only taught them one thing, they at least know other teachers down the road.

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3. The Hike and Waterfall

I thought I had been hiking before this trip. Apparently, the hiking I had done was a cake walk compared to hiking the Uluguru Mountains. It was challenging but beautiful. The landscape was breathtaking with each step we took into higher elevation. Reaching the waterfall was epic and so serene. The 2nd part of the hike was even more challenging, but the scenery was out of this world. It was crazy seeing villages up in the mountain knowing people live there away from the city and the world. I was struggling going up the steep parts and local women were carrying large quantities of fruit or water on top of their head like it was nothing. The views and villages was like something you would see on National Geographic. It was a once in a life time experience.

 

 

2. Sunrise on Paje Beach

When we went to Zanzibar, a group of us woke up every morning to see the sunrise on the beach. I had never felt so at peace as I did when I watched the sunrise in the morning. The busy beach was quiet except for the gentle crash of the waves upon the sand which was soft like memory foam, not rocky, like other beaches. It is one of the moments when my faith is restored. The calmness and beauty of those serene moments before the craziness of life starts brings everything back into perspective. You know you have met good people when you can bond over simple things such as the sunrise.

 

1. Connections that will last a Life Time

In one month, I bonded with more people than I have in a long time. People from all over the states, the UK, Canada, and of course the locals in Morogoro. The teachers of Morogoro didn’t know us. They barely understood why we were there but they accepted us with open arms and invited us into their lives. I have never met such a welcoming group of people in my life. We all come from different places, different cultures, beliefs, and ways of life but we all care about our students. We all know that in order to empower our students we need to do our best to educate them and give them the tools needed to be a successful adult. Though a month is short in terms of a life time, this month impacted the rest of my life. I hope these connections grow and we continue to learn from each other despite time and distance. The world is now a little smaller than it was a month ago. It’s our job to continue to make the world smaller for others by telling our stories and making our friends, family, and co-workers more aware of Tanzania and its’ beauty by combating stereotypes and speaking our truth.

 

 

 

Why Not?

Anyone who has ever graduated college will have heard praises of “Congrats grad! Way to go! You did it!” It’s all fun and filled with merriment until people start getting to the most daunting questions ever.

“So what’s next? Do you have a job? Where are you planning on staying? Oh no job? Have you applied to this? Have you looked here? I’m sure something will come along.”

Maybe you were one of the lucky ones. The lucky graduates who have had a job offer since March and only had to wait until they crossed the stage to be an official employed adult.  Or you were like me and had to be blunt with Great Aunt Dorthy that no you didn’t have a job and frankly you had no idea what the hell you were going to do after getting that shiny new diploma and were praying to every God in the universe that you would find some job before those nasty student loans kicked in.

Lucky for me, I graduated with my teaching degree so I at least knew I was going to be a teacher. My goal was to get a job close to my family. Ideally, close enough I could live with a family member and save some money.

What ended up happening was the complete opposite of close to home. A few months before graduation, I attended my college’s job fair. My cooperating teacher told me to interview as much as I could for the experience and I did. This job fair was huge. Not only were there schools from all over Iowa, there were schools from all over the country. I was about to leave the job fair, after talking to a dozen or so schools, when I was stopped by a man asking me if I ever thought about teaching in Arizona. In my mind, I had no desire to move across the county especially to Arizona, but I wanted interview practice so I agree to interview for a job in Parker, Arizona.

I left the job fair feeling hopeful and more confident about the job hunt. When friends and family asked about the job fair I always joked that I interviewed with a school in Arizona but always reassured them it was for interview practice. I actually heard back from Arizona before graduation via email about a third or fourth grade job but it was easy to ignore because I hadn’t even graduated yet. I was thinking there was no way I was going to take a job out there and settle right away.

Graduation came and went and towards the end of May I was getting anxious. I was tired of getting asked questions about the job search. Even though I still had plenty of time before the school year started I was feeling restless from applying to various jobs, interviewing, and hearing nothing. One day I got a random call from Arizona. I thought it was funny because I had told the principal I was not interested in moving out there but this time it was from the primary school principal. She was such a nice lady on the phone and I wanted more interview practice so I agreed to another interview over the phone. After the interview for a kindergarten job, a grade level I swore I would never teach, I got a call within the week asking if I would accept this job offer. This time I was not confident in what I wanted to do. I had one week to make my decision and so the pro and con lists started.

