Durfee Middle School Washington D.C. Trip May 2020

I had no expectations when arriving at Durfee Elementary-Middle School in Detroit Michigan for "Red Day", a volunteer event my mother's employer KW Realtors puts on every year.

My role as a volunteer was to pass out raffle tickets to students who could then use those tickets to participate in games, face-painting, temporary tattoos, and raffles. I liked the idea of this for elementary level students but worried that older students may not find any enjoyment in what seemed to me as small prizes and simple games. However, I found that not only were the older students enjoying Red Day, but they appreciated the effort of the volunteers and the small gifts they received more than I could ever imagine. 

Growing up in a community where children as young as eight or nine have already developed egos because of wealth or a feeling of entitlement really made this day put a lot of things in perspective for me. A couple of students I talked to told me that they often don't have a way to get to school, sometimes walking great distances just to even have a chance to keep pursuing their education. These kids just want to learn and better themselves. 

Before I left the school that day, I asked Susan Brooks-Thurston, the teacher of the specific class I helped if there was anyway I could come back in the future or if there were anything I could do to help her and her students. She told me about a project she's working on out of the goodness of her heart. Mrs. Brooks-Thurston is trying to take 30 of her 7th grade students to Washington D.C. in May of 2020. The trip will last 4 days and 3 nights and is organized through WorldStrides Educational Student Travel. The students will advance their social studies knowledge by seeing some of the world's most historic landmarks. My goal of 18,270 U.S. dollars will cover the travel and board of all 30 students. As someone who finds extreme value in seeing beyond your norm and experiences holding direct educational value, I encourage you to help me out by giving any donation, as small or grand as you wish. A trip like this has never happened at Durfee and many-if not all- of the students have never experienced anything like this before. The appreciation these kids show towards their education and simple gestures that some of us receive everyday is unlike anything I've ever seen, so I can't imagine the gratitude they would feel given the chance to visit our nation's capital. If you've read this I thank you and encourage you to think about all that you have, keeping those less fortunate than you in the back of your mind. Thank you.