Boys and Girls Club

Last Monday, we went to the Boys and Girls Club to help the students with their DSTs. As I have already blogged, I think the DST process can be very frustrating when trying to figure out what to include in the narrative. Luckily, our student had already done her interview and had a list of information written out about what she could include in her narrative. The students had to interview someone who was over the age of 50 who lived in the Richmond area, and as they interviewed their person, they were supposed to find out about their lives and take from the interview their "Pearl of Wisdom." This "Pearl of Wisdom" is the advice/experience that they have learned throughout their lives that has shaped who they have become. Our student had someone whose "Pearl of Wisdom" could be applied to any person who has ever struggled to overcome what seemed to be like impossible obstacles.
The person our student interviewed had come from extreme poverty--he lived in the projects most of his life and he had several brothers and sisters. Although he was not allotted all the opportunities of a child who was rich, he always had the one opportunity that he knew could rely on. Education was this man's way to rise above the obstacles that he faced everyday. He valued his education greatly and his "Pearl of Wisdom" was to stay and school and continue to strive to be better. I think our student really respected what he had to say and I'm interested in seeing how her narrative turns out.