Hope for Tomorrow
Today is the last day in Arkansas and it honestly has been a fulfilling experience. My belief in the potential of everyone students was exposed today. I spent 2 hours in the In-School Suspension (ISS) talking to a couple of bright young men who expressed a desire for a better future and realizing that there is another step from high school. There was a sense of purpose and yet the system has failed them. These students learn at an 8th Grade level irrespective of their grade. This implies a loss in valuable time and as both overseer and teacher of the ISS mentioned, the ISS has no real purpose. I helped out a lot of students, in terms of applying for financial aid, registering for the ACT and starting out their FAFSA application forms. It seemed that we did so little yet their excitement level spoke differently of them. One of the students I helped out was exceptionally brilliant, Tabitha and she had taken the initiative to apply to several of the scholarships and loans that we went over, it was amazing, we over three pages of scholarships and she had already applied to most of them. Knowledge is power and these students could truly be empowered if they have access to information and resources and there is hope for tomorrow.
One of the best experiences of the day was visiting Linda and Russ’s house, it was extremely nice of them to open up their house for us and allowing us to ride Tiffany 2 spots, she was an extremely calm and beautiful horse whom I loved riding. It is sad that we leave tomorrow and it has been an awesome experience. I truly appreciate the opportunity to have been down here and help out, but best of all experience true Southern hospitality reminiscent of Ghana. Southern Arkansas University truly has had gracious hosts. (There are too many of you to mention but you are deeply appreciated)