Today my life went full circle in a way. Ten years ago I taught the greatest cohort of 7th grade students at Rise Kohyang Middle School. Now, ten years later, Harold, Jason, and Esther—fourth years at UCLA—gave my current 10th and 12th graders a self-guided tour of campus.
Not only does it make me feel incredibly old, but it also makes me feel incredibly grateful seeing what brilliant young adults they turned out to be. And although only two out of the three of them have a high degree of success in the future (Asian American Studies?? Questionable.), I know I am forever grateful to have met them and to see them on their journey. I won’t forget the fun camping adventures in Utah or the crashing of cars in Seattle (and subsequent crash out). Though they have grown older and wiser, their hearts are still in the right place.
My current IB seniors have a high likelihood of getting into the school. My self-selected sophomores on the field trip might as well, with a certain amount of guidance and support. If I remain at Kennedy, it would be awesome for my current students to eventually show my future students around, turning things full circle again. Maybe Dale students can do so in the future, but I’m not counting on it.
The field trip itself ended up being a bit of a wash. I’m sure the kids enjoyed being away from school, but we were on the bus for about the same amount of time we were on campus (roughly three hours each). The UCLA store gave me a chance to buy a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, continuing my collection. The garden was a bit underwhelming, and overall it was mostly a pleasure just looking at the nice buildings on the campus of the school that once broke my heart and rejected me.
In the end, I’m grateful for my former students and my current students for reminding me that I’m probably where I am today for a reason. Fate works in mysterious ways. Hopefully that thought will keep me motivated in education for the remaining 28 years.
