MADE TO LOVE
Though I’m young, I’ve had a trial and
error kind of life. While I have no regrets
for being labeled a risk taker, let’s just
say in the words of Jane Austen, “Our
scars make us know that our past
was for real.” Instead of dwelling on
past failures, I decided to take another
risk and apply for a job in the field of
Education. Questions began to puzzle
my mind like, “Am I qualified? Will the
kids like me? Will I successfully make a
difference?”
BEYOND
THE TEXTBOOK
…SAVING OUR CHILDREN
MADE BY ARIKA LINTON
W
hitney Houston sang it best, “I
believe that children are our future,
teach them well and let them lead
the way; show them all the beauty they
possess inside.” One day as I was driving
to work this song came on my Apple music
playlist and reminded me of my purpose in
life. That purpose that was once jaded by
Hollywood signs, a celebrity-like lifestyle and
the need to be validated by what I did and
not by who I was.
Ayesha Siddiqi wrote it best, “Be the person
you needed when you were younger.”
All that noise quieted on September 5th
when I started my position as Dean of
Students at a Chicago Public School on
the West Side of Chicago. Initially, as
Dean I immediately wanted to show the
students my I-mean-business type at-
titude but my Principal quickly assured
me more than anything these students
needed LOVE AND KINDNESS. She
said, “The world is already cold and
expects our children to fail, why would
we want to aid in that? Sometimes
school is the only place these babies
receive love…” As time went on in our
school year I began to see the truth in
her statement.
Working in a low-income neighborhood
area can teach you a lot of things like:
1) Get Your Rest
2) Show UP
3) Use every opportunity you can to
exemplify #BlackGirlMagic and/or
#BlackBoyJoy
4) Always remember life is hard
made-magazine.com |
42