Tales from an Educator: Navigating Diversity and Resilience

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hello everyone, welcome to season two of
Standing Youth Podcast.
I'm your host, yanni.
On this podcast you will hearmyself, family and friends
having open-ended discussions onanything from faith, finances,
relationships and how to staymotivated during life trying
times.
Make sure you follow me on allmy social media.

(00:23):
Link is in the bio.
Sit back and get ready to enjoy.
Hello, hello, hello everyone.
Welcome to another episode ofStanding Youth Podcast with your
host, Yanni, the one and only.
Anyway, how are you guys doing?

(00:44):
Happy it's not happy Christmas,it's definitely Merry Christmas
.
I got there wrong.
You know why I said happy?
Because it's my birthday month.
So happy birthday to me.
But anyway it's the 22nd.
Just in case anybody wants tosend me a gift or send me Uber
Eats or something or coffee,I'll take all the above.
But anyway, how's everyonedoing?

(01:04):
I do realize this time is alittle bit of a rough time for
some.
Holidays are always not themost pleasant for some.
So you guys are definitely inmy thoughts and prayers, but I'm
here again with another guest.
I'm going to let her introduceherself.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Greetings salutations everyone.
My name is Angela Love Jacksonand I am so grateful.
Yanni, Happy early birthday,Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
I'd give you a gift, but I'm waiting on you to earn
this gift.
Oh man, look at this gift tosee what it says.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Oh, you know what?

Speaker 2 (01:43):
Anyways, it's a private joke.
She'll have to explain it toyou.
Her aunt Mara and I, hercousins Mariah and Alicia,
understand what's understooddoes not have to be said that
part, that part for sure, but Ido.
Thank you so much for allowingme to be a part of your podcast,
for various reasons.

(02:03):
One this is part of myrequirements.

Speaker 1 (02:07):
Hey, you know what?
It's always cool to know peoplewho can help you get the job
done Look that's why you do whatyou do.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
You make sure you know somebody that can help you
and that you can help give themmore.
So there you go.

Speaker 1 (02:19):
So before we kind of get started with anything, I
want to tell me a little aboutyou.
So I know you work at Permian,right, yes, ma'am.
So what exactly do you do?
How long have you been ineducation?

Speaker 2 (02:30):
I have worked in Ector County ISD for 29 years 29
years.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
Yes, ma'am, how old am I?
I'll be 33.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yanni For 29 years.
Yes, and then I've actuallybeen at Permian High School for
25 years.
Seriously.
This year marks 25 years.
I always have taught US history.
The first four years I taughteighth grade US history at.
It used to be Hood Junior Highand it's still Hood Junior High
to me, but others call it Wilsonand Young Middle School and

(03:02):
then Permian High School.
I teach 11th grade US history.
I teach dual credit, whichmeans I'm an adjunct with Odessa
College.
I also have taught AP.
I've taught the regular.
I have taught ESL.
I have taught we used to have acourse called Advanced Social
Studies.
It was geared towards yourupper level, high level students

(03:24):
, but it kind of dissolved.
And then one year, one semesterI think for sure it was just
one time they had me teach,alongside all those world
history, one section of it andthey decided and I decided I
don't know who decided more thatwas not for me, but US history

(03:45):
and I tell my students everyyear I learned something new.
Even after all these years Ican't say that I teach one year
exactly the same.
I make some shifts as thingshappen in the world.
I find a way to dig back intohistory to see how they evolve.
My number one goal is for mystudents to see themselves in
history.
So depending on the group ofstudents I have in class that

(04:07):
will determine when I startedseeing I had more Filipino
students in the recent years.
I started looking when didFilipinos first start coming to
America?
To America, and I was surprised.
So those kind of things.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
That's interesting for sure.
I think my 11th grade historyclass I definitely ate in the
back do most of that classHistory.
I think I've been missing thedates so my foundation is shaky.
Or maybe this doesn't exist, sohistory to me is just all of it
.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
But you don't always teach the dates.
I tried to teach time periods.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
He was teaching dates , so I was like bro, I don't
know what year, and then I justlexics, so the numbers get a
little flipped, oh yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
Certainly in certain few dates do I expect them to
remember, but I do teach timeperiods.
Make sure you know what washappening before and how it
evolved into this and how,because of this, it evolved into
this and go from there.
Not at all.
You just need to come back andget in my class.

Speaker 1 (05:04):
No, I don't, but I also do at times.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
I've taught some online classes with OC as well.

Speaker 1 (05:11):
Oh well, I made you do that class.
Yeah, I get some adult learnerstoo, because I'm like no, I
don't Okay.
Well, with that being said,what motivates you?

Speaker 2 (05:21):
Retirement motivates you?
Because after 29 years it'ssadly Yanni.
I find myself at times becausethis is being honest for the
past few years I'm like whatelse can I do?
You got a point there.
And I'm like, well, if I can'tteach, what else do I do?
And then my brother reminded mewe're all in education in my

(05:41):
family let me put that out there.
My parents are both educatorsover 30-something years.
My brother's been a principal,a teacher well, band director,
teacher and administrator, forit's gotta be 20, well, 15 to 20
years for sure and he remindedme that one of the biblical
spiritual gifts is to teach.

(06:04):
That helped for another year Toadd.
Again.
I went to what else am Isupposed to be doing, lord?
Why do you have me here?
He has you there for a reason.
He does, and I'm blessed.
I've been blessed to have someof the finest.
I've been blessed to have evensome of the worst and still work
out a good rapport with them.

(06:24):
I've learned from my studentsevery year.
I have a responsibility to alsolearn.
I tell people I learn just asmuch as I teach.
So well, maybe not, but I learna lot.
I learn from the kids too.

