Ms. Stovall 313

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News & Notes

2018: The Year that Was
A Light Shines in Charlottesville: an Ode to Joe
What We Learn in High School–A Student Perspective
Tour Our Classroom! Room 313 in Pictures
On Reverse Culture Shock

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America To Me (1)
Education (7)
Fulbright Award (10)
Gratitude (6)
Ideas for the Classroom (1)
Mexico (3)
NEH Grant (4)
New York City (1)
New Zealand (13)
Teaching (8)
Travel (9)

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Me: Wanna sit in these little nooks on either side of this archway and pretend to be gargoyles as people pass by? . Friend: No. But I’ll take a picture of you doing it.

I felt sick with guilt having to tell my high school juniors that I wasn’t going to be there for their senior year, even though I knew they would ultimately be happy for me. After a few vocal students expressed how bummed they were about my leaving, I blurted out “but I’ll come for graduation!” as a way to lessen the blow for all of us. . I thought about that promise over and over again this year, with its riddling of academic stress and financial worries. But as it got closer, I knew in my gut that I had to go. Graduation was the weekend before finals, and I was a shell of my usual self with the heavy weight of exhaustion. And yet, to see the joy in my former students’ eyes, the “I knew you’d comes,” and the pride in their accomplishments, was worth more than I ever could have paid for. I left feeling so light and proud, and I’d do it all over again (and I’m sure I will). Because students are so, so with it.

If you would have told high school me that I was going to be the inaugural recipient of my hometown’s distinguished alumni award, I never would have believed you. I have had many blessings this last year, but this may be the most special. I wrote my first speech, spoke in front of current NRHS students, received the largest plaque I had ever seen complete with a near life size photo, hugged former teachers, and enjoyed the most touching reception complete with food cooked by students. I want to go back and tell that frizzy haired, acne covered, caterpillar eyebrowed, contagiously shy girl that there is so much joy that will lie ahead. Thank you to all that made this possible and supported me along the way. I certainly didn’t do this alone.

For my 30th birthday, I was supposed to go on a dream trip to the Grand Canyon with my then boyfriend. After a hard but necessary break up, I was sad about the loss of the trip. I mentioned it to my parents, who—to my surprise—said that they would go on the trip with me, and my brothers soon after arranged their schedules to come as well—no questions asked. Suddenly, we had our first family vacation in years, and I got to spend the weekend marveling with gratitude at both this amazing natural wonder and the unwavering support of my family. As I smiled at these pictures as they came up in my memories from five years ago today, I am reminded of the importance of family (& chosen family), and that sometimes out of the darkness comes great light.

When my mom and I drove over 1,600 miles from my hometown to San Francisco, our strategy was to get to our next location as quickly as possible so we could relax and have fun there. That meant we gave up on the way sightseeing for the most part...at least until we got to the salt flats of Utah. We couldn’t believe our eyes. We pulled over as soon as we could, and we went for a walk on what felt like the moon. Sometimes even with the best laid plans, you still have to pull over and see the view of this magical earth. #earthday

Sometimes we just need joy to stick to us as if we had accidentally touched our fingers to the sap of a tree.

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Views expressed on this site are my own and do not represent the Fulbright program or the Department of State.

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