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As we all know the year 2020 has been a year forever ingrained in our memory. For me, it was much more. As I looked at the words two thousand and twenty written below my name on my diploma, I marveled at the fact that I had made it; I had graduated Swarthmore College as part of the class of 2020, amid chaos. As a recent college graduate, I was unsure of what my next step would be especially under the unpredictable circumstances of everything happening around the world. The months that followed my graduation were full of questions about what I would do next. I began to search for jobs and internships, and that is when I came across the position of serving as a Fellow for Great Oaks Legacy Charter School. As I read through the description of what this role entailed, I Immediately knew that I had to apply. Since high school, I’ve had a love for education and a passion for giving back to my community, which made my decision to serve as a Fellow an easy one. I was even more inspired to serve when I learned that the scholars that I would be working with were going to begin the school year learning remotely. I had experienced only months of remote learning and it was a challenge. I could not imagine what the possibility of a full year of remote learning would look like for our scholars, or how much of a challenge it may be for them. I wanted to be a part of something greater, something purposeful where I could have the opportunity to be a resource in a time of change.
As I walked into this year of service, I was unsure of myself and didn’t know what to expect. However, as soon as I met my scholars and the community at Downtown Elementary School, I knew that I had made the right choice. Everyone was very welcoming which made the transition of settling into a new environment easier. All of the other Fellows that I met were in different stages in their life and were heading in different directions; this kind of diversity in this particular community of Fellows was reassuring. This helped me realize that it was ok that I didn’t know what my next steps would be.
Being a Fellow and working with my third-grade scholars has taught me a lot, but one particular lesson that I carry with me is to live in the moment. As simple as this may sound, learning this lesson has created this sense of liberty and calmness. I remember one day this group of scholars I was working with had a great day and definitely deserved some shout-outs, which was something that Fellows did at the end of each tutoring session. I always get a bit anxious when speaking in front of a large group, which continued to be the case even though we were remote. I remember receiving a message from one of my scholars asking if I could shout out our group. I knew that I had to do it because they deserved it and I didn’t want to disappoint them. As soon as I shouted them out, that same scholar messaged me “good, don’t be shy”. These simple words meant so much that until today I hear them echoing whenever I get anxious about coming off mute. I am learning to worry less about what may happen if I come off mute; instead, I remember that I have a voice and I should use it. This year of service has been an honor and I am grateful for my team and scholars who have brought joy throughout a very hectic year. When I first joined GOLCS, I didn’t know what my next step would be but I am happy to say that I have figured it out and I will be returning next year to continue my journey with GOLCS.