Personal Advocacy Reflection

I can recall an experience in elementary school in which an advocate-like figure helped me a great deal. She was my childhood next door neighbor and elementary school art teacher. I was home schooled until 5th grade when my mom could no longer afford to buy the curriculum. I was teased and bullied a lot for being a "home schooler" and a "nerd". As the year went on, the bullying got worse. I dressed differently for them and could not afford the designer clothes they wore. My art teacher got fed up with seeing how mean my fellow classmates were to me and she set up a meeting with me, her and the prinicpal. I was so nervous to tattle on these kids but it turned out to be a great thing. My art teacher got permission to set-up an anti-bullying rally and none of my classmates knew I was the driving cause behind it. After a long seminar full of guest speakers, powerful videos, and confession exercises, I could see a chnage in my peers. From that day on the teasing tapered off. Sure, a mean kid here and there would call me a dork but it was nothing like it had been. I was very sad to learn that my advocate art teacher passed away a couple of years ago and I never really got to thank her. Since this experience it has been the desire of my heart to advocate for children and to be the voice they are afraid to use. If I can stop one child from being bullied, it will be enough to make my efforts worth it. I never want another child to feel alone and that they have no one to turn to.