the courses I should and hoped to take
the following semester.
“So what do you want to do when you
get out of school, Sam?” the guidance
counselor asked. “What kind of job are
you thinking about?”
“Well,” I said nervously, “I’m really
into computers and hoping to study
computer engineering at one of the
state universities.”
“No, Sam, I’m not kidding,” she said,
genuinely agitated. “Your kind doesn’t
go to college. You can work either
construction or landscaping or get
some other kind of service job.”
about it was that she seemed totally
oblivious to the devastating power of
her words. I knew two things when I
left her office that day. First, whatever
I did later in life, I was going to make
sure it wasn’t one of the three options
she’d mentioned.
“
We are all driven
people, but when
push comes to shove,
not all of us are
driven by our faith.
Second, I decided to work harder than
ever to graduate at the top of my class.
So being salutatorian when graduation
day came gave me deep satisfaction!
That hurt.
Even though I had good grades that put
me at the top of my class and I tested
high on all aptitude and intelligence
tests, this woman’s prejudice sent
gale-force winds over the dream of a
shy fifteen-year-old. And the worst part
Maybe you had a similar experience at
an early age, when someone tried to
hold you back and prevent you from
becoming the person God created
you to be. Maybe you’re still carrying
around the scars from someone’s
wounds to your confidence and
Solutions • 53