Week 13

The Wednesday that we met with Aida for class, I was hoping to get more of chance to know this students.  I guess I was hoping to find out what they are hoping for in the future.  I used to work with minority girls in program called Girls in the House with a non-profit called Journey House.  I can remember that these girls had hopes and dreams but then never acted on them.  Most of the time it felt something that was unobtainable.  I try to be the catalyst to have the girls see that those hopes and dream were reachable. It would take an incredible amount of work and I never hid that from them.  It is something that has always broke my heart, to see children or even people give up on their dreams.  I always want to help them and try to make them see that there is hope.  I want give all the children that walk into my classroom hope for a brighter future.
I only worked at Journey House for a year but after the Wednesday night with those eight graders I thought back and wondered if a program like this would have helped them.  In that year, I had 8-10 girls ranging in ages from 12-17.  I remember taking them to Waukesha County Technical College for a Career Day.  I remember the girls being anxious and nervous.  I remember that they had to take a computerized test that would help them develop an idea of what careers fit with their answers.  So many of them did not know what they would do after high school.  Many of them talked openly about having a baby or working at the local gas station or restaurant.  Many of the fears were of not belonging.  If they had a baby then they would always have a connection with their mothers or with the father of their baby or even with other girls who had become teen mothers.  Many of them stated that their mothers did not approve of them going on to school because that was not what women of their ethnic background did. (the majority of this girls were Hispanic and few were African-American).  I felt guilt much of the time working with these girls.  I was lucky that I had role models and mentors that believed in me and my dreams.  My parents did not go to college.  My mother married almost 3 months after graduating high school.  My father didn't finish high school he enlisted in the Army as soon as he could.  But that never stopped them from believing in me.  Maybe that is way I want to be that person who believes in someone when they have no one else.  I believe hopes and dreams are what keep pushing people to do their best.  It is the cheerleader in me.