Service

"Seek to serve." -Wendell Pierce, Loyola University New Orleans 2011 Commencement Exercise

I never really “sought to serve”. Service kind of found me.

My mother was always what I would consider to be an “involved parent.” From elementary school, she always came to open house, report card conferences, and the PTA meetings at school. She started by becoming treasurer of PTA and soon after, she became the president. I saw my mom at my school a lot. Some of my classmates thought she worked at my school. It wasn’t her job but she made it an obligation. She wanted to make sure other people’s children were taken care of as well as her own.

Eventually she began to put me to work. I’d wake up with her on the mornings of the school health fair or the annual spring fair and help out. Along with the other volunteers, I’d take out all the prizes, sweets and help prepare some of the hot food. And it felt good. I knew I was a part in bringing together the end result. I could get nachos from the food stand knowing I’d helped pour the cheese into the crock pot. I could win suckers from the sucker pull knowing I’d marked them with the dots and stuck them into the Styrofoam board.

I just liked getting things done. I could appreciate their impact. There’s no doubt my mother’s dedication to service has impacted my work ethic. I’ve been active in many service organizations in my career as a student. I’ve tutored kids and watched their grades improve, fed the hungry with Interact Club, given toys to tots with student council and by far the organization I am proudest of is my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. The last five words of our purpose says it all: “service to all mankind”.

The Principles of the Principal

It was a Tuesday morning and I was in a meeting for student council at Warren Easton Senior High. My fellow council members and I sat in the library waiting. The president was covering the normal order of business but that’s not what I was waiting for. I was waiting for the principal. Today was the day I had been waiting for.

Why that day? Because the principal, Alexina Medley, had agreed to attend the meeting and answer any questions brought to her by the student council. Some students began with simple questions about dances and student activities. She seems fine with answering those. Next, I stood up. The council’s advisor looked at me, knowing what was coming.

“Is it possible to raise the retention average for students to attend the school?”

“No.”

“Why not? With a charter, aren’t we a self-governing school? Why can’t we have stricter requirements?”

The council seemed to be humming approval with someone even adding in the fact that the school was “letting anybody in.”

Mrs. Medley then went on to question me about what I thought was wrong. I pointed out that the poor conduct amongst students that had low grades was becoming the first impression of people who visited the school.

From there, she seemed angry.
Next, she snapped, “Well what are you doing to fix it? You have good grades. Why can’t you tutor?”

“I do tutor students. But I’m still a student and I’m only one person and only one other teacher at this school offers tutoring. We need to do something. The school retention average is a 1.75. That’s a D average and barely passing. What about a 2.0? That’s a C.”

“No.”

“Why? Can’t we expect average from our students?”

She then went on with a jargon-filled speech about state requirements. The fact that it took her so long to simply tell me why was suspicious to me. At this point the answer she gave just seemed like an excuse and I wanted more. I tried to keep questioning but the meeting time was running over.

As simple as this may seem, I felt like I challenged her way of thinking that day. And it’s probably one of the most “outrageous” or crazy, things I have ever done.

Home is where the heart is.

As a college student, I think a lot about the future. I see the world I live in today and wonder how it shapes tomorrow. I evaluate my relationship with friends, family, and colleagues. I think about where I’ll be in five or ten years. I know I want the “American Dream”. I want to make a family of my own with a husband, kids, a nice house and a dog (or three). I want freedom with opportunity of success and prosperity. Some of these things are material and worldly but I’m fine with that. What I do worry about is where it will all take place.

New Orleans is has been my home since I was born. It’s a great city and I love it. I love it when people come to New Orleans and gush about “the food and the culture and oh! The rich history!” I can appreciate it but I know that’s not the only side of New Orleans.

I know it’s a dangerous place; one of the most dangerous places in the country. It probably beats out some major cities internationally. I’ve watched the news as a child and seen New Orleans repeatedly take the title of “murder capitol.” It’s shameful and startling.

I also know its schools aren’t the best. People are always talking about how corrupt the public school system is and how the children can’t get a valuable education because all people want to do is stuff their pockets. I’ve seen teachers be torn between leaving the students they love and having a better job. Finally, I’ve been places where people assume I’m stupid once I tell them what city I’m from.

I also worry about finding a job. The economy isn’t good right now. I’ve watched family members struggle to find work. It’s also discouraging when I see friends and family leave the city once they’ve decided that New Orleans has “no opportunity”.

I’m worried. With my plans, I think: Do I want to go through this here? Am I putting my life in danger for the city I love? Is this how I want to raise my children? Will it get better?