Today's lesson: Dream Big

In 6th grade, I was reading at the 2nd-grade reading level. I was placed in several ESL courses and was improving much slower than most students.

While my parents began to work intensely there wasn't much help at home for me to improve. I also was quite timid to ask for help with anything and as a result, I fell behind.

My reading was likely not improving because I found music. During the 6th grade, I fell in love with the violin and remember playing it into the late night. Music came easier to me than reading did, but it kept me excited to go to school. I learned a lot in my 6th-grade year from a teacher who changed my life and I wanted to share those learnings.

I had the opportunity to speak to a group of 6th-grade students where we did a small tour of my university and fun discussion about the importance of helping each other. I wanted to call attention to this because sometimes we neglect other peers in our own class to illustrate our value to the teacher. As a 6th-grade student, it is hard especially if you have responsibilities at home. School often takes a seat on the back burner and a school system can only do so much.

6th-graders everywhere remember you are all valuable regardless of what you achieve, creativity is your superpower, and seek out opportunities to serve each other. So thankful that I was able to speak to this group of changemakers.