Two educational worlds. One powerful lesson about the potential in all of us.
Personal Story
I recently attended my 30th high school reunion at Detroit Country Day School in Michigan. Thirty years! How did that happen so quickly?
Beautiful Class of ’96!
We laughed about old pranks, the Beastie Boys, who liked who, favorite (and challenging!) teachers, and lacrosse games. We had become doctors, educators, authors, entrepreneurs, parents, and so much more. We had grown up, taken risks, and built lives of our own.
Country Day gave me incredible academic, athletic, and personal opportunities. I played lacrosse and field hockey all four years—and we were even state champions!
I wanted other young people to have opportunities to discover their own potential. That desire led me to Chicago, where I began teaching in Chicago Public Schools.
The contrast was staggering. I thought I had moved to a different country!
During my first week teaching sixth grade, I asked my students to respond to a journal prompt:
“What will you be doing when you are 20 years old?”
I imagined answers about careers, dreams, and possibilities.
The majority wrote one word:
“Dead.”
I still remember calling my dad that night, struggling to understand how eleven- and twelve-year-old children could imagine such a limited future.
That moment changed me. I became even more determined to help my students see beyond their circumstances. I coached cross country and track, taught summer school, and worked to create opportunities for students to discover their strengths and imagine new possibilities.
As a social studies teacher, I taught U.S., World and Global History, exploring the choices, conflicts, and turning points that shaped our world. I often wondered: If we keep studying history, why do we keep repeating its mistakes?
Perhaps part of the answer lies in our willingness to think critically, question assumptions, and truly listen to perspectives different from our own. In an increasingly divided world, schools can be essential places to practice these skills—to encounter different experiences, explore complex ideas, and learn how to live and work together.
My experiences in private and public education taught me that schools are about more than academics. They are also about opportunity, belonging, and helping young people find their voices. After 22 years in education, I know that dedicated teachers can make a difference, but students also need access, support, and healthy partnerships that help them grow.
Our starting points may differ, but every young person deserves the opportunity to learn, belong, and discover their potential. After all, they are the future!
The Peace Warrior Pause
One question guided my teaching philosophy:
“Who is the most important person?”
The answer was always YOU—the student. Whether you're a tween, teenager, young adult, or adult, you deserve to be seen, heard, and supported.
Growth doesn't stop when we leave school. Sometimes we get stuck in old stories or expectations and forget that we're still capable of change.
Healthy partnerships help us see possibilities we might miss on our own. Coaching creates space to reflect, challenge assumptions, and discover our own answers.
The goal isn't to remain the person you were in seventh grade. It's to keep becoming the person you want to be.
The Peace Warrior Path
Want to explore these ideas further? Here are a few places to start—no homework required!
Read: “Choosing a School for My Daughter in a Segregated City” by Nikole Hannah-Jones. A thought-provoking look at school segregation, educational opportunity, and the choices families face.
Listen: Integrated Schools — “The Intersection of Private Decisions and Public Responsibility”. A deeper conversation about educational choices and our shared responsibility for creating equitable opportunities.
Think About: Are you becoming the person you want to be, or living according to a story you started telling yourself years ago?
Try This: Take ten minutes to ask yourself:
Who am I today?
Who do I want to become?
What's one step I can take?
You don't need a beautifully color-coded five-year plan. Sometimes one honest question is enough to get you moving.
READY TO EXPLORE WHAT'S NEXT?
My reunion reminded me how much we can change over thirty years. My years in education taught me how deeply opportunity, relationships, and the willingness to keep learning shape our lives.
At Peace Warriors Coaching, I partner with people navigating transitions, feeling stuck, or wondering what comes next.
You don't need all the answers. You don't have to figure everything out alone.
You just have to be willing to keep growing.
READY TO TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP?
Welcome to Peace Warriors Coaching.
A little wisdom. A wider context. One step forward.