Speaker 1 (06:38):
I feel like that's like me every time I record a
podcast episode.
It's like obviously I don'tknow everything, but it's like
sometimes the simple stuff iswhat my guest reminds me of.
So I understand that for sure.
But if you're not, learning.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
Why are you living?

Speaker 1 (06:53):
Right, and people who think they know everything.
I'm like you really don't,Because then absolutely we know
nothing.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
Right To everyone who is here in this podcast, I
apologize.
We put two of my dogs out andthey're outside and they are
communicating with us on theinside.
See, that's Murphy and thenthere's Lady, but they're also
alerting us of people driving byor a bird flying, or a leaf
just flying, or the fact thatit's probably no one will be

(07:20):
outside, they'll be all right.

Speaker 1 (07:22):
But the next question is with you teaching and being
in it for so long, how do youprotect your mental health, or
do you, maybe I do?

Speaker 2 (07:36):
I will tell you.
First of all, there is nothingwrong with seeking guidance from
certified psychologists,psychiatrists.
I've even utilized them myself.
I was going through a healthsituation where it was required
in order for me.
Well, I don't make it a secret,I had a bariatric surgery the
sleeve, and one of therequirements of my doctor was

(07:59):
that you had to be analyzed by apsychiatrist, and I appreciated
that and I was, like you know,I need this.
As black women, we think we cando it all, and that's part of
this mystique that's out thereand it's a mistake.
But truly, I stand on faith, myfaith in God.

(08:23):
I do believe him to be who heis, and so I do believe him to
be who he says he is.
And as long as I know he's gotmy back, I don't live in fear.
I have my concerns, I have mynervous, I have things that
happen that come in my life,dealing with something right now

(08:43):
, but I don't walk in fearBecause I know he is with me and
his rod is guiding me, hisstaff is guiding me and I do
believe that when I am at thetable, my enemies might be
present, but they get to watchme eat good, and he will be with
me for the rest of my life.
He knows the plans that he hasfor me.

(09:04):
I stand by that, and so hedoesn't let things happen.
Even when the devil, satan,tries to sharpen his darts at me
, I believe there's a shield ofprotection.
So when you ask me, how have Idone it so long?
That?
But I have to be real, not justspiritually, but I have good

(09:28):
friends.
You have to have a goodrelationship with colleagues,
but some people are just yourassociates and colleagues.
But then you just need a fewgood friends that you can banter
, some that know exactly whatyou're going through, because
they're in it too.
I'm great to have some friendsthat are in education and then
some folks who don't haveanything to do with education.

(09:49):
That way we're not alwaystalking about education.
So those three things, and thenthe last one, of course, is my
family, and they're not in anyparticular order.
God is always first, butfriends, family and a
self-awareness of who and what Iam.
I'm 52 years old and I've livedenough life half a century.

(10:13):
I ought to know something and Iought to be able to handle some
things.

Speaker 1 (10:19):
So with that, what advice would you give your
younger self?

Speaker 2 (10:22):
Don't do it.
Oh no, no, rock Johnny.
It's sad because now here I amon my soap box.
You will go on social media.
I was looking at so many offriends of mine that are
teachers and we started off 25to 30 years ago and all of us
would tell ourselves don't do itIf we knew what we were gonna

(10:46):
be dealing with right now,because education is just not
the same.
We are required to test so muchwith state mandated, at
district mandate, and Iunderstand the point of it.
But my soap box is if you'redoing six weeks of testing, what
am I teaching?
Years ago and since I got theplatform, I'm a go there Years

(11:09):
ago we had convocation.
I still remember this vividly.
It had to been the first orsecond convocation ECIC really
did.
And this man in the middle ofhis speech got almost a standing
ovation.
He said either he's got familyor immediate family or some

(11:31):
relatives that are farmers.
That part doesn't matter, otherthan he knew farming.
And he says you don't plant aseed and then take it out every
three to six weeks to see howit's growing.
You plant that seed.
now you see why we stood andclapped.
You plant that seed, younurture that seed with the water

(11:53):
.
You feed you're fertilize it,but then you just let God do
what he does.
If I am doing my part as ateacher with a student nurturing
them, feeding them, wateringthem, supplying them the
necessary nutrients then monthslater I don't even have to dig

(12:14):
to see how it's growing.
It will break through theground and it will flourish
itself.
So that's how I believe weshould do and we don't.
So my younger self would havesaid Angela, you should have
gone and got that law degree.
You wanted to be a lawyer.
I really did.
I wanted to be a lawyer till Iwas probably ooh, in high school

(12:37):
, maybe my early college,because my parents were being
educated said go on and get yourcertification.
It's always a good backup.
That's what they used to tellus.
It's always a good backupbecause they always need a
teacher and somewhere in thereit twisted and changed to where
I was like instead of because Ialways know I want to be a
defense lawyer.
Why wait till they need adefense attorney?

(12:59):
Get them before they needsomebody to defend them and you
can help mold and change theirpath and I really believe that
and that's why I became aneducator and people think I'm
playful when I say it but I'llsell the vacation days and that
seems so humorous.
But I looked at my friends whoparents weren't in education.

(13:22):
They only got two weeks of abreak.
And so I had friends who werelatchkey kids or they couldn't
go anywhere during the summerbecause their folks were working
the whole time, well, both myparents being in education.
Although my father taught evensummer school, even at OC, but
also through East SST, he wasdone by July.

(13:42):
So we still had some summer, westill had Christmas breaks.
We knew we could be two weeksoff and it was real clear come
Thanksgiving when my familywould come from Dallas and walk
to Hatchey.
They came late Wednesday night,really early Thursday morning
for Thanksgiving and they leftafter the Cowboys game because
somebody had to go to work onFriday.

