Summer is Coming

With the month of April coming to a close, so is my career at KIPP. I was so very fortunate to embark on my journey there nearly a year ago . First and foremost, I learned that seemingly small acts of kindness should not be judged as such to the performer. I was consistently met with a plethora of gratitude and thanks for task that I considered to be minuscule in nature.

This month where my classmate and I set up chairs in the auditorium for the after school bash. We were invited to stay around and watch some of the kids perform there many routines.  My personal favorite was when 6 students did there own rendition of Run DMC and Steven Tyler’s “walk this way”; I did a similar performance with my friends in middle school as well.  Several other students performed elaborate dance routines choreographed from Beyoncé’s “single ladies”, to sequences straight out of “Stop the Yard”. To say the least, I was exceedingly impressed with the performances.

One of the more important actions I performed at KIPP this month was gathering samples of the dirt in playground at KIPP to be tested for lead and other deleterious particulates. This was at the request of Dr. M in my environmental Pharm class.  I am happy to repot the lead and iron level in the soil is below the level recommend by the CDC. It was an amazing experience and I genially look forward to returning to KIPP following my acceptance to med school

Total hours month of April: 10

Total hours for spring semester: 34

Total hours for the year: 66 hours

Air Jordans v.s. Italian leather

It was another successful month at KIPP. In the beginning of March, my classmates and I were assigned to give supplies to the teacher every Wednesday. While the task in question seemed to be somewhat arduous, we ended up have a phenomenal time. While we did our best to not disturb the classroom, the students couldn’t help but be fascinated with our presence. As soon as we entered, these inquisitive children bombarded us with questions. My fellow classmate and I was the subject of great fascination due to our shoe choice. The children took a particular liking to my new Air Jordan’s, while they despised the very expensive handcrafted shoes that my classmate had one. After some good laughs with the teachers and children, we went to the next classroom, only to have the exact same scenario play out.

The highlight of the month came when we were asked to supervise the classroom for a moment while the teacher went to use the rest room. I think that if were we left alone with the kids for another moment, they may have succeeded in destroying the classroom. I have garnered a serious appreciation for the staff at KIPP, as they constantly demonstrate saint like behavior and monk-like Zen

8 hour performed in March

King cake and a hearty breakfast

This month was filled with as much emotional gratification as it was with fun. I was fortunate enough to meet a young gentleman by the name of “Malik”. He was a young African American boy that had more personality and wit than any young man I’ve meet before. We sat down together after my fellow classmates and I finished passing out school supplies; our usual job on Wednesday. He asked about my “strange accent” and inquired on my country of origin. I told him that I lived in Massachusetts, just on the outskirts of Boston.  He was unaware of where this strange location was. I told him that I live in region where the New England patriots reign supreme; he was not impressed. I then asked the teacher if I could share with him a king cake that my classmates and I purchased at rouses. I saw the young mans face light up when I brought in the cake. I was broken hearted when he told me that he rarely consumes breakfast. The teacher informed me that most of the students do eat breakfast and must rely on the school. This truly broke my heart as I personally feel that food is the engine of the intellect. With that being said, I would like to make it may future goal to help some of the students establish a dialogue with their parents regarding breakfast. I believe that this would result in an acrobatic display that would only facilitate the celestial light of concept elucidation.

8 hours month of February

New Year, New Fun

About mid way though my December break, I was once again reminded why I left home in the first place. Dramatic sister-mother confrontation, and a recently retired father eager to employ me as chief landscaper in the dead of New England winter, left me longing to return to New Orleans. After multiple failed flight attempts, I   managed to make it back only a week late for class. The schedule this semester seems to be quite different then last semesters; I’m already loving the variably and the much broader range of topics.  After spending the first few weeks getting acclimated, I managed to return to my old stopping ground in KIPP last week, if only briefly. Several of my classmates and I have agreed to go the facility on Wednesday rather then Friday, so this should bring some potentially new experiences.  After reviewing some of my post from last semester, I would genuinely like to spend more times with the kids. After speaking with a few of the teachers last weeks, I believe that will become a reality. There will be a new extended day program in which the kids will be encouraged to go outside and play on the fantastic playground. I’m genuinely looking forward to attending some of the newly stanchioned “healthy eating class”, where students will be educated on macronutrient profiles and informed on healthy eating and strategies. Personally, I don’t think there is in anyway a more beneficial program that can be implemented to the youths down here. In conclusion, I can’t wait to see what this semester will bring and am invariably thankful for the opportunity.