Making a Difference in Someone's Day can Make a Difference in Your Life

Over the past semester I have been tutoring a couple days a week at the challenge academy school. This school is like an alternative school for alternative school and for many students it is their alternative to juvie. I knew it was going to be hard but I know idea in what way and I never would have guessed the impact it had on me. Today was my last day and I don't know if I will ever forget it.

Today when I went to the challenge academy I worked with a freshmen named Andre. Most days I worked with Kurtis, but Andre sat next to him and I would often help him too. Today Kurtis was not here and I spent the whole class helping Andre. At the end of each class students are allowed to play computer games if they worked hard the whole class. Andre was playing Mario at the end. I was giving him a hard time because he kept dieing. We started talking about what if it was real life and how we wouldn't get any more lives. Then he said sometimes you might, "sometimes He isn't ready for you up there yet." This surprised me and made me happy. What he said next broke my heart. I told him he was right sometimes God does give us another life if it is not our time to go to heaven. He nodded then paused, "Not that He would ever want me up there." I told him that was not true. He argued saying he has done some bad things and he has made a lot of mistakes. I explained to him that God forgives us, it doesn't matter what we have done. I told him he is a good kid despite his past and that is what matters. He said maybe I'm right and went back to his game.

At the end of the class period the students were leaving and Mr. Bickerstaff, the teacher, started saying good bye since it was my last day. Andre heard him say it was my last day and came back to thank me. He was sad I was leaving. Once he left Mr. Bickerstaff said I made his day. I may not have made much progress while tutoring at the challenge academy. I may not have made a difference in all the students' lives. I may not have made a difference in anyone's life. But I made a difference in one student's day and that makes it all worse it.

Andre worked hard every time I was there. Never got in trouble. Kept to himself and didn't mess around with the other students. I don't know what he has done to get here, but I know he is a good kid. How often does he hear that? And how often does he hear that he has messed up? Kids need people who believe in them and remind them of who they can be regardless of who they were. They need hope. They need to know someone knows they are not defined by their mistakes.

Moments like these remind me of the impact teachers can have on students lives and I am excited I will have the opportunity to give my students hope for their future.