Graduation

[Unkotare]

Was honored to attend graduation today for kids at an inner-city alternative high school. A small graduating class, but kids who have overcome more than most could imagine to make it to that milestone. Moving and inspirational. Humbling.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

but kids who have overcome more than most could imagine to make it to that milestone. Moving and inspirational. Humbling.

My Polish American father grew up without central heating, A/C, running water, telephones, TV's, in a studio (1 room) apartment with 4 people.

How many of these kids grew up like this?

 

[Dan Stubbs]

but kids who have overcome more than most could imagine to make it to that milestone. Moving and inspirational. Humbling.

My Polish American father grew up without central heating, A/C, running water, telephones, TV's, in a studio (1 room) apartment with 4 people.

How many of these kids grew up like this?

My Father in law grew up on Polish hill and worked at delivery of dry cleaning to homes, but was able to gain better jobs after shorting his name. I would not have changed my name, but I am not polish.

 

[Unkotare]

These kids had to cope with challenges (some self-imposed) that few of their peers even in the mainstream public schools in the district could imagine. After setbacks, mistakes, and some near-disasters, these young people accomplished something significant that will change their lives and shape their future. It was something to see as all this occurred to them, their families, friends, and the teachers they had worked so long with.

 

[SobieskiSavedEurope]

My dad worked in prison as a teacher, and admitted that Asians could be in worse shape, but learn quicker than other races.

 

[Unkotare]

Wrong thread, troll.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

 

[Unkotare]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

 

[Unkotare]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

 

[Unkotare]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

 

[Skull Pilot]

I never understood the need for these ridiculous ceremonies.

graduating high school isn't a big deal

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth.

And it wasn't worth the agony of a drawn out overblown ceremony full of hackneyed platitudes about venturing into the world yada yada yada and it certainly wasn't worth wearing that stupid cap and gown get up

All of which is why I didn't attend and instead went to the beach and watched the sun come up THAT was more meaningful than a stupid ceremony

 

[Unkotare]

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth......

You don't know anything about what I'm referring to, so you are just being mouthy and ignorant.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth......

You don't know anything about what I'm referring to, so you are just being mouthy and ignorant.

And you think you know everything.

 

[Unkotare]

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth......

You don't know anything about what I'm referring to, so you are just being mouthy and ignorant.

And you think you know everything.

I know what this thread I started is about, and I know about the graduation I attended. You don't know about the challenges these kids (the ones the thread is about - hello) have faced and what they had to overcome to make it there. You picked the wrong thread to troll, because all this is just making you look weird.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Have to admire Michelle Obama who grew up in a one bedroom apartment, slept on the couch, and qualified for then worked her way through very prestigious universities. An amazing woman.


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[mgh80]

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth.

And it wasn't worth the agony of a drawn out overblown ceremony full of hackneyed platitudes about venturing into the world yada yada yada and it certainly wasn't worth wearing that stupid cap and gown get up

All of which is why I didn't attend and instead went to the beach and watched the sun come up THAT was more meaningful than a stupid ceremony

I agree that for many people it's nothing special (it wasn't for me, it was 'ok cool you did what you were supposed to do...let's go grab some lunch')...however having taught at schools with extremely high poverty rates, where kids have parents in prison-and some of your kids get arrested for felonies, etc. I honestly agreed with you before I started teaching...then I had David.

David was a kid who grew up surrounded by gangs and tried his hardest not to get involved (he wouldn't join them-but in that type of environment it's impossible to complete segregate yourself from all interactions with them), nobody in his family had graduated high school before-nobody. We're not talking about college/university...we're talking about high school. At a young age his life-long goal was to graduate from high school and when he did it was very special for him (and myself). Why? Isn't that what you're supposed to do? Isn't that easy? Not necessarily.

Because nobody in David's family had graduated before-it meant he had very limited assistance at home (I had him as a senior and nobody at home was able to help him whatsoever academically). The easier path for him would have been to drop out, get a minimum paying job, go on food stamps, etc. David took the difficult route, he studied his ass off, he earned "B"'s in my classroom-even though nobody at home could tell him how to spell a word as basic as "strengthen", nobody at home knew anything about proper grammar (which many here on USMB know little about as well), so when he earned his diploma, it meant something. David is just one example, I have tons of other examples at this point in my career (just like every teacher does-this story ironically isn't anything special)-David just happens to be the first example I witnessed and changed my view on things. Remember, intelligent people are full of doubt, while the stupid are full of confidence.

What's dangerous is discouraging David's achievements, not because he deserves some pat on the back-but because if you minimize what that achievement stands for, it's going to discourage other people in similar situations as he was in and they will take the easy out...and you will end up paying for it out of your tax dollars.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

For some kids it is.

Not for anyone.

Yes, for some it very much is.

No it's a minor thing blown out of proportion
and certainly not worth sitting through a boring ceremony wearing a plastic cape and a stupid hat

You are speaking from ignorance. Let it go.

Not at all I graduated HS so I know exactly what it's worth.

And it wasn't worth the agony of a drawn out overblown ceremony full of hackneyed platitudes about venturing into the world yada yada yada and it certainly wasn't worth wearing that stupid cap and gown get up

All of which is why I didn't attend and instead went to the beach and watched the sun come up THAT was more meaningful than a stupid ceremony

Since you never use punctuation or correct syntax, I took you for a drop out.


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[basquebromance]

Elementary school created the American Flag for their class graduation picture...