Needed a Job, Got a Job, Quit a Job, Got a NEW Job

For anyone who has ever started over, this catchy title sounds all too familiar. My father and most of the adults in my family had the same career and job for most of their adult lives. My dad started as an elevator boy and worked his way up at the Sewerage and Water Board Station to become one of the top draftsmen. He literally only had one job other than his service in the military, coaching of little league on the weekends, and his short lived college athletic career to put on his resume. My mother on the other hand was a different story. She worked a myriad of jobs through temp agencies. She was Valedictorian of her graduating high school class and went on to attend Secretary School. She was the best in her class as she was known to have fast hands. She could type faster and more efficient than anyone around. She was an excellent legal secretary and would later become a transcriptionist for multiple pathologists and physicians. At times she had three to four jobs in addition to transcribing medical notes from home on the weekends. My mom was a whiz on any computer. You name it and my mom could operate it, an IBM, Macintosh, Commodore, it didn't matter what you put in front of my mother she had a knack for computers. I look back today and I am amazed how much my mother knew. She was a real genius and way before her time. I wish she was surrounded by more people who saw her worth.

I could have followed in my mother's footsteps and become a secretary if it were not for just one tiny curve ball. My senior year of high school I decided to leave the all girl elite catholic high school. It is considered one of the best high schools in New Orleans. As a matter of fact, I went to high school with Amy Coney Barrett who serves as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. She was two years ahead of me. Our high school did not have a mascot rather we had a motto, Veritas, which means "the Truth" in Latin. High School was a very challenging time in my life as my father was extremely ill. He had been on the heart transplant list for several years enduring endless complications. My parents decided to take the last few good moments they had left together skip town and travel. In hindsight, I don't blame them, it just made for a very interesting and challenging life. I drove myself to high school and when I was sick, in order to leave, the secretary would have to call my parents at home to let them know I was sick and headed home. Only problem was my parents could never be reached. I had no emergency contact and it was endless hassles. Most of the girls I went to school with had money. They had maids and they would not begin to understand the challenges I faced doing everything myself. I didn't even have lunch money let alone food in the house to pack a lunch. "The truth" is every one turned a blind eye to the pain and challenges I was facing. They knew my father was sick, they knew I was alone, and yet no one did anything to help. So, I left. I decided to leave the top college-prep high school in New Orleans and attend one of the most violent, dangerous, gang affiliated high schools near my home, O. Perry Walker High School. I was thrilled to drop my full load of classes and only take a few classes. I was put into a work student program similar to CTE program of today, Career and Technical Education Program. The only difference is when I was in high school in last 80's and early 90's there was only a few real career training paths for women, medical assistance or secretary. Other than that you worked at a fast food restaurant. I transferred in too late to join the medical assistance program and there were no more secretary jobs so I was the first female to ever work at the Freeport-McMoran Research and Development Lab in Belle Chasse. I was working with Engineers from around the world, literally. I met so many people from Indonesia. I started answering the switchboard phones but I was horrible at it so I was moved to the back office and the lab. I would float between working on FBO shipment tracking to working in the lab cleaning the technicians equipment.

I would never realize how this job would change the trajectory of my future. Most of the girls were assigned typing or fast food jobs; I was the lucky one. I worked with mostly men learning technology, terminology, and life skills I would never have learned as a secretary. For a brief moment I thought about going to school for engineering or even architecture. I changed my major multiple times in college and also changed jobs just as regularly. I took gap years during my college education, started a family, buried both my parents, and went back to college. The decision to leave Dominican High School and attend O. Perry Walker also had a profound impact on my life. I went from a safe, strict, guarded, rule driven school which claimed to be all about prayer, truth, community, and service and entered a war zone. My parents didn't even bother taking me to transfer schools. I had to call and do everything myself. I can't even imagine where I got the courage to just keep on going. I look back and wonder how I suppressed all those feelings of loneliness and just did what needed to be done. Giving up was never an option for me. I figured it out, getting all the paperwork required. I even was on a first name basis with my pediatrician, as I had been attending my appointments solo for years. It was a non issue.

I met with the school advisor, alone, and then given my schedule. Along the way I crossed paths with the hall monitor/coach/disciplinarian/security guard. He was friendly with the students but had an intense air about him. I will never forget what he told me and I thank him for giving me excellent advice. I was lucky to have many friends and I was protected while I was at school. I can't say the same for everyone at our school. It was rough. My first day I was informed girls get raped in the bathroom. I was NEVER to use the bathroom when classes were in session, ever! I was very quiet in high school and did my best to avoid any unwanted attention. I got detention my first month at school as I started my period during class. I ran to the bathroom and sure enough I ran into the hall monitor. He didn't care about my little problem, he said I needed to be safe. I got Saturday detention, I had to grab a paint can and paint over the graffiti in the school gym for four hours all because I went to the bathroom. It is hard enough being a teenager but being a teenager when you are not even safe at school is really rough. I began to get used to the crime, the drugs, the crap no one would ever believe at my old school. These sort of things were not supposed to happen in high school. The sad thing is most of the students did not have anything to compare their experiences to so they thought the school felt safe, it was normal to them to be surround by violence. I was one of a few who had experienced structure, order, and learning in a safe environment. Sadly, while Dominican offered security, education, safety, and structure they did exactly what everyone was doing to these students at O. Perry Walker, they avoided looking at the challenges in my life. They simply turned a blind eye to my truth and decided it was easier to pretend not to see. I guess this is how many children in school feel today, unseen, unheard, and at times unwanted.

I look back and can't imagine how I survived public high school in New Orleans. Sure, I remember all the violence, the fights, the stabbings, the shootings, and all the drama but there was so much more to my experience. Yes, we did have a school shooting my senior year and yes there were fights every day. Despite all of this, I had some good times, too. I had to learn to speak up and stand up for myself. I remember going to my first class to find over 30 people in the classroom. It was a mad house! The teacher instructed us to open our books and pointed to someone in the class to read. I was terrified as the students got angry. One guy picked up his desk and threw it at the teacher. It was clear to me the students were out of control and this teacher had one foot out the door. He looked like he checked out years ago. Another student said, "man, you know we can't read". I carefully grabbed my backpack and slowly walked out the classroom and ran to the guidance counselor's office. The whole time hoping and praying I made it there without running into the hall monitor or anyone else! Her response to my reaction was priceless, "oh, you mean you can read"? My schedule was changed to all honors classes. I learned very little is done to invest in the education of poor, urban youth. No one could read in my class except me. I was lucky. I switched to honors classes where there were sometimes only a handful of students in my honors classes. I got to reunite with classmates I had not seen since I was in first grade. These classmates became my family. We ate lunch together, we laughed together, we hung out smoking outside the cafeteria, and we kept each other safe. Now, I didn't smoke but most of my friends did and we were allowed to smoke on campus at lunch!

I wound up graduating top of my class with honors! I got a scholarship to a community college and received several awards. I did it all by myself! I wish there was some way to change our education system. Those who think our education system is fine have never attended the schools I have attended. Most of those is the position of authority in New Orleans send their children to private schools. How are we ever going to change a broken system if you don't know what's wrong with the system. Oh, everyone speculates they know the problem with our education system but only a few have the experience, knowledge, and understanding to really know firsthand. I think it is time for change! Think I am wrong, take a look at this film from 1967 based on a popular book by Bel Kaufman, Going Up the Down Staircase. Trust me, NOTHING HAS CHANGED! Have time, I suggest you watch the movie it is on youtube for free. This was made in 1967 and I tell you things have NOT CHANGEd at all, except for the worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySSIPnY48Ac