Talking to my family, I had mixed reviews. My Dad couldn’t decide what he thought. I knew he was scared out of his mind of me moving so far from home and my Mom always says the same thing when it comes to advice which is “it’s up to you,” which of course is super helpful advice when you have no idea what you want to do. Time was ticking and I still had no decision.

One beautiful summer evening I was at my good friend’s house sitting by a fire with her mom and her mom’s friend. The job in Arizona came up and her mom’s friend looked at me with all seriousness and simply asked, “Why not?”

Those two simple words have changed my life. No one had ever asked me, why not? Why not move across the country and explore a new area I’ve never even heard of before? Why not have new experiences, meet new people, and immerse myself in a culture that I’ve only ever read about in social studies textbooks? When it came down to it I had nothing holding me back. I was single, young, and really was clueless into what I wanted in life. I could always move back. Why not give it a year and see where this crazy thing called life takes me?

In the end, I accepted the job as a kindergarten teacher in Parker, Arizona. In early July, I packed my car with my clothes and drove across the country knowing no one and having no idea what I was getting myself into. I only made it a year in Arizona but I regret nothing. Moving across the country and living in a complete different place from where I grew up challenged me but also made me a better person. I met so many amazing people and had the opportunity to teach a group of wonderful, unique, and inspiring children. This move gave me confidence and a true sense of independence. If I had never moved and never asked myself “what if?” I would not have the courage to travel to Tanzania this summer.

Life is short and the best parts are those moments when we take that leap of faith. Why not move away, take a new job, travel, start a business, learn a new language, or even jump out of that airplane? Do what makes you happy. Become a person that does something, not just talks about it.

Yes, change is scary. It was not easy moving to Arizona. I had some moments that really pushed me mentally and emotionally but I also had some of the best days of my life out there. Nothing worth it in life is an easy choice. The most amazing moments are the ones that tests our strength. So the next time you have an opportunity don’t let it slip by making you think “what if?” Instead, I urge you to go for it and ask why not?

Why did I decide to “bee” an educator?

If you majored in education or had interviews for a teaching position you most likely had to reflect at some point on why you wanted to be a teacher. I’m sure other jobs out there also have similar reflective questions their future employers ask of them but for some reason education jobs really dig into the question “why do you want to work with kids?”

For most people, this question is fairly simple. Many people state they always loved working with children or they knew from a young age they wanted to teach. They even played school with their dolls and stuffed animals. It’s the only job they’ve ever dreamed of and here they are fulfilling their dreams. You go person you!

But for me it was not an easy decision. As a 3rd grader, I was determined that I would be a writer or work with books. Until high school, I spent more time with books than I did with humans which I was perfectly happy with my lifestyle. My senior year of high school I started to overthink, a problem which I excel at in life, and knew going to college for writing was probably not the smartest thing. I’ve always wanted a job where I could help people but blood and guts makes me throw up so there was no way I would join my mom in the medical field. (Kudos to all you doctors and nurses out there!)

So at that moment I decided I could go into teaching which would still give me the opportunity to write in the summer. I even told my creative writing teacher this plan. He laughed and said something along the lines of that’s what he thought he too but summer is just never enough time. He was right of course, as I have yet to ever start any writing project in the summer, but I was determined. I’ve always had the tendency of wanting to prove people wrong so I brushed that conversation off and started convincing myself going into education was the right thing to do.

The other motivation behind going into teaching was the money. No I don’t mean the salary, because that’s the oldest joke of the century, but there was scholarship money out there for education. I was a pretty decent student because of my work ethic. I never excelled in any one thing in particular, but I had determination which gave me good grades but didn’t give me an awesome ACT score. Because of this, I was not able to get a stellar scholarship to go to a 4 year university right away but with teaching I had more opportunities to get financial support. Yes, I could have gone to the local community college for two years. Sometimes I wonder how different my career path would be if I would have done that but I felt like I had a point to prove. My whole life people told me I would stay home and pretty much never leave because being a quiet person apparently means you don’t like to do anything adventurous…..So I was determined to prove people wrong and leave town as soon as I got the opportunity.

So I said audios to my small town to go to college at the University of Northern Iowa which ended up being one of the best decisions of my life. I declared my major as soon as I could because I had a plan and I was going to stick to it. However, I found myself questioning if I really wanted to be a teacher. Many people, including teachers I had growing up, told me not to go into education but again I have a habit of wanting to prove people wrong. I ignored them and just assumed they were old and ready to retire.

