Hasta Luego Mis Amigos:

"Miss you're not going to be here next year," Adilene asked me towards the end of 7th period. "No," I responded, looking down and shaking my head. I threw my palms toward the air while a defeated smile crept across my face. How can you explain the complexities of state budget cuts and job loss to a teenage girl gearing up for summer vacation. "No Adi, because the school doesn't have much money they had to let people go. Because I'm so new to your school they let me go first." She seemed to understand. I gave her a big hug and told all of the students to have a wonderful summer. I told them to stay focused and to get summer jobs. I posed for a picture with Jonathan and Lorenzo and Lorena. I told them "I will miss you" and "see ya later." But I will not see them later. Summer has arrived, a new school year will begin without me there. These students, these boys and girls, these young men and women...their maturity level varying from day to day, will no longer be a part of my life. As much as they disappoint me and make me crazy and suck every ounce of patience from my bones I am forever grateful to them for replacing what they have taken and replacing it in spades.

I felt so sad when I began this job. I had just been dumped and I felt like my world was caving in all around me. The one person I loved was no longer around, college was over. For the first few weeks I would steal moments from the classroom, I would run to the bathroom and lock the door and begin to cry. Not sobs, just tiny tears, single tears would escape my eyes. The thing about high schoolers is that they're like sharks. They can smell fear, or blood in the water, or tiny white girls with no backbone. They know instantly if something is up, they recognize your pain for what it is, weakness.

For them, I left my weakness at the door. I put on a smile, I got down on their level, I talked with them. Almost immediately I began to feel better. At their worst they were shiesty delinquents with bad attitudes and little work ethic but at their best, at their best they were my favorite part of the day, my proudest moments, my little stars. Without even knowing it they pulled me out of murky waters and made me a better human being.

To Selene, Vanessa, Gerrardo, Alvaro, Agustin, Gamaliel, Lorenzo, Lorena, Jonathan L., Jonathan T., Luis, Abilene, Adilene, Jose, Rodolfo, Kenny...THANK YOU. MUCHAS GRACIAS. I think you have done far more for me than I could ever have done for you.