There are moments where my heart aches at the losses of some amazing people we have lost in our lives; it sounds out of context, but graduation is a bittersweet timeof the year for me, I am so blessed for the amazing people that I have built relationships with and I miss so much the people that have been stolen from us.

It took me back to the message I thought about in being recognized for an amazing honor, but knowing the others around me help me be who I am every day.

Starting at 27:51 I was asked about receiving this honor in 2021. In rewatching this, I simply cannot get over the amazing talent I have seen in youth leaders since I arrived in Delaware in 2011.

It has been that long, and yet, seeing graduates from the classes of 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, AND the classes of graduates from the American School Foundation in Mexico City,

a world away, from 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016-

it is necessary to write out to remove the take for granted-ness we have a tendency to do with numbers…

I hope communities realize what a difference it makes when guardians and parents work alongside faculty, schools, school libraries and programs that start in the schools, and extend into the community.

It is important to realize that writing out all of the years above helps bring the reality of how many students are affected when you make learning personal and are invested. In a time when school librarians are becoming obscure, when teacher positions are harder than ever due to lack of guardian and parent involvement from day one, it is now more important than ever that community members AND legislators, AND community leaders work together to continue to grow the numbers of students that will come back, and be leaders in their communities.

Do not take for granted that it is just another school year, just another graduating class, just another flock of students. Never take the years or the graduates of any particular school, year, or area for granted, and if you take a vested interest in the ways to increase school librarians, quality experiences for quality teachers, and support in creative ways for your schools, your community will improve.

You just need to keep asking questions, wanting more positions for the above professionals, and create community paths for youth, and things change before your eyes. It happens all over the world, and is not particular to any specific geographic area/ demographic area. It might take different approaches, but the tenets are still there 🙂