Morning Walk

I had the occasion this morning to need to go downtown-yes there still are reasons to go down town-and rather than driving, I walked from my campus office.

It brought back memories as I walked by the many churches and remembered several weddings I attended. The memories that surprised me while walking were as I walked by the Salvation Army across from the Courthouse. Way back when, some 2 decades ago, I was a social worker before my quest landed me working and teaching in higher education.

A saw mothers going into the Salvation Army with children in tow. I thought how hard it was to reconcile the mission of the SA with our mission of higher education and how just 2 blocks away from each other, they appear to conflict. We are turning out educated students who should have bright futures and the SA is trying to keep young adults just hanging on.

My memories of working as a social worker, being a naive youth armed with BA degree, were how could this be happening with young women-girls actually-having babies and not wanting an education or anything more in life such as a career? I had several client families that were 3 generations of women living on welfare with no desire to go further. As a professional I felt helpless at times. I remember one young mother of about 18 or 19 who wanted to learn to read so she could read to her baby. As much as I tried as a professional to help this young woman, I thought how the baby was still lost

I saw that today. Young women with children going to the SA, the children growing up not wanting or expecting to succeed based upon the situations in which they are being raised.

As I embark on a new academic year I want to remember to encourage my students to remember that higher education will give them the tools to succeed and when they succeed that they need to make damn sure they give back and that they instill the drive and passion for success in others who may not have it.