[StBernard] Expanding higher ed access for low income students

[Westley Annis]

Laurie,
 
  I couldn't agree more with anything you said, but I have one question
about that movie...What if Smith's character wasn't on that street that day
or the guy didn't answer his question? My only point was that yes hard work
plays a huge part in things, but circumstances (whether destiny, choice,
higher beings, influences) all play into his. If you watch the extra scenes
on the dvd, the guy the movie is about says that, he had no idea where he'd
be today had that guy not said what he said. They only reason I didn't slip
through the cracks was because of my mom... she taught me three things, 1)
learn something new everyday, no matter what it is about . Learn something
you didn't know the day before. 2) Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't.
If you listen, you won't. 3) You can be anything you want. Now this was real
forward thinking for the times in the early seventies, considering that my
grandmother told her the same things 20 years prior. My whole point is that
many people don't have those values to follow. I don't know if you're
getting what I mean, but I hope you do. Here's an example, if you have a
baby and you teach that child to talk slang english instead of proper, the
child will and can learn proper, but will always fight the influence of his
or her original teachings. What many of the kids going to college see for
the first time is that drive and want for better, I know I've seen it,
that's why I get so frustrated. No matter what we're told, we don't start
equal, but it is getting there slowly...
  Sorry my feathers have been ruffled lately, like I told John I think I'm
going crazy with these kids and yesterday the worst thing happened.
Alabama's school system has been preached to me over and over and how much
better it is than Louisiana's. A watched a senior get a beautiful watch for
graduation....get this, she can't tell time unless it's digital, and she
graduated. I really am thinking about becoming a teacher here, just so my
kids will learn something. You don't even want to know what they have to do
for accelerated reading...it's a joke.  Well hope everyone had a good
Memorial day.
 
Wendy