Hello Friends,
We’ve introduced you to our new favorite champions of kindness, the Caz Girls.
You’ve already met Ashley, founder and creator of the movement. We’re now pleased to introduce you to Jessica, another Caz Girl. Not only does she work full-time, but she’s a wife, a mother, and part of this AMAZING group of women.
TWT: Have any you been the recipient of a Random Act of Kindness? If so, what was it?
JJ: I don’t think I have been but maybe I have and I didn’t even know it!
TWT: The Caz Girls Conquer 365 Random Acts of Kindness is spreading like wildfire. Do you foresee this project extending beyond 2013?
JJ: We all would absolutely love for this to continue beyond 2013. A lot of it’s success has to do with others, if we can get each person who has seen our page just to do one R.A.K, then it will continue to grow, and that in itself is a success to us.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), many of us work with “at-risk” youth. These students are recovering drug addicts, struggling drug addicts, teenage parents, and almost all of them come from broken homes. The struggles, demons, and anger that our students face is often a hindrance to their progress in school and life in general. Do you have any words of wisdom to offer these students?
JJ: You don’t need to be a product of your environment; prove to others that you are the exception, not the rule. Don’t let life drag you down, some of the greatest people in the world overcame their backgrounds.
TWT: In today’s economy, arts programs in schools are being cut. What reasons would you give a politician for preserving the arts?
JJ: I think many politicians forget that to make a great person they need to be well-rounded, not just good at math or science, but he or she also needs to know how to express their creativity. Being able to have an outlet to express yourself or to relive stress makes a world of difference when you are dealing with your difficult childhood years. We all learn in different ways, and there are many children who benefit from a creative way of thinking. Also, many children who are living in high risk areas are always looking for a place to feel safe. They need to be able to express what they are experiencing at home or on the streets, and sometimes a pen and paper is not the best way to do that. Many schools used to have after school programs that involved arts, everyone knows that keeping a kid in school after hours keeps them safer than if they were on the streets, and they are less likely to drop out of school.
TWT: Here at The Write Teacher(s), we believe that art drives life, and theatre transforms lives. Would you agree or disagree with those statements? Why?
JJ: Absolutely! I know that when I am stressed or at a road block at my job, taking time to work on something creative, photography, painting, etc., often helps. After expressing my creativity, I can focus much more on the task I have to do later. In my job I spend a lot of time seeing how minority or low-income communities work, and the best success stories I have heard are communities where someone stepped up and started a program for the youth, these programs often involve the arts: a music program, a drawing program, a theatre program, etc. Programs where teens go out and paint murals over areas that have been covered in graffiti. It gives the community, and more importantly, the youth, a sense of belonging and pride in where they live.
TWT: Just for fun, what’s your favorite movie, singer/band, play, and book?
JJ: Ohh tough one. My favorite movie is probably A League of Their Own; I know every word of it! I love 90s R&B. My favorite books are The Last Lecture and The Five People You Meet in Heaven.
TWT: Who is/was your greatest teacher?
JJ: I have been very lucky to have a few. My fifth grade teachers Mrs. Lynch and Mr. Peluso (Shenendehowa Central School District, Clifton Park NY), have always had a special place in my heart. My Cazenovia College professor, Mr. Greene, helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. He was very strict and made me work hard in college and push myself to figure out what I could really do, for no one had ever done that for me before, and until I met Mr. Greene, I didn’t know what I was capable of). Even though he was strict, it was clear that he always truly cared about his students. He continues to be a friend and I still look to him for advice and mentoring.
Thank you, Jessica!
Live, Love, Learn,