Krystal McLeod
World Education Fellowship
New York, NY
“Raise your hand if you have someone in your life that you can look up to,” I said with hope. As I looked around the room at the twenty students peering back at me, not one hand rose. A few heads even went down. The students noticed it too.
I could not believe what I was witnessing. There sat twenty youth with promise, with more unlocked potential than you can imagine, and not one of them had someone in their lives who had presented the key for them. What was I to do?
It was July 14, the opening ceremony for “My” Right to Learn: Daring to Dream & Doing Your Dreams. I had the privilege of founding this initiative this summer with the help of World Education Fellowship. “My” Right to Learn is an eight-week human rights-based education program geared towards inner-city minority youths in New York City. The program has four core classes: “My” Rights, “My” Right to Truth, “My” Right to Literacy, and “My” Right to a College Education.
Our mission is to develop mindful future leaders who in addition to academic competency possess self-awareness and an understanding of the social and economic trends that affect their communities. The program was also designed to empower youths to set and attain goals ranging from increased literacy to college application readiness and to equip them with the framework necessary to attain their dreams. Unique in its understanding of the interconnectedness of progress and quality education, “My” Right to Learn emphasizes the importance of the human in education and also seeks to provide the marginalized with quality educational tools.
Our opening ceremony was held at one of New York University’s newest research facilities at 12 Waverly Place. The students had arrived promptly at 9:00 am with smiles from ear to ear. Our team of twelve was overjoyed to see a group with such infectious positive energy. We had worked for weeks to prepare this event. Seeing the students so evidently grateful was the reward we all needed.
“This place is amazing!” I heard one whisper to another. I smiled at that, but the next comment would not bring me the same joy: “I can’t believe I’m at NYU. I wish my mom was here to see this.” Ouch. I knew she was commenting on something everyone including our team was wondering: where are their parents? Out of those twenty students, only two parents had come to support them. I was hurt for them, yet I understood why the parents could not be there.
I had spent weeks trying to contact many of them to inform them of their children’s acceptance but had much difficulty. Many of them have no access to email and cannot afford to keep their phones on. Almost all of them are blue-collar workers with jobs that barely pay the bills. Almost all of them come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.
I feel for many of the parents. Truth is, all of them wanted and tried to be there but they couldn’t. Though they deeply wanted to support their children, they simply could not afford to miss work.
It is the unspoken truth many families face: the pain of living close to or below the US poverty line. And because the average parent is constantly working, sacrificing to allow their children to have the “right to learn,” they unfortunately cannot be around for their children to look up to them. I understand because only seven years ago, I was that child. Darn it, I am still that child!
As I looked around the room, realizing that no hand was going to rise, I found that I had a few choices. I could decide not to address what was happening. I could switch to the next topic and continue with the ceremony’s agenda. Or I could use this moment to empower those I saw sitting in front of me.
“You have role models now!” I stated with pride. The students’ heads popped up. Excitement beamed from their eyes. “You see,” I continued, “each and every one of the team members are college students that are here to support you, to mentor you and ensure that your dreams and goals for this summer and for life in general are able to be actualized. Don’t think of us as teachers or instructors or mere figures here to tutor you. Think of us as coaches. A collective of individuals ready to guide you past the summer. Coaches that are prepared to challenge you to dream!”
They looked at each other for a few moments before clapping loudly. I smiled.
“Welcome!” I yelled. “Welcome to ‘My’ Right to Learn!”