The disease that Olmos was addressing tonight was the rate that students, particularly students of color, drop out of school and, thus, potentially never get the opportunity to knock on the doors of the financial aid offices we typically inhabit at the graduate/professional level.
What is the root of this problem and what can we do as a society to prevent it? He stated that a B.A. today is like a high school diploma of the past … he’d love to see the doors of graduate/professional education open for more students.
We are all part of one race, Olmos emphasized, the human race. No matter where you come from or the color of your skin, we all want our children to be successful.
What I took away from his keynote speech tonight is that you have to see yourself represented in the success you desire in order to be successful. Children have to see what is possible by having strong role models. We have to do more to let children know at a young age that they can accomplish their dreams instead of giving up on them (and giving up on school with them!).
No matter who you are or what you look like, you can be an inspiration. Teaching doesn’t have to happen in a classroom. You can lead by example and show a young person the possibilities in front of them. I, for one, am going to return home with a renewed sense of purpose and a stronger desire to get involved with my niece’s elementary school to see how I can help those kids get on the right path. That … and watch “The Cove” because Edward James Olmos wants me to.
Posted by: Sheryl Reinschmidt
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