Revere's Levy Passed!

Revere's levy passed! This past month I have become very aware of the issues facing my hometown school district. Why? I am informed because one of my high school teachers reached out to young Revere Alumni over facebook. She encouraged alumni to voice their opinion and vote absentee. While I am no longer registered in the district and could not vote, I was excited to see how many of my former classmates came together to show their support. Tonight, when I heard that the levy passed, I took some time to really appreciate that I am a Revere alumni. We all know I was ready to leave Revere and move on to bigger and better things, but the reality is: would I be the same person, the same student if I had not gone to Revere? Would I have the same views? The same opportunities? I doubt it.

Every time that I have stepped into a school this year I feel just a little bit guilty. These students will not have the same opportunities handed to them like I did. Even at Fairview. The families of my students had to wait in line for DAYS just to get something close to the education that I received. It's not fair, but I owe a lot to the Revere Local School district for helping me realize this. I owe Revere for PREPARING me for college. Not just getting me there, but preparing me. My last two years of high school were far more rigorous than my first year of college. This is not a statement intended to reflect poorly on UC. They have to teach introductory courses to meet the needs of students coming from all different districts--this is a reflection on the quality of my education at Revere.

The picture above has a dual meaning. First of all, it was taken as an assignment in my high school photography class. A class that, thanks to the passing of the levy, will continue to be taught by an excellent teacher. Students will continue to get enrichment beyond their core subject areas. This means everything. These are the courses that helped me become a well rounded student. These are the courses that helped set me apart from students from other schools. Did I end up going to school for photography? No way. But in this class I found a hobby, an outlet for relaxation, and a way to discover my new surroundings. Photography helped me adjust to UC and the beautiful city of Cincinnati---a place that I now consider my home. Photography will help me transition to Nashville. Photography, and several other outstanding art courses, helped me learn the value of composition, design and symbolism. I use these principles all of the time---designing Relay flyers, creating powerpoints and presentations, and in building a classroom environment.

The second part of the picture is the book that is in it. The book is my AP composition book. Another class (and teacher) that prepared me for college. I live and breathe audience, purpose, and strategy in my English and Communication classes. Thanks to Mr. Silvidi, four years of my student-athletes have improved their English grades thanks to audience, purpose, and strategy. "You need help with your English 101/102/289 paper? I know an easy way to help you. It is called audience, purpose, and strategy. Trust me, if you can identify these three things, you will pass you paper." I learned this in high school.

Thanks Revere. Thank you for giving me the foundation to become a college graduate. Thank you for giving me the tools to be a successful students AND a successful teacher!