(14:03):
Yeah, yeah, and so I don't.
I say it but I'm sincere when Isay it I knew I was gonna have
a family and I wanted to be ableto have family time and not
have to work throughout the year, 350 days of the year.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yeah, I just realized how nice that schedule is
because of Erin and we hadThanksgiving recently and it was
off the whole week, which myschedule wasn't terrible.
I got off Wednesday at noon anddidn't have to go back to work
til Monday.

Speaker 2 (14:34):
And that's the way it used to be when I was a kid,
even from my parents, but then,through time, we get a whole
week off, which makes it evenbetter.
Yeah, so I'm just like.

Speaker 1 (14:43):
So I'm sitting here and then, like Christmas, and
he's telling, and I'm like, andman, I'm thinking I could really
go to somebody's school and belike a attendance clerk or
something.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
Look, we're needing some right now.
We're needing an attendanceclerk, two social studies
teacher and an assistantprincipal.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
I'm not trying to be nosy.
I cannot teach our studies Likethe kids ain't gonna learn
nothing.

Speaker 2 (15:01):
Well, you could be the.
I could be the clerk, for sure,you could be the attendance
clerk.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
For sure, you need a job.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
So, yeah, that's what I would tell my younger self,
though, and the pay hadn'tgotten much better.
You don't become an educator.
You don't become an educatorfor the pay.
Only folks who are making moneyin education are those who are
making the test, in my opinion,and those who write books that
other people are willing to buy.

Speaker 1 (15:22):
Yeah, that's one thing I've always just it
baffles me is how we pay them toall the athletes and all this.
They get those millions ofdollars, but you have those
athletes after startingsomeone's classroom, most times,
anyway.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
Even a coach who taught them some stuff.
Yeah, but it's like, why are wenot?
But that's a whole another giveme for one more podcast.

Speaker 1 (15:45):
I'm like that's a whole something else.
All right, so what is onemoment that shaped your life?
Gosh, that's been quite a few,or you can give me a top three.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
Top three, the hardest one, and I was telling
some friends because of asituation I'm going with there,
like are you doing okay?
I said you know I go back andlook at the hardest I ever had
in my life.
That was August 4th 1998.
The morning of 423 AM, Ibelieve, is when my father

(16:21):
passed.
I made it through that day so Iknow I can make it through any
day.
So that shapes me because I wassuch a daddy's girl that I had
to depend on the true father,but it taught me I had to

(16:43):
persevere through some things.
I still miss him.
Ooh, I could talk to GeorgeLove right now.
I would.
How many siblings do you have?
Just me and my brother?
Oh, so just two, just two of us.
I've got a younger, biggerbrother.
George is much taller than mebut we're six and a half years
apart and we got closer thoughwhen daddy passed we had started

(17:05):
getting there the older he got.
I was always great, but mybrother took time for him to get
there.

Speaker 1 (17:11):
So Just me sugar man.
Hey, yana, I love what she said.

Speaker 2 (17:14):
Okay, anyways.
Yeah, that's the first thing.
What was the question?
Again?
Cause you know, I bantered.

Speaker 1 (17:21):
What is one moment that shaped you?
So you said the first one wasyour father passing away.

Speaker 2 (17:26):
The second one was the birth of my son, which
actually happened before that,because I became a mother, I
became a better teacher.
The day I became a mother, Ithink as Christian progressed
through school it changed myunderstanding, my compassion for
students.
I don't mean any hurt, harm ordanger to anybody, but you can

(17:50):
nine times out of 10, tell thoseteachers they have no children
Because their patience, theircompassion they don't understand
.
Even, for instance, someteachers will do what we call a
grade dump.
All of a sudden they put in 10grades, five grades, the

(18:13):
difference it can change in akid's average.
That moment, when you decide toload all these grades in, I
understood it more so when myson was a student, had an 80
something average and a teacherdumped in about eight grades and
it dropped his average big time, I said, oh no, sir, we won't.
So having him, maybe that way,having my day, I guess I say

(18:41):
becoming a parent, because evenhaving my daughter it made it
different, because I was olderand it's a female.
She is a female, not yet soeven having to teach her, I
would say being married when Iturned 40.
The year I turned 40, we couldjust sum that all up in the one.
I got married that March.

(19:02):
I had Jazea that November,three days before I turned 41.
That whole year was somethingelse, because Jazea was a twin.
I was pregnant with twins, lostone of the twins while I was
pregnant, so I was carrying lifeand death at the same time, and

(19:22):
so I had to mourn and celebrateat the same time.
So those but that year again.
Death teaches you so much.
But if nothing else, deathteaches you about life.
You mentioned earlier that thisis a tough time of the year for
a lot of people.
What it has taught me?

(19:43):
I miss my loved ones, but ithas taught me to appreciate
living, not keep my focus ondeath and dying, but remember
remembering the life they livedand, even more so, push for me
to continue to live, but notjust live, but live.

Speaker 1 (20:05):
Yes, lord, that is definitely good.
What is your mindset whenyou're told no?

Speaker 2 (20:15):
The first question you wanna ask is why?
But sometimes your response isokay.
52 years has taught me that Godwill give you a yes, a no or a
wait.
So I've learned to accept a nowhen, especially because I
believe in God's design.

(20:35):
I'm not trying to be sospiritual here.

Speaker 1 (20:39):
My trust me.

Speaker 2 (20:40):
I can still throw a good tantrum when I'm told no,
but I understand that the nocomes for a reason because he
knows what is best for me.
He knows what is to come andthere's a reason for that no.

Speaker 1 (20:55):
I've definitely had to realize that, and I think I'm
still in that process.

