Interviews

I have really dropped the ball on this assignment thus far and I do apologize for my lack of organization on these interviews. I have only reached out to six of my ten and, unfortunately, was only able to have a full interview with one of them.....my mother. I know I won't get all my points but I will make up for the past two weeks as they have been difficult for me.

Nevertheless, an interview with a woman as impressive and accomplished as my mother is nothing to be frowned upon. She is my role model for achieving my touchstone of helping youth in the clearest way of all my role models as she made her own school for troubled kids and parents looking for alternative schooling. She once had parents tell her their child was "retarded" when they met only to find nothing mentally wrong with the child at all; and, with the encouraging environment she provided, he became a confident young man. I grew up a witness to my mother's kindness toward children and the impact she made on her community in the south side of Chicago. I talked to her about her career path in teaching and asked for advice in achieving my own success in education. These are a few highlights:

She took education classes in college but it wasn't her major. She knew she wanted to teach though and got certified after graduation. She taught for 11 years across the Midwest but became very frustrated and "appalled" at how the children were treated. She thought the kids were constantly humiliated and bored. She left teaching but when she had her first child she realized she didn't want to send him to public school so she created her own. She got all the permits which she says wasn't difficult and "Pleasant Street" school was off and running. She had very little money but was able to get good teachers because she offered on site childcare for them.
It was an incredible experiment that changed the lives of hundreds of kids including my own. She had many hard times and detractors throughout the years. She faced many personal betrayals that would shock a screen writer, but she stayed strong through her belief in God and the purpose He gave her. She says she felt "a drive bigger than myself". Her advice for me is to always listen to my intuition. She said all the problems she had were caused when she didn't trust herself and listened to everyone else.
She achieved far more in helping her community than I can hope for because I lack her courage. But, hey, who knows...maybe after I work in the public school system for a decade I might just find it.