Today, I want to share with you some of the most powerful words I’ve ever heard spoken by a student. At an event I attended with two YES Prep Brays Oaks seniors, each of us shared our respective YES Prep experiences. I was spell bound by my students’ stories. In particular, Obinna Okorie’s words struck a chord with me, and I knew I needed to share them with others. He gladly gave me permission to share his story.
Here are two excerpts from his story:
Intro: “At the end of my fifth grade year, my mom was trying to find the best middle school for me to attend. We applied to a few, but I didn’t get in anywhere. Unfortunately, the only schools I was zoned to were some of the worst rated schools in the state. My mom just wanted me to get a good education. We didn’t know what we were going to do. Then, one night, my mom went out to the store to get some milk. When she came back, she brought a flyer for YES Prep South (old name for YES Prep Brays Oaks). She didn’t know anything about the school, and neither did I. But the flyer gave us hope that I would still be able to get a great education.”
Conclusion: “Here I am now, a valedictorian from a low-income background and a future University of Texas Longhorn. I wouldn’t be ready for college if it wasn’t for YES Prep Brays Oaks. It’s crazy to think that my future depended on our family needing a carton of milk that day.”
How powerful are his words? Obinna’s story speaks truth to millions of families across the nation. These families deserve better than chance when it comes to their children’s educations. Unfortunately, growing up in a low-income neighborhood usually means they don’t have the same access to a high quality education as more affluent families.
A child doesn’t choose to be born any more than s/he chooses to be born into a certain income bracket. If given the option, everybody would choose to have a life where all their needs were taken care of and they received a quality education.
This is why charter school districts like YES Prep exist – to work toward a day when all students have access to a high quality education. This isn’t to say that traditional public schools don’t want the same thing. I know they do! The truth is that most urban school districts have been and are continuing to struggle with the educational inequity that exists within their cities. Whether you dedicate yourself to charter schools or traditional public education, you’re still working to combat that inequity.
Personally, I know I don’t have the answers, but I have the drive to find them. I don’t want any student’s education to rest on whether their family needs a carton of milk one night.
