Future Leaders, part 1

Meet "Jamie." She's in my Wednesday night essay writing class. I couldn't succeed in that class w/o her on my side. She understands more English than the rest of her classmates. She has an easy, relaxed smile and she's "gets" both me and her classmates. You want this girl to like you. She could run a corporation someday.

"Esther" is a free-spirited first grader. She's the smart, bubbly, dance-around-the-room type who'd fit in anywhere and nowhere. She dances to her own inner drumbeat (or hurdy gurdy--who knows?) and I could easily see her as the spirit of a 1960s flower child.

"Heidi's" no longer with us. I cried when her mom decided she needed to do something else (like maybe, stop paying for private school?). She's the one in front, wearing a yellow shirt. All 4 of these girls are leaders, but Heidi was the strongest and set a tone which has infected everyone who's come into the class since. I could see her as a dynamic social worker or a Leslie, from "Parks and Recreations" (only less manic). How I MISS HER!!

"Christine" is the director's daughter. She's gorgeous, strong-willed and, with a successful and motivated father wrapped around her little finger, I can't believe she won't turn some pages in history.

"Edwin" is the boy in the middle. An Oppie Taylor or Beaver Cleaver (if you don't remember those names--look 'em up!), he has a heart of gold and an a real zest for everything good in life.

"Ricky" and "Jeff." These 2 are both brainy and charismatic. Jeff has a younger brother who's just as smart as he is and Jeff is not only the smartest in class, he'll do anything for anyone. But he's highly competitive and neither he nor Ricky are push overs. They could start their own company or invent something...

Chris is the director's son. If cultural pressures don't break him first, he could become a great humanitarian, philosopher, or...while his handwriting is so bad I've returned some of his assignments un-graded, what he has to SAY is profoundly kind, wise, and unselfish.

Seldom does "Luke" wear this serious of an expression. He had a cold on the day I got this photo. He thinks for himself. When given the opportunity to color something anyway he choses, Santa's got a black moustache, red beard, black ringed eyes and smokes a cigarette; Rudolph has cow spots; and the Sun is pumpkin-colored with jagged teeth. He wants to be a teacher and I think he'd rock as a college professor.

To be continued...