Kwon 1

Elaine Kwon
Dr. Rashida Harrison
PS 1010
28 April 2016
Personal Narrative
One of the sites that we visited and volunteered at was Nolan Elementary-Middle School.
There were many different aspects that surprised me when I went to Nolan. First, it was how
kind hearted and considerate the children were, despite the circumstances that they have to face
every day at home. All the students at Nolan are financially unstable and many come from
troubled homes, but as soon as we walked up to the children as they were coming in from recess,
we were greeted with smiles, hugs, and high-fives. They were so eager to have us in their class
and excited for us to be there with them.
Once the students left for music class, one of the teachers Mrs. Fahs took us on a tour
around the school. She told us of how the cafeteria was prison-like and how the students had
nothing but an empty gymnasium to run around in during gym class. There was no money in
their scarce budget for even one basketball, as they were reserved for the actual basketball team.
Mrs. Fahs explained how even their music class consisted of volunteers that come time to time to
play an instrument for the students. They did not have the money to hire a legitimate music
teacher or buy any instruments for the students to use. Everything in the classrooms was
decorated with personal items that the teachers bought with their own money, since the budget
does not allow for anything other than the most basic needs for the school. Everything from the
papers to the crayons to the glue sticks were all paid for out of pocket.

Kwon 2
Seeing how much these students are missing out on shocked me. At my own elementary
school I attended, I never had to attend school just so I could get all my meals or worry how I
would even get there. Many of these students have no way of getting to school due to parents
working two or three jobs, and the few who do have to take public buses or walk for many
blocks. It is astonishing to think about kindergarten students having the take the public bus to
school because the school district cannot afford school buses. I have the utmost respect for the
teachers and administration who work tirelessly to ensure that these students can get the most out
of their limited education and help them reach their potential.
I plan to continue to volunteer at Nolan Elementary-Middle School after completing this
course. With the overcrowding of classrooms, there are only two kindergarten classes with at
least thirty students per teacher. One could see how exhausting it is mentally and physically to
teach and oversee thirty kindergarten students by oneself. When we were there, we helped out
with anything the teachers needed, whether it was just helping distributing supplies or answering
the students questions. Although it is not much, the teachers expressed how much it helped by
just being there to help out with students. Due to so many students and so few teachers, it is
difficult for them to attend to every student. But because we were there, we could help lighten
the load for them.
By working in a group, I was able to learn about and discuss the many differing views
and opinions that my group members had. We were able to collaborate and implement our unique
skills towards the project. With more people, we could focus on many more problems than would
be possible with just one or two. However, being Honors Students with busy schedules, it was
difficult to find time to meet up that fit everyones schedules.

Kwon 3
Not only have I gained intensive knowledge about the state of education in Detroit, I also
learned how to research for credible and reliable sources. By gaining these skills, I will be able to
implement them in future classes. By having this project be done in groups, I gained more
communication and teamwork skills. These skills can be applied to real life, whether in a school
environment or a workplace.
Overall, I enjoyed the project, as it opened my eyes to an entirely different world just a
few blocks away from me. Living on campus, Nolan Elementary-Middle School was a less than
20 minute drive, but the contrast in my standard of living compared to the students was shocking.
Their education is just as important as mine, and by going to the school and being able to interact
and learn about them and their every day school life was extremely humbling.