Graduation

I just completed my final task of the 07-08 school year... I sat through two graduation ceremonies all decked out in my gown on a stage that was hotter than blazes! Our students really should realize that the faculty are way miserable up there sitting in the lights with no air flow... it's kind of like payback for their final exams if you ask me!

This semester one of my favorite students graduated to the surprise of many of my faculty friends! This student is big, loud, opinionated, black, and 6' 2" tall. Most of the faculty members are scared to death of her, but she is one of my favorite people. She will tell you what she thinks, but if you take the time to talk to her she will also listen to what you have to say and really consider it. During the first semester that she was my student, she got into a fight and ended up getting stabbed... I was the only person from campus to call and ask if she was OK or if she needed anything. From that point on, I became some who she could depend on. She is from Oak Cliff... she comes from a family that has no male members (because they all leave)... her mother is an alcoholic and halfway through the student's jr semester the student had to bring her little bro and sis to raise... she was raised in chaos and chose to live with chaos around her for quite a while by choosing certain friends... But... despite what the girl had stacked against her... she graduated!

Oh, and lest you think she's still a hoodlum, after the stabbing I sat her down and we had a very long chat about the type of people we keep around us and how they influence our lives. She didn't want to hear it, but in the end those words helped her understand how the choices she was making now were going to affect her later on! Anyway, I'm quite proud of the girl! Just goes to show how a little extra time and attention can help a student go a long way!