Written by Denise Gary
There are many things I love in life: family, friends, hiking, photography, Dr Pepper, and dark chocolate, to name only a few. But there is nothing that stirs up more passion inside of me than working to inspire children to make the most out of their lives. So when Lori Thomas contacted me to participate in Cocopah Middle School’s celebration of Read Across America Day on March 2nd, the yes came immediately. You see, beside the obvious attraction of participating in a literacy program for children, there was something else that caught my attention. There, in Lori’s signature, was the name of the course she teaches: Leadership, Character Education through Reading & Writing. I became weak in the knees at the mere idea! Why did they not have such a remarkable class available when I was a kid? Why is this class only an elective? Let me talk to your students, please!
Naturally, when you participate in Read Across America, you are supposed to . . . read. However, my head was swimming with everything I wanted to impart to these Scottsdale, Arizona kids. How do you explain in twenty minutes that the entire world belongs to them if they will only choose to claim it? So I mostly talked: why illiteracy haunts the poverty-stricken, why no one should take their ability to read for granted, how important it is to never be afraid to fail, what the characteristics are of great leadership, and why it is frightening to read your own poetry. I did read a little – my own poetry, of course! It was an example of not being afraid to fail to which the kids could clearly relate. Little did I know that the second class I spoke to was studying poetry.
I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed participating in this great, annual event that celebrates reading awareness and motivation. Thank you to teachers Lori Thomas and Tristin Miller for having me. I could not have asked for a better audience than these two classes of sixth and seventh grade students. I humbly thank them all for giving me their attention and kindness – and for not laughing at my poetry! What terrific kids! Do not forget to embrace your failures. The world belongs to you!
(The chocolate cupcake was really good, too!)
