Every time I attend a concert, athletic event, visit a classroom, or talk with students and staff, I realize how fortunate we are. Not only do we have wonderful teachers and staff members, but we have talented, skillful, interesting students!
Last week, I judged a speaking contest for JAG students who had to speak about "What I Learned from JAG". If you don't know, JAG stands for Jobs for America's Graduates and is a program to help students decide what to do after high school, helps them with the interview process and filling out applications, and assists students in making goals. (More information on this program can be found at http://www.jag.org/)
As I talked to this group of seniors, I was very impressed with their confidence and skills. All of them had goals and many of them were already enrolled in community college, have plans to join the military, or are visiting trade schools. These are not the same students I knew in middle school! I was brought to tears when one student said, "I found out that I am worth something". What a great testament to this program, to our schools and our staff. I knew this student felt this way because he was truly listened to and his ideas, goals, and dreams became important to someone other than himself.
What a great lesson for all of us that we really listen to our young people.
