Letter from Eastern North Carolina
Dear Friends,
When I opened Teach For America's acceptance letter and packed up my life to move to rural North Carolina, I think most people who knew me thought I was crazy. I had just finished four years studying the works of Whitman and Wharton and had never taken an education course, but I knew that when I graduated, I wanted to make an impact in our country. In January of my senior year, my fascination with the public education system led me to find a way where I could immediately lead a classroom and see for myself why that system was failing so many of our nation's children. When it came time to preference geographic regions at my Teach For America interview, I chose to highly preference North Carolina for its history, unique culture, and because it was wholly new to me. I was excited to set foot on Southern soil for the first time and fascinated to see how the stereotypes of the American south are created and continue to grow, even today. In August of 1999, I moved to Henderson, a rural community near the Virginia border and in the heart of tobacco country.
I am humbled by the pride
this community has in its heritage and its traditions, and I realize now how fortunate I was to see the "real" south, a
place of open arms and graciousness. I miss driving the narrow country roads and seeing the familiar houses of my students
tucked behind groves of trees and sandy friveways.
When I began sharing stories of my eighth-grade language arts classroom after I began teaching in September, I know that everyone who knew me thought I was crazy. In my first few weeks at Henderson Middle School, I learned that 13-year-olds had changed since my own junior high days and that rural life was a lot different than what I expected it to be. Issues of racism, poverty, and public health affected every aspect of my students' lives, and few of my family and friends could understand why my post-college life was being spent in an old tobacco town dealing with these injustices, no matter how quaint Main Street was or how welcoming its citizens were.
What my friends and family didn't see, though, was the amazing life and spirit of the students I was fortunate enough to teach every day and the community that I came to love. The short and funny stories were the easiest to pass on via e-mail or a quick phone call, but I never found a way to verbalize just how much I loved my life to people thousands of miles away from North Carolina. My students taught me more than I could ever have imagined: Kareem taught me about the value of laughter; Avanti taught me persistence; and Eric showed me determination personified. Jarrell showed me that graduating from the eighth grade is an achievement to celebrate, and Al showed me that all students need to be pushed to excellence. I could go on and on. Each one of the 140-plus students that I taught claimed a little piece of me from the minute they walked into Room 210. As I challenged my students academically every day in the classroom, I was invited to their church services and birthday parties, and my nights and weekends revolved around their games, performances, and special events. I loved standing in line next to my students and their parents' at the grocery store and hearing "Ms. Brakke!" wherever I went in town. I was welcomed into the homes and lives of my co-teachers and neighbors and greeted with sweet tea and fresh biscuits.
I've now experienced new places and things since I left the classroom, but I have found nothing like the real people and emotions of Henderson. I loved being hoarse from cheering so loud at the football game on Friday night, and I lived for the look on the faces of my students when they received an A or when they turned in 100 percent of their homework on time and perfectly completed. I am humbled by the pride this community has in its heritage and its traditions, and I realize now how fortunate I was to see the "real" south, a place of open arms and graciousness. I miss driving the narrow country roads and seeing the familiar houses of my students tucked behind groves of trees and sandy driveways. I am often kept awake thinking of the students I taught, always wondering what more I could have done to push them further, to ensure that every choice is available to them in their lives.
The truth is, my students and the people of Henderson changed my life forever. I encourage you to find out for yourself what the experience of teaching and living in America's rural communities is like. Your life will be changed in ways you cannot even imagine.
Best,
Crystal Brakke (Corps '99)
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