A letter to my past, present, and future self

            When I look back at my life exactly one year ago, I recall stressing out about college applications and the "dream college".  I imagined myself interning  at one of our nation's public administration offices and museums. Working for an organization that is devoted to early childhood education was never a part of my plan. 

            Tuesdays and Fridays are my most hectic days. My day begins at 8:55am with an economics class, and it ends at 10:00pm with a statistic class.  In between these two classes is Jumpstart. I wake up on these days filled with nerves and anxiety. During the metro ride I think about on the quality of material that we are bringing to the children. These are the questions that fly around in my head before arriving to the school.

            " What if they don't like the book?"

            " What if they cry today?"

            "What if I mess up?"

            Usually all of these possible sceneries become realty in each session. Some students throw fits while other students fight and argue with one another. The sessions are usually filled with some form of disarray and misconduct, but we always leave the classroom unscathed and wanting more time with our students.

            Aside from the occasional crying, the students actually show incredible understanding of the meaning of words. They understand that only certain letters can come together to make certain words. This was something I lacked as a child. I needed someone to physically tell me that letters were important because letters led to sounds, which led to spelling out words. I leave each session feeling  so proud of my students because they always go beyond expectations. Working for Jumpstart really has giving me a renewed appreciation for education. 

Trinh Son
Corps Member
Team Compassion