At the beginning of the year I was the quiet girl who would pretend to be sick when she had to talk.  Even in front of a small group of people… Head Start has helped me in more ways than one. I can now talk to people my age instead of just hanging out with the little kids. I can now look people in the eye – something I could never do before because it was way too awkward.  I’ve also learned not to be afraid of my fears and just to push my way through them.  It would be an honour to be in Head Start again next year.

“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.”

“When we speak we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So it is better to speak.”

“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.”

"Those who tell the stories rule society."

With your passion and enthusiasm combined with your commitment, organization and clarity, you were able to bring out the very best in all of the kids. You believed in them and it showed as week by week they gained confidence in themselves and began to take joy in expressing who they were. You valued their thinking and emotions and created a space for them to learn and grow and become more confident in themselves and their abilities.

Coming out of Head Start, I am amazingly more confident. If I could go back, I would’ve done Head Start as soon as I moved to the Coast. Thanks Paula, for completely changing me into a better person. That is a debt I will never be able to repay!