Help me give my students the memoir, Breaking Night. The story of a young woman who at age fifteen was living on the streets, and eventually made it into Harvard.
Dedicated, insightful, and passionate are only a few of the words I would use to describe my students. During a time of so many uncertainties, these young men and women have become a breath of fresh air. Each and every day they attend school ready and excited to learn.
So many of them have stories, which could have caused them to travel down a very different path.
A path of anger, frustration, and sorrow. Instead, they have used education as a way to improve their lives.
They are excited about attending college and becoming successful adults. When I ask them which careers they plan on pursuing, their answers are often a doctor, nurse, or surgeon. I love the fact that they believe in themselves and have set their expectations high.
My Project
The memoir, Breaking Night, by Liz Murray is one which all of my students will be able to relate to in different ways. The journey of a Bronx teen, who triumphs despite all of the odds against her, will show each of them that nothing is impossible.
We are at the start of senior year and this memoir will help me encourage my students to reach for the stars during the college application process.
Just this week, a young lady told me that she wasn't sure if she still wanted to apply to Cornell University. I was shocked because this is all she has talked about for the past three years. When I asked her why, she said, "It is just too expensive." I told her to never give up on her dream because there are always going to be barriers, but there will never be one you can't overcome if you want it bad enough.
Liz Murray's story is a real life testimony of what dedication and drive can to do. I know that student's, such as the one mentioned above will take her journey and strive for greatness within their own. Ms. Murray didn't let her surrounding define who she would become but instead used them as a motivator to become someone great.
Please help me show my students that anything is possible. Let them see that they are worth greatness and their future is bright.
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