Speaker 2 (20:58):
Well understand that that no is a no, sometimes
because something greater iscoming, and if you were given a
yes then you might miss what thegreater was.
So the no is important, andthen if you didn't ever receive
a no, yeah, it's very important.
If you didn't receive a no,then you couldn't always
appreciate the yes.

(21:18):
That's true too.
Imagine being let down for fivejobs.
It's hard to go apply for thatsix job, but when that six job
says yes, you appreciate thateven more.
So If you were given, and it'sprobably a better job than the

(21:39):
first five.

Speaker 1 (21:41):
None times out of 10, it's always, always worse.
It's always worse, especiallyif you're relying on him,
Exactly exactly.
I agree, I've had to kind ofrealize that, but it's something
beautiful in realizing that aswell.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
Yeah, the no's are not always bad.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
No, they've actually been quite lovely for me.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
This just pops in my head, except the no, because he
knows, and he knows what's best.

Speaker 1 (22:06):
Okay, come on and preach there.

Speaker 2 (22:08):
Yeah, let the church save me.

Speaker 1 (22:10):
All right.
Well, on top of you teachingand being a mother and being a
wife and being a friend andbeing a line sisters at the
correct terminology, well, I'm aSoror for Alpha Kappa, alpha
Sorority Incorporated.
Okay well.

Speaker 2 (22:27):
So I have Soros and so yes, and I know my line.
Sisters are some of my greatestfriends.

Speaker 1 (22:32):
And I know that you guys are involved in the
community and I know you'reinvolved in your church.
On top of all of that, I haverealized and found out that you
also are in the process ofgetting your is it?
Doctorate.
Am I saying that correctly,correct?

Speaker 2 (22:45):
my doctorate.

Speaker 1 (22:46):
What inspired?
That?

Speaker 2 (22:49):
When I was in high school.
My maiden name, of course, isLove, and somebody gave me the
nickname the Love Doctor orDoctor Love, and I was the
uniform captain in the band andso I was one of the first ones
to leave the band as they weregetting ready for the football

(23:11):
team to come back at halftime.
I was getting ready so I couldcollect plumes and the student
section would be yelling Love,doctor, doctor, love, doctor,
love, and it even made it in theyearbook, really, yeah.
And so part of it was becausethey felt they called me Doctor
Love was because I could givegood advice.
So their mindset that wasanother thing.

(23:32):
I thought about being was apsychologist, but their mindset
was that I always had goodadvice.
Go see the doctor, go askDoctor Love, and so I liked it.
I liked the way it sounded.
I'm a whole lot.
I liked the way Doctor Lovesounded.
I knew the love doctor, and soit does have a key reason,
doesn't it sound?
good it does.

(23:53):
So I started with the mindsetmy parents grew up from humble
beginnings but they got master'sdegree Right after getting
their bachelor's.
They were working and teachingbut they were going back during
summers, and all that working ontheir master's degree.
So it's no surprise that mybrother and I both got a
master's degree.
I think he started before I didand I wasn't gonna let him

(24:15):
outdo me.
That is what happened, and sohe got his.
But I got mine right after him,like by a semester, and then I
was like you know what, let's goget this doctorate.
He says you got it.
Even to this day, he says yougot it.
I'm here to support you, but Ilet some time go.
After I got my master's degree Iknew I needed to continue.

(24:37):
So there was about 10 years inbetween my bachelor's and my
master's and then I startedmoving and that timing is a
little off on that, but Istarted getting my master's
degree and then my doctorate.
I started then I can't eventell you the exact date, but I
was doing it through Texas Tech,where I got my bachelor's and I

(25:00):
got all and it was incurriculum and instruction Got
all the way to all thedissertation, abd, and that's
where they let you be on yourown.
And I am the worstprocrastinator and I couldn't
even marry a topic and they'lltell you anybody who's getting a
doctorate.
It's been through this newprogram I'm in and I'm not

(25:21):
wording it correctly, but yourdissertation is just a snippet
of your educational knowledgeand what you will do.
I tended to make it my lifework.
That's what it was.
It was almost becoming.
I was trying to make it mylife's work.
I've even been challenged withit.
This time.
It's not my life's work, it'sjust a little segment of my life

(25:45):
.
And so, going through that, Ihad started giving myself my own
sabbaticals and taking breaks.
Then I just got tired of it.
I got married, had my daughterJosiah and then I was like, ooh,
keep living.
Then I got sick and while I wasin my bed I was like, well, I

(26:07):
can't seem to get back to work,I can't seem anything else.
And I've never forgotten it.
My number one regret in lifewas that I hadn't received my
doctorate.
Out of everything I've donemistakes, I've made my number
one regret.
I believe God has kept me onthis earth so I can continue and
at least get this doctorate.

(26:27):
So that was my number oneregret.
And while I was, as I call it,my bed of affliction, I started
calling.
I contacted Texas Tech and theyhad told me that after all
those years I had set out solong that I was pretty much
gonna have to start over.
They might have accepted sixyears.
I was like I don't shoot now.
That's a lot of money and a lotof more time.

(26:49):
I even contacted oh shootonline people Everybody knows
them, phoenix online and I waslike they were gonna accept
maybe nine hours, that's a lot,but that's not enough for much
work, as I put in.
So I pretty much give it up.
And wouldn't you know it, whileI'm laying in my bed of

(27:11):
affliction, seriously in amedical bed it's family sleep.
So I'm just going through timethrough my phones, through the
timeline of Facebook, I out popsthis ad for Alverno College and
it says have you gotten all thedissertation?
Do you wanna continue andfinish it up?

(27:31):
Will accept you, regardless ofhow long you've set out.
I kid you not.
I was like this cannot be real.

