rock stars!

in my former life, i was part of opening a new school. i had the pleasure of embarking on that journey with some of the most talented women that i have ever met. one of the girls, in particular stuck out to me. in my naivety, i always worried that working in such challenging conditions would cause her early burn out. it terrified me, because she had something in her that i knew our inner city babies needed. at that time, i could never have imagined the greatness that she would achieve, especially in just a few short years.

she decided that she was going to take a stance and commit herself to changing the face of urban education. lakita is now the founding principal of fraisure prep. i had the honor of visiting her school for the first time yesterday and was struck by the work her staff has accomplished in these kids. two of these women were also part of the school opening that i had been a part of. it was so awesome to see the fruits of their labor.

the performance was a way to showcase their learning for the semester. from pre-k babies to 5th grade hipsters, these kids have clearly absorbed some rich information. they demonstrated a knowledge of various components of american history- the erie canal, buffalo soldiers, the pony express, the industrial revolution etc. my favorite part of the show came when a kindergarten class when down the line and shared their hope for the future. each one of these babies said what they wanted to be when they grew up and why- and i should mention that the auditorium was packed. i couldn't believe the courage they showed by speaking into that big scary microphone. and i was in awe at the hope these little ones spoke of.

i want to be a teacher to teach kids to read.

i want to be a preacher to tell people about the love of Jesus.

i want to be a soldier to keep people free.

i want to be a pediatrician to help kids feel better.

(i know, those babies went deep, didn't they! i'm not making this stuff up.)

i know with leaders/teachers like lakita, melanie and camia in their lives these babies can accomplish anything. these dreams can be a reality.