Things to be thankful for...

Posted by Anonymous on

This past week was Thanksgiving so I thought I’d acknowledge all the things that I have to be thankful for this year.  And seeing as this is a blog about college life, it seems fitting to reflect on educational opportunities that I have had and continue to have.

Personally, I was lucky enough to have a solid primary and secondary education that prepared me well for Lewis and Clark College.  From here, my options currently seem endless with the possibility of graduate school or traveling or getting a “real” job.  And I have all these opportunities because of my personal educational background.  But for the past few years, I have been learning about a different caliber of education in America. My sister is currently a Teach for America teacher stationed in rural Louisiana teaching 8th grade earth science.  And more recently, this past semester I have started working with TFA as an on-campus recruiter or, my official title, “Campus Campaign Coordinator.”

TFA is an organization that is trying to combat educational inequality in America, where socio-economic level often determines access to education. In an effort to reduce stress for my older sister, my brother and I graded a fraction of the 100+ quizzes she had to grade. The quizzes were out of 24 points and I felt a rush of excitement if the kids got a score over 18 points (75%) I felt a rush of excitement because they were approaching “mastery.” Most of my sister’s kids probably will go to high school and some might graduate and a handful might go to college with even fewer graduating.
Some quality (and productive) family bonding grading papers.
Since I was a little kid, I have always imagined myself in college.  And, knowing that there are a high percentage of children in America for whom that isn’t an option makes me value my education even more. So that’s what I’m thankful for this holiday break, and here are some pictures of my family:
A little nap time before Thanksgiving dinner with the newest member of our family, Buddy the dog!
The kids at Thanksgiving! (Left to Right: Molly, Brendan, Mary, Buddy, Alex, and me!)

A little supplemental education on the living roof at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, CA.
(Left to Right: Me, Mary, Alex, and my mom!)
So if you want to learn a little about Teach For America or other educational opportunities available at Lewis and Clark ask me at katyyeh@lclark.edu!