Speaker 1 (27:39):
Facebook is listening to me.
Okay, really, the.

Speaker 2 (27:41):
Facebook.
Gods, I was telling myprofessor and advisor, some
others that the other night itwas hard to believe.
And so I looked and it's inMilwaukee, wisconsin.
I ain't never heard ofMilwaukee but I've heard of it.
Don't know where it was and Iteach you as history.
So all I knew was somewhere upnorth from me, midwest, and it
wasn't somewhere I had everplanned or anticipated on

(28:04):
visiting.
And, might I add, this was inthe midst of COVID.
So it worked out for me inseveral different ways.
So Alverno had started this newdoctoral program in education.
It wasn't brand new, but it wasfairly new.
They'd already had a cohort ortwo to go through and so they
were finessing things and Ichecked them out and the first

(28:26):
lady I dealt with her name isRenata.
Oh my gosh, would I tell youshe's gotta be a saint, an angel
, the way she welcomed me in andhelped me with my experiencing,
even in just applying, helpingme say no, go get this
transcript.
I had to go all the way back tomy junior college OC transcript

(28:48):
to get it all of that.
But she waited and helped meand guided me and said write
your letter.
She is.
And here's how good Alverno was.
So I tell them I'm theambassador for Alverno in West
Texas, in Texas.
Anybody who knows me as afriend has heard of Alverno
College and we had never heardof them before.

(29:09):
But Renata started it off andthen I got to meet who was gonna
be the Dean of Students thatDecember because this started in
October and my classes weregonna start at the end of that
January and I was about 47, 48years old 2020 is when this all
started and I said, okay, hewanted to meet with us.

(29:32):
He had a time.
I said, oh, the sales.
Okay, this is real promising.
No problem, oh, it might I add.
All I had to pay was $100 andsomething, just to get started.
Do you hear me?
So I was like, okay, if I lose$100 and something, oh well, I
didn't lose thousands of dollars, but it was starting to get

(29:53):
better.
The week classes were supposedto start, I heard back from
Renata.
I just wanna check on you.
You know your classes arestarting.
Are you ready?
Are you excited?

Speaker 1 (30:04):
I mean, I'm like.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
Who does that in college?
Not in any schools, andespecially grad doctoral program
, when the college that I spentall my money in.
I was in Lubbock last night andI drove by a tech and I love
tech to tech, oh, I'm a proudrate of girl I said look at that
educational building I helpedbuild.

(30:26):
That's not funny, but Y'all aregonna make me go start all over
and this program is doing thisfor me.
And then when I looked up andlooked at my advice, my
professors, and looked at, ohshe looks just like me.
Oh, that's sweet.
In all my years of college, myjunior college, my bachelor's
and my master's degree, I hadnot one time had a black

(30:49):
instructor.
I had only had one or twoHispanic.
Everyone else was white,anglo-saxon.
I had a Russian, I had an Asian.
He was from Japan and he was avisiting professor during my
bachelor's.
But for the first time I wasgonna have a black professor.
That was the first course.

(31:10):
The second course I had anotherone, the third one I had, I say
, hot dog.
But it wasn't just that.
The people they put me with inmy cohort became fast friends
and that's why I will forever.
If, when I get this degree, ifAlverno were to say, angelou,
you want to come be ourambassador for real, I would
accept that job.

(31:31):
They wouldn't, they could.
I want him to pay me becauseI'd be Dr Love Jackson.
But I really I would be soproud because of the way this
program has been, not only while.
Part of the problem was beforeand things might have changed in
this many years.
So let me be clear on that nosnub to Texas Tech.
But while you're working onyour coursework and they have

(31:56):
two different paths, the ABD andthis one and now I'm doing it
in ad leadership, not curriculumand instruction, okay, but
while I'm doing coursework, I'malso doing dissertation work,
meeting with my advisor everyweek or every other week, it
depends on the.
You know how you and youradvisor do it.

(32:17):
She's been my number one editorand shout out to Dr Seth
Westfall.
So that has been what my lovefor this program is being.
She's helping me in my writingand the historian teaching me is
where my challenges come.
Throughout this whole program,in fact, they helped me because,

(32:38):
in fact, next week, on the 16th, is when I should have been
graduating.
I'm not.
I fell behind in doing some ofmy writing, but they won't let
me feel bad about it.
They're like okay, you can beon your own timeline, you don't
have to.
And I think it was my advisorthat reminded me she's as angel.

(33:02):
I believe.
You're a believer, you're aChristian, and in their
scripture that says the race isnot given to the swift but to
the strong.
I'm like, oh, she says so, youjust got to straighten up.
I was like, okay, yes, now shewasn't trying to preach to me,
she was reminding me of my ownconvictions and, if it wasn't

(33:25):
said, it was one of my advice,it was one of.
I consider all my professors,my advisors.
To be honest, they have such agood relationship with each
other and rapport and the thingthat also throws you off,
because I can't say I would bethat person they want us to call
him by their first name.
Oh wow, isn't that odd?
She's like just call me Sam,just call me Desiree, just call

(33:46):
me Melissa.

Speaker 1 (33:46):
We can't call you Angela, we have to call you Dr.
Momma Girl, let me be serious.

