Living in a new place, starting a new job, and meeting new people is never as easy as it seems. Now adding 55 high school students to the mixture brings it to a whole different level. This week with CohortM has honestly been stressful--remembering names, ensuring the students do their work on time, and making sure they are always safe and having fun, but after actually talking to the students and seeing them begin to get why they are actually here has been so worth it. In less than a week I have seen pride grow from frustration, joy in the place of tiredness, and worry wiped away by developed self-confidence. In such a short amount of time I truly believe Emerging Scholars has changed at least one life, if not all 55. Each day, someone new surprises me...either in what they say, how they carry themselves, or how they have truly impacted me. The students came here expecting to learn something from the program but what I didn't realize is how much I would learn from them. These children, whether they believe it themselves or not, are special and regardless of their situation or where they come from, they will be someone.
My challenge now for these students is to keep the bonds they have formed this week and remember the lessons learned in and out of the classroom to ensure that they will not simply be a statistic. They will be someone. Emerging Scholars is just a stepping stone from which their journey will begin.
ES love,
Madeline
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