During the summer after my 2nd year of college, I was still unsure if I was doing the right thing. I had just kicked butt in my political science class which was taught by this bad ass lady who was head of the political science department. She was tough, her class was way harder than it needed to be for an intro class, but she made me think which I appreciated. She even complimented me on my final essay which I hung proudly on my dorm fridge for the rest of that year. For some reason, that summer I read over 10 books about lawyers or law and was starting to convince myself to change my major to pre-law and political science.

I’m a big believer in “signs” and everything happens for a reason so I truly started to question if being a teacher was really worth it. I had even heard from some family members that I was wasting my talents. I wasn’t even a teacher yet, and I was already feeling disrespect and under appreciated. It was depressing to say the least and as mentioned before I overthink….a lot and this was not a good time to be an overthinker.

Upon returning to UNI, I decided to stick to my major. I was taking professional development classes with one professor that would last all year. It was a good opportunity because we had a partnership with a local elementary school which gave me more field experiences. These classes, or I should say this professor, changed my thinking about education for good. In fact, if it wasn’t for Dr. Montgomery I would have changed my major. She was the first person that really started to open my eyes to the injustices in the world and how education is one of the keys to help solve those injustices. Dr. Montgomery ignited a fire within my soul that finally gave me a passion for not just education but for my personal life mission. I found my purpose. I knew I couldn’t change the world but I could educate and help give children the opportunity to make a difference in their lives. I’ve always been a quiet leader, person who leads by example not demands, and with teaching I found my niche in leadership.

So when I get asked the golden question of why I am a teacher I always bring up social justice. The world is not as perfect as I thought when I was a child in my backyard. Our education system is not fair and in order to be successful in life people need to be educated. This doesn’t mean a person needs to attend college but the ability to think, write, and create is something that is vital in life especially when we live in a democratic society. My goal in teaching is not to move mountains but to plant seeds. Maybe those seeds don’t grow overnight. However, with the right environment those seeds can sprout into flowers and trees and that gives me hope. This hope is why I teach.

 

 

 

My First Out of the Box Experience

When I was a kid, like many young children, I thought my world consisted of my family and fellow neighborhood buddies. I grew up in one of those neighborhoods where a family could let their kids roam all day in the summer and not have a worry in the world that they wouldn’t be home for supper. I was blessed. At the time, I thought everyone lived in a world like mine. Life was perfect and safe.

However, outside of my small town there was a city not even 10 miles away that didn’t have the same perfect feel. I knew that area was poor even before I really knew what poor was. Everytime my family went to visit my Nana and Papa we drove through the “bad part of town” where the buildings were abandoned, cars were rusted, and people roamed the streets in groups often yelling at each other outside of gas stations. I was never taught this part of town was “bad” I just knew it was different from where I grew up and it scared me.

One day, as my Dad was driving through the town to get to my grandparents he turned a different way. At this point in my life, I had started hearing adults say if you go to the rough part of town you were more likely to get shot. This is a scary concept for a child when trusted adults are telling you a certain area is essentially a “shooting zone”. When my Dad purposely started driving to the area where even adults were scared of I was of course freaking out. I started screaming, “Dad, you can’t go this way. It’s where the “bad” people live.”

My Dad shook his head at me. “Larissa, just because the area isn’t as nice does not mean the people are bad.” He proceeded to pull into a parking lot of what was I later found out was the projects.

My Dad put the car in park and looked over at me. “Do you see that little boy and mom over there playing? Doesn’t that remind you of your brothers and mom?” I nodded still not happy that I was stuck in a car in the bad part of town but noticing the boy and mother did start to calm me down a bit. My Dad continued to point outside,”Do you see that elderly couple walking together? Doesn’t that look like something your Nana and Papa would do?” I nodded again at this point starting to figure things out.

“These people are just like you and me, Larissa. They might not live in as nice of a house or can afford a car but they are people. It is important that you know that they are not much different from us besides their current circumstances.”

“But Dad, why do people in town think this place is bad if they are just like us?” I asked confused to why my Dad was telling me one thing and other people were saying something different.

“People are afraid of what they do not understand. Many people where we live have not even ventured to where you are right now because they are afraid. They only know what the news tells them and often the news points out the bad more than the good. It is up to people to be brave and understand others in order to help people not be afraid. I took you here because I want you to have understanding. I want you to not be afraid. Yes, there are bad things that can happen but bad things can happen anywhere and we should be working as a community to help stop those bad things from happening,” with that my Dad started the car and we continued on our way to see my grandparents.

Going to the projects and having my Dad explain why people were afraid of certain areas has impacted me more than my Dad originally thought. He gave me my first time seeing something different from my personal experiences. It was the first time I ever truly thought about the lives of other people outside of my family.