Speaker 2 (33:50):
my children are going to have to call me Dr Momma.
But here's the reason.
You can't call you Dr Angela.
You can't, but you got to putDocs.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
You see how long.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
I've been working at this since 1988.
It's been in my plan since Iwas in high school.
I graduated in 1990.
Oh yeah, exactly when you wereborn.
Thank you, yachty, for bringingthat to my head again.
But part of it is because theysaid because you're almost there
, yeah, so you're almost at ourlevel, so why not refer to you

(34:21):
that way?
It's just the way they in thatneed.
The way they they approach itis to treat me not quite as an
equal, but to treat me with suchrespect as a student to know
that, hey, just in a coupleyears that could be, we'll be
calling you doctor too.
Yeah, and so even when I was inone of my classes, we this

(34:45):
particular class, I mean now wewere doing a panel discussion
and the professor who was myfirst professor she's now the
professor of the last course Ihave and she referred to those
who had already gotten approvedby their panels and all that,
for their dissertation.
They're ready to walk the stage, everybody's doctor now.
But she even said to me shesaid, in the future doctor, love

(35:08):
Jackson.
I appreciate it there so muchbecause she is speaking a life
and a reminder that girl, you'regonna get it.
You might not get it right now,but you will get it for sure.
So that's where we are, and Iyou know I can ramble on and on
and on about Alverno trust me,and I will be making it to
Milwaukee, wisconsin.

(35:28):
I will be marching that stageand they all promise that they
will be there for me and with me.

Speaker 1 (35:34):
I have a quick question about the school.
So they just for those who aregetting their doctorate, they
help with bachelor's, master's.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
Oh, I'm so glad you asked me that, yanni.
Here's the other thing withthis program they've even during
other classes they bringdifferent people, it might I add
, since I've been there.
Last year the new presidenthappens to look just like me and
you.
Oh really.
She was the president of theGirl Scouts in Wisconsin and so

(36:03):
she's shown her leadershipskills and now she is the
president of Alverno College.
Alverno was founded, like in1970, 1980.
It is under normally a Catholicbelief system starting off, so
it is a private college.
Those in Milwaukee know itquite well, some in Wisconsin
know it quite well, and so thereare people in my cohort and in

(36:25):
other classes I've been in thathad gotten their bachelor's and
master's through Alverno.
The other thing about them ifyou have set out this you won't
hear in any other college oruniversity that I've ever known,
and I've been studying quite afew of them because that's one
of my assignments with mystudents.
Wherever you are in life, haveyou ever heard such a thing?
They will let some of your lifeexperiences work as part of

(36:49):
your belief.
I'm serious, shani.
I told Christian.
I said sweetheart, look, you'vesat out for a minute with this
associate's degree and you'reready to get your bachelor's.
They will consider some of yourmusic.
You've been playing at churches, playing here.
You've been learning on yourown.
They will consider some of that.
They will consider some of yourlife experiences.

(37:11):
How much it depends on whatyou've been doing.
You dialogue with them and youjust gotta write up what you've
been doing like a, like a resumepretty much, and they are
willing to accept something andI don't care if all they take is
just one course worth Moneywise, that's saving you a few
thousand dollars, but there havebeen some that have received

(37:33):
quite a few hours out of it.
The other thing about themthat's unique is this one
through me, the teacher and me,their grading policy.
First of all, it's not A's, b's, c's and D's First, god Okay,
it's a four, three, two or onescale and from my experience I I
don't want to tell you wrongwhether it's bachelor's or

(37:54):
masters will do this as well.
But for sure the doctoralprogram, if you don't make that
four or three, the professortalks to you, works with you to
get that two or that one thatyou had to bring it up to a
three or four so that you canmake the grade.
It's not that you got a zerodash F and we're moving on.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
Yeah, I think that's been my experience because I've
been into, I've been a part of alot of online schools.
Uh-huh, that's just part of mytestimony.
Yeah, and a lot of them are towhere you pass or you fail, no
matter what.
It's very I probably maybe two,if even not the professor.
They even care.

Speaker 2 (38:36):
And a total opposite experience, then that is.
That's why I will give you theinformation for Albert.

Speaker 1 (38:41):
I don't even know.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
I sent you.
I'm serious, I'm the number oneambassador because they work
with you, they care that muchabout you.
There have been times where I'mlike y'all, I tell my advisor,
I tell a professor, I've got alot going on.
This week I got this programI'm working on or it's grading
time with me.
Now there's semester scheduleis different because it is a

(39:04):
fast pace and that's with alltheir programs.
It's a fast track and I'm inthe black.
Okay, can you believe that theysay, okay, here's what you're
doing, here's what we're doing,and because they want to see you
succeed, that's when you saythat other places don't care.
I have felt that you could tellit was professors who are just

(39:26):
trying to get tenure, or I'mretired and I'm just finishing
out my years, and then, hey, I'mjust working to where I might
become a dean.
I can't tell you any time.
I've had an experience with anyprofessor at this campus and
I've had at least what?
10, I don't count.
Let me see one, two, three,four, five, almost ten, if not

(39:48):
ten or more.
Not one of them did I feel likethey didn't care.
Not one of them did I not feelthat I had their voice and I
know the online system, this one.
It's online but it's also asynchronous.
It's gonna be some synchronousand some asynchronous.
You won't hardly ever catch acourse that you wouldn't have at

(40:09):
least met with your professoronce or twice visually.
Even this course where it'sdesigned for us to choose
different things that we want todo to help us in our life
outside.
After this dissertation, afterthis doctor, after I graduate,
look here's how you to do a VT,a resume for a college.

(40:31):
Here's how you do a podcast.
Here's how you do a web page.
Here's what you do if you wantto do a reading, or if you want
to have a panel, or if you wantto moderate, or if it's got so
many varieties and we got topick and even then she said
modify it for you, just let meknow, give my approval.
That's how they do.

