His writing put the R in Rising
He was a writer, a deep and global thinker, and the kind of kid who, if it was the only quiet spot, did his homework in the bathroom. He put the self in self-motivated.
And because of his circumstances at home, he did a lot of writing in the bathroom. Which might already tell you enough.
Unlike many of my students, who face self-doubt, procrastination, or writer’s block, he did not need that much prompting to produce his college essay — he had a story in mind and banged out his personal statement with determination. And fancy subordinate clauses.
He is the kind of kid who you can be sure will reach his goals– ruthlessly, if he has to. And by the time he gets there, he’ll have new, bigger goals that supplanted the earlier visions. His writing never shies away from these dreams.
As featured in The Cornell Sun
So by qualification and persistence, he made it to Cornell University, but what happened there is the real juice I can’t disclose here.
I am featuring his writing, a recent article in the Cornell Sun.
His article shows that strong writing and game-changing thinking go hand in hand. Such probing as you’ll find in his text are what words are for, and the opportunities they create in the hands of young people.
Words can lift the dust of complacency, and open the avenues of the mind and heart that can, and should, lead to critical reflection and compassionate action.
He can be reached for causes big and small or to answer philosophical quandaries through us, at the moment…
The TFI Connection: Education and employment equity!
And he is but one of the many, many, many examples of my students who come from challenged circumstances and use what they are given to make the most of their lives. All of my former TFI students, all proudly men of color, will infiltrate the employment landscape and look to diversify models of what men of color can– and always could– do. They will tear down social and economic barriers to their dreams. Think that sounds idealistic? Contact us to get an earful about how your goals too may be just some well-crafted sentences away.
