Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TheStoryOfEmma #CollectiveBias
In the May of 2008 I graduated from Lehman College with a BA in English. I even graduated Cum Laude. Me. The girl who was lucky to make it out of high school (15 years earlier). It had taken me 15 years, 4 college transfers, too many jobs to keep track, a marriage and a baby but I finally graduated.
Then that baby, Norrin, was diagnosed with autism two weeks before my college graduation. And my big day was overshadowed by uncertainty.
That September I started graduate school and I put my 2 year old son on a mini school bus to a special education PreK program. Norrin was still in diapers. He had no language. Putting him on that school bus was one of the hardest things I had to do.
Friends and family discouraged me from pursuing my masters degree. "Focus on Norrin and what he needs," they said. It was not an easy decision but I knew that I had to at least start. I knew that if I didn't start, I would never have the hunger to return. And I needed Norrin to know that I wasn't a quitter. I wanted him to know - more than ever, even if he didn't quite understand - that I valued education.
PreK wasn't mandatory for Norrin. It was suggested. I could have easily said no. I could have gotten by with the therapy hours in our home. But I wanted Norrin to have the social interaction with his peers - to learn outside of his familiar environment, to go beyond his comfort zone. I wanted that for him and I wanted it for myself - autism or not.
I never went to PreK. Sending Norrin to a special education pre-school program gave him the head start he needed. It gave him the learning tools to function inside a classroom and it gave him the opportunity to grow. Norrin learned how to speak, communicate, play, read and write during those PreK years.
And pursuing an MFA in creative writing - in my 30s, as a wife, mother and secretary - gave me the learning tools I needed. It was because I went to grad school that I started blogging and sharing our story. It gave me the opportunity and the courage to become a writer.
Everything big starts small and our education became the starting point - for both of us.
On the day I graduated with an MFA my parents, Joseph and Norrin attended the ceremony. When I removed my gown and cap, Norrin asked if he could put on my “hat.” I immediately helped him put them on. My dad smiled, “It’ll be Norrin’s turn in a few more years.”
Immediately I thought, Norrin’s not going to be able to go to college. As soon as I thought it, I felt ashamed. I want to be realistic and I want to have hope but the line between reality and hope is blurred. I don’t know what the future holds for Norrin. I don’t know what he’ll be like in the next five or ten years. I don’t know if he’ll ever go to college or even if he’ll want to. But the possibility is there. The hope will always be there because I provided the foundation.
That is why I identify with The Story of Emma and the educational boost she needed from Mi Escuelita. It's a story of hope and possibility. It's about everyone having the opportunity to begin their education and getting the head start they need in order to be successful. While Emma and her story is fictional, it's an inspiring message is representative of the children who are positively impacted by a Mi Escuelita education.
Mi Escuelita provides children with a foundation of developmental and educational skills that will allow them to take full advantage of educational opportunities and succeed academically. Mi Escuelita teaches English to children from all cultures and prepares them for success both in school and in life.
What's your Emma story? How has education or PreK made a difference in your life? Share your story and encourage others to share too. They are the stories we need to hear!
Please join us for #TheStoryOfEmma #LATISM Twitter Party on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 9:00pm. @LATISM and @ColectivaLatina will be joining forces to support of the Mi Escuelita campaign and create awareness about #TheStoryOfEmma.
5 prizes of $50 gift card + $50 donation to Mi Escuelita in winner's name will be awarded during the twitter party.
RSVP for the Twitter party to be eligible for prizes: http://cbi.as/qe2ds
Every share, tweet, or retweet that utilizes the hashtag #TheStoryOfEmma will generate a donation of $1.00, up to $10,000 in donations!
Disclaimer: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
Labels: #CollectiveBias, Atypical Mami, Education, Sponsored Posts, The Story of Emma