(40:51):
Now, not every course is gonnabe that way.
Please don't be misled, butthey listen to you.
There have been times when I wasworking on my bachelor's, on my
master's, and you know therewas especially your bachelor's.
There were two times you weregonna see every student, the
first class and the last class.
When you take your exams andthey have the guy to come in to

(41:11):
do the survey, the valuation.
Everybody showed up onevaluation day, even some who
might not come during final exam.
Yeah, there has not been onetime that I missed an evaluation
because I wanted to give them apiece in my mind.
Some were good, some were great, some were not so good, but

(41:32):
every time I have a chance togive feedback at Alverno, I do.
And here's the thing I know theylisten.
They've already talked aboutthings that they changed based
off what the students have said.
Okay, because, again, thisprogram is still new when you
consider what some universitieshave been out there for hundreds

(41:55):
of years, and so they.
They listen to us, they get ourthoughts, they get our opinions
and so, with that, not only arethey developing, looking at
their strengths and even nowanalyzing their weaknesses,
they've taught us, as students,how to analyze our strengths,
how to assess ourselves and bemindful.

(42:18):
Again, this is a leadership,educational leadership program,
which is something you need todo in leadership.
Oh, if some of my people I knowand work with could go through
some of the courses that I'veseen and looked at some stuff
that I have learned, it wouldhelp our educational system so
much more, because it's onething to be in a class taking

(42:41):
these classes, but then what areyou gonna do with it?
And they have done that with us.
They've sat down and said okay,you got a plan out I remember
it was last spring or thissummer course.
What are you going?
You've got to create apresentation and how you're
gonna do it.
And in that class I was withcolleagues, peers, who were

(43:03):
saying well, you know what,because of this I got to do this
presentation and we're actuallydoing it.
And here's the the benefit toit.
At the same time this one manwas presenting it.
He's in the opera inSwitzerland or Germany, oh wow.
But he lives in New Mexico, butduring certain season he goes
and does that.
So that's the benefit of thisprogram.

(43:25):
While I was in Washington DC, Iwas still in class.
I've been in San Antonio, buteven they work with you so much
that my advisor, she works afterscheduled.
Now they are, they have aschedule too, and so they'll
give you these options of whenyou can meet.
But my advisor was mydissertation advisor.
We meet during my my oh, whatdo we call it?

(43:48):
Shoot, my planning period.
Okay, it's for school At school, while I'm working, during my
conference period we meet at aspecific time and if I tell her,
hey, I got a meeting, parentmeeting or I have to do a
meeting with school, I can'tmake it.
Okay, angela, when can you bestmeet that kind of stuff?

(44:08):
And that's what I have found inthis program.
Again, I told you I could singtheir praises all the time, and
it's not just because I need agood grade, because they have no
problem looking past the bull,it's okay.
Now we need you to do this.
It sounds good, but put it hereand is that realistic?
And the other thing that I gotfrom this program because I'm in

(44:31):
West Texas, I've taught herefor so many years, my family's
here, I got exposed.
That's the benefit.
You know I'm out of state withthis program and it's got people
from all over the country.
In my close cohort friends I'vegot two that live in Milwaukee

(44:52):
and one of them works with menwho are coming out of prison.
Oh wow, and their education ofhow to get back in to society.
Yeah, but it's education.
Another one she is in.
She's from Mexico, ended up inMilwaukee, graduated I think.
She got her degree in Alverto,but she works in nursing and she

(45:18):
is teaching students in nursing, oh, wow, so, but an advising,
more so in an advisor toadvisory program.
Another one, he's in to her inCalifornia, and I'm just
thinking of the ones who are inthis group text right now, my
dear friends.
Okay, one of them.
One of them who's in Milwaukeealso, she works in the equity or

(45:41):
ethnic diversity program in adifferent college or a different
part, but not in Alverto, andtwo of them work in California,
hundreds of miles away.
One is more upper northCalifornia and she's working in
like a school where people comefrom all students come from all
over the world, mm-hmm, like aboarding school.

(46:02):
She and her husband, both theteachers there, and she helps
them in arts.
Then a little bit of everythingin the same cohort as a young
man who's in his 20s still.
He's the youngest of the groupand in our group he's the only
guy, but he works withalternative middle school
program, where I mean, he's gotthis neck tattoo right on his

(46:24):
throat and he's teaching middleschool kids and doing stuff with
their hands and woodworking ormetalworking and stuff.
I don't know exactly what Owendoes.
When it did you hear all that?
I'm the only conventionaleducator.
That is why.
But we're all in the same group, yeah, and in that group I got
somebody who's from Mexico, twoAfrican Americans plus me,

(46:46):
that's three African Americansto two Anglos, and then there's
one more.
She's the super superintendentat a Native American reservation
really a school there upper,and it's not in Milwaukee where
she's.
She was constant Idaho one ofthose up there, I think, idaho,

(47:09):
but she works on a reservationas the superintendent of schools
.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
Again, all of us from different walks of life yeah,
and being able to be in thatcohort and we come together.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
So I have learned so much from them and from this
program.
Different things I do in myclass.
I've learned how to do flipgrids.
I'd never heard of flip gridsbefore but I turned started
using it with my studentsbecause, especially my dual
credit kids, because I want themto be able to leave my class
wherever they go off to school,not let, the first time you hear

(47:41):
about a flip grid, be away fromhome, away from friends and
everything else.
No, you do a flip grid here,where your amongst people you've
known since you were in pre-k.
Yeah, I've learned how to do apadlet.
I never knew what a padlet was.
I still have my mom said I likeit and I don't.
It's like a one-page brochureand I've done it a few times.

