Shawn the Kid Goes to College

Many of you have the pleasure of knowing Shawn The Kid, a young man who came to me with questions and curiosity about nutrition, institutions, and conspiracies. We first connected on a hot Texas night, sitting at a local cafe sipping peach flavored Kombucha. Shawn was not impressed with mushroom juice at that point and was more concerned with greater issues; he was invested in healthy masculinity and breaking cycles of violence. Shawn is a former student of mine; however, I did not come to know Shawn the way I see him now in an academic setting. This is the beauty of graduation: teachers have potential opportunity to build with children outside of school walls. Before I go on, it’s important to mention that. Shawn is an all-around ideal young person. Although he is relatively shy and introverted, he stands out in both community and academic settings. His grades in high school were astonishing, despite the uncertainty of his life. Even as an underclassman, he has always played varsity level basketball and was the captain of the team. Shawn's level of determination, compassion, and ethics show through his actions and the way he carefully chooses his words. Shawn is well-known amongst his peers as having a deep sense of integrity and wisdom.   Shawn has a community of people that care deeply about him, including his parents, siblings, and a slew of friends. I feel so fortunate Shawn has allowed me into his life in any capacity. I have enjoyed the hundreds of hours spent listening to Shawn's concern for women, the LGBTQ community, today’s youth, and the planet. Shawn has taught me so much about human rights, vulnerability, and kinship. He and I have spent time together cooking plants and eating fruit, reading, working out, indoor gardening (we grew wheatgrass), but the majority of our time together was spent plotting against systems in efforts to get him into college. This year was difficult mostly because I had to learn to love and care for Shawn from a distance, as I relocated from Austin, TX to Chicago, IL. Nevertheless, Shawn stayed focused: studying for the TSI (a preliminary state exam needed post-high school diploma), gathering the various forms of information and paperwork needed, and working to save money for a multitude of college expenses. (He passed the TSI exam too, with shining numbers!) Earlier last week Shawn was accepted into Lamar State College in Port Arthur, TX. That same week he signed his lease for his first apartment and registered as a full-time student with aspirations of joining the basketball team. Shawn will major in Kinesiology. I honestly am incredibly proud of him and look forward to all the ways in which he will change the world. This year, I am choosing to dedicate my birthday to him by raising funds for his college expenses. Those of you that know me personally know how much making a donation would mean to me. Whether we’re acquainted through social media or through another community member, please consider making a contribution to Shawn and his undeniably bright future.