This episode was a tuffie, guys. I had to do some real soul-searching. Why? Because I am JEALOUS. That's right. I worked 12 years for my high school diploma--painfully, with much tears, much degrading of any ego I might have had about how smart I am (not). Basically, my entire k-12 career was spent confirming that my skills were not valued by the world. Fun facts about Hannah: I have a very soulful singing voice, I like to play the piano, and I'm decent at sports. AKA nothing you can get paid for. My diploma sent me into the world SCARED.
So I was full of doubt when I saw SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Education) can graduate in four years with my same diploma. Surely they were passing them through, right? You know what I found? Tenacity. Determination. Legit, pushing the pedal-to-the-metal work ethics and survival-beast-mode being supported by staff who were on a mission to make magic happen. I want that for every student (including 15-year old-Hannah). I want schools to spend time on making students feel safe, knowing how school works (I never knew what was going on...and I speak English!) and making promises about what I would achieve by the end of the year.
Orly Clapholz and I had a great conversation about what schools need to do to boost these future success stories into the next stage of life--with everything they need in their hands. I do hope you will enjoy this episode that took so much emotionally. It's a great reminder that it can be done, we just need EVERYONE on board.
Be sure to check out my "Ep. 8- Education...Interrupted SIFE" show notes at the bottom of the Podcast page.
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