Challenged

I began one of the most interesting years of my life, the year I graduated from college. I had no money, no friends that were graduating and staying in Fredonia was no longer an option. There are just some places you aren't meant to live longer than five years.

So I found myself doing what most twenty something college graduates do, I moved home. Living with your parents after having four, or in my case five, years of freedom is one of the hardest things I have ever done. Stumbling back into the rules and regulations of a Southern Baptist household is not an easy transition. But without this experience I don't think I would have learned self-control, will power, patience and responsibility.

During this transition year as I like to call it, I also learned how to hold down a "real" job. Although this job was slightly different than a regular nine to five and didn't even use my degree. I decided that the only way I would make it through this year was to start saving for my future. I became a one to one paraprofessional for special needs kindergartners. I worked with two beautiful but thoroughly helpless children. My two boys could always find trouble even though they had two completely different disabilities. One was so smart but let his behavioral issues and a hate for school control him. The other would never have any options because he could only find his voice through a digital box. However, he was a quick little thing both in agility and the concepts he could pick up. Everyday was a challenge that I didn't feel ready to face but I know without it I wouldn't have found the strength of character that this year allowed me.

These are not your average children. It takes a different set of skills to build their trust and to love them through the kicks, screams and biting. It’s devastating to realize that an innocent child can be looked at as different just because of what they were born with. They live their lives in a world that doesn't accept them. They will have to find their place or be put away for the safety of themselves and others. For some there is no other option than these and for others this is the only care they will receive in their lifetime that matters. Everyday we live with the reality that we could be the only people who will ever treat them as human beings and not as a disease.

What got me through some of the harder times was the most wonderful group of women. Each day they put aside their own issues to deal with someone else's child. They look these kids in the eye and see not their disability but the person they are and have the potential to become. It goes without saying that these women are not in it for the money. One woman that I still speak to had to work two other jobs on the side just to put her own child through college. Another had to live with her mother because she was divorced and left with two children to raise alone. Another never received a college education and yet another's culture hindered her life decisions. These women found a job that wasn't desired, that most won't even take, and yet stood tall with a grace that I have yet to see in my adult life. These are the women that should be given honors and medals for their daily battles. These are the women who are the backbone of our society. They teach your children, they wash your clothes, and they clean your houses. These women make a living so you can have a better life. They sacrifice themselves on a daily basis and for this they deserve a lot more than they are given.

Through this fight the men and women in our public schools are making sure the politics and daily hardships take a backseat to making sure the children are receiving the best education possible. It all doesn't happen overnight. I got to see some of these children grow by leaps and bounds in one school year. One child went from not being able to speak one word to us not being able to get him to stop. Another little girl blossomed once her parents decided that medication might be more help than harm and another thrived by just being able to be given that personal time he so desperately wanted. These are the moments that make the struggle worthwhile. Watching our kids interact with other children, playing on the playground during normal recess hours and learning in the classroom.

I battled the parents, the disabilities and the system right along with these women. I am proud to be a part of this community. These women will continue to fight long after I am gone and will change more children's lives in the process. I am a different person because of the unconditional love these women brought to our classroom each day. I will take with me their spirit, their unwavering energy and general positive outlook on life.

I truly learned everything I needed to know in special needs kindergarten.