by Lois Jamieson
Last week I spent $12 on an incredible gift for myself. I attended the StarShine end of the year Awards Ceremony and bought the 2011 yearbook. Leafing through the book brought back six years of memories.
The first photo was of Trish McCarty, owner and founder of StarShine Academy; a vibrant lovely lady who had a dream. She followed that dream by stepping down from her very successful CEO position to found K-12 schools that enable the aspirations of children in at-risk communities.
As I leaf through the book, I see pictures of happy events at the school. From Christmas parties to the 100th Monkey Breakfast – a morning dedicated to supporters and volunteers.
I see students in the garden and the art class. I see students at the microphone on the Kid’s Radio Program. I see students learning about and doing remarkable photography. I see the girls in my Manners Matters and Fashion Clubs. I see children playing guitars and small harps, called harpcycles.
I see pictures of kids who, over the years, have made me laugh and some for whom I have cried on my way home from school. I see great teachers who let me disrupt their class schedule to talk about the library or to teach a class in etiquette.
I see the graduation class in robes and I read their quotes –
“I am excited to graduate and start college in the fall.”
“I plan to go to culinary school, to cosmetology school, to game design school.”
I see the ‘smartest kid,’ the ‘most athletic,’ ‘the best artist,’ the one with ‘the best attendance,’ the ‘most likely to succeed,’ and I see, ‘the class clown.’
I see many kids I love and I am thankful for their friendship.
