They overcome, and they learn trigonometry
Graduating high school is a momentous occasion for any young person. It’s a crowning achievement, the culmination of years of hard work, grit, and determination. It marks the end of a formative chapter in their lives and opens the door to a new world of possibilities. In my role as a Bridges Coach at Piedmont CASA, I was fortunate enough to witness three of my youth receive their high school diplomas this summer. As they walked the stage it gave me pause to reflect on just how significant an achievement it was for these young men – and for all the youth in foster care who graduated this year, and in past years.
Having been a teenager, I remember how difficult it was to pull myself out of bed, attend the classes, tolerate the teachers, maintain the grades, and navigate the social minefield that was high school. Today I recognize how privileged I was to go through those years without carrying the heavy burden that our youth in foster care must bear.
As a former teacher, I often wondered why certain youth in my class simply could not make it through an entire lesson, or why some students were more likely to have emotional outbursts. That was until I participated in a training where the instructor asked us to imagine taking part in a job interview while there was an active fire in the room. She then shared with us that this is the same kind of stress and anxiety that many students who experience trauma feel during the school day. That exercise opened my eyes and gave me a new sense of empathy for so many of my students. It has stuck with me ever since.
The emotional hardship of being placed in foster care is not something that can be compartmentalized. It is not limited to the home setting, and it can’t be switched on and off. It is pervasive and often manifests itself in school. To understand the upheaval and change that comes with entering foster care is to know that this is not conducive to learning and development. It is hard to expect a child who is facing all the challenges that come with being in foster care to maintain their attention in class, regulate their emotions and behavior, and learn. Yet they do. Against the odds, these three kids, like so many other kids in foster care, do this day in and day out. They change schools, they meet new peers, they work with new teachers, and they adapt to new schedules. They overcome, and they learn trigonometry.
So, to all the youth we serve and have served, whether you’ve already graduated or you’re still showing up, I applaud and admire you immeasurably. And to my three young men, ‘proud’ is too small a word.