(48:02):
I learned how to create a webpage.
I learned better research andso, going all the way back to
where I started off, talkingabout my dissertation, the
historian in me I got my mastersin history, mm-hmm.
So, as you can tell, I talk alot, so I so write a lot, mm-hmm
.
They are helping me and I hadto get out of it and there was

(48:24):
problems.
I even had when I was in it atTech with my educational degree
there, because I want to giveyou all these adjectives and
tell you a whole story.
I ain't got time for all that.
I got to get to the point andI'm learning, so one of the
first things that was hard forme to do was what they called
the elevator speech, and so Ihadn't even talked about what my
topic is.
Yeah, I was back in my nextquestion so my dissertation

(48:48):
topic is the education ofat-risk African-American
students in rural West Texas I'mcoming back to where I am.
I'm looking at the fact that wehave a four to five percent
depending on if we're in a boomthen up to seven percent
African-American population andso many times black kids are
designated as at-risk.

(49:09):
At risk can be defined as yoursocio-economics whether you have
a parent who's been locked up,whether you are special ed or
special needs as we call themnowadays.
But I could even consider atrisk because of where you live,
your single parent household.
So much of that if you've everfailed a state mandated test so

(49:33):
many times.
You look up, that'sAfrican-American students.
How are we teaching them?
Are we preparing anybody toteach them that particular group
?
Are we?
What are we doing to teach ourteachers how to teach them?
What are we doing with thestudents?
Because they're so apathetic atthat group, but not only that.
Their parents tend to beapathetic.
Not everybody's gonna get aplace on the NFL or to start get

(50:00):
a D1 scholarship.
Say that one more time noteveryone who, even as a starter
on the basketball team, is gonnaget a D1 and your team might
have made it to the stateplayoffs, the state tournament.
It does not mean you are gonnaget a D1 scholarship, and even

(50:21):
if then it doesn't mean you'regoing to play for the NBA yet
might not even make it toAustralia.
And I've taught those boys andI'm proud of those McCalla boys.
I will call them out.
They've played with the HarlemGlobetrotters.
Oh, wow, yes, but I Know howhard they worked.

(50:41):
One of them was walking aroundschool with a basketball all the
time.
He went from class to classwith a basketball, yes, but even
then they only made it to Juco.
I Say that because my nephew,who was the salutatorian of his
class, estacado in Lubbock andthey went to state playoffs

(51:02):
every year.
He's six foot seven Only got afull ride to a Juco.
Wow and hit and Texas Tech washis back door.
His dual credit was Texas Tech.
Yeah but he had to go the Jucoway.
So what are we doing for thosekids right?

(51:25):
How are we teaching them topass a test?
And do they really need to bespecial ed?
What do we need to do with them?
So those are some things thatI've learned in the leadership
program and Talking to my peers,finding out what are you doing
in?
What are y'all doing inMilwaukee?
Well, what are y'all doing inAlabama?
What are y'all doing in Houston?

(51:47):
Because that's urban and I'mrural, that's so those urban.
So you're looking at more kidsin African-American.
What are the programs you have?
And in my research I found thatoh, what state is it correct
right now?
This is my biggest fear when Iget before my panel that I'm not
gonna be able to remit.
Remember these specifics.
But it was pushed by theCommission of Education that all

(52:09):
black students be considered atrisk For the simple fact
they're black.
Wow, and his argument wasBecause of where they are.
Oh, it was Detroit, duh, lookat where Detroit is and what's
going on there, they put.
He had a very Pignant point.
See whether that might havebeen exactly, but then it

(52:31):
started making me really think.
In West Texas, our kids don'thave to deal with atrocities, so
much of.
But I still have to sit downwith my son and talk to him
about when a police officer,yeah, pulls you over and, son,
one day a police officer will,do you know what to do?
Do you understand to intend?

(52:52):
Always drive with your walletRight there in the seat and your
ID on top and when the officercomes, first of all drive to a
lighted area with other people,yeah, or drive directly to the
police station and, on the wayof your driving, call first of
all 911 and tell them I'm beingfollowed by this, by this car.

(53:14):
I'm on the street, I'm not, I'mnot avoiding, I'm just coming
to you all for my safety, allright.
And then the next call you makeus to your mother, I Still have
that phone.
I still have that conversationwith my son at ease 27, 26, 27,.
You know.
But he doesn't have to worryabout it on a day-to-day right.

(53:35):
He doesn't have to worry aboutthat on a regular.
But he's happened.
It's happened a couple timesand he knew what to do.
But in a place like Detroit,yeah, you're at risk.
My brother taught in an at-riskwhen he was a principal middle

(53:56):
school at the time in Lubbockand a kid Got caught with the
gun On his campus and heimmediately put it in the vault.
And they asked why did you turnthem in?
He said because before I do Iwant to talk to him.
Yeah that's something thatpeople aren't gonna always
understood.
Now.
He turned it in, but he wantedto find out and investigate
because it was such a good kid,mm-hmm, and this was middle

(54:17):
school six, seventh, eighthgrade.
What are you doing?
Walking to school with the gun.
Are you trying to show it off?
And he found out, mr Love, Ihave this gun because I have to
walk through this particulararea where all these drug
dealers are, and I've seen themkill.
I've seen relatives die, yeah,by gunshot, and I had to be

(54:40):
ready, but I'm still coming toschool, mr Love.
They try to give me to jointheir games, but I've learned
from you all that I need to bein school.
Yeah, so although the child hadto go to an alternative program
, it changed the way thealternative program was going to
do him and now my brotherhere's.
Part of the other thing is he'sno longer at the middle school.

(55:02):
For several years now he's beenthe principal at the school
prison, wow, and for him, heloves it.
He said he could retire doingit because it, honestly, is the
last Time some of these kidswill have a chance before that
pipeline to prison, yeah, as youhear so many times talked about

(55:23):
.
He can help with that pipeline.
He could cut it, solder it off.
Yeah, because he's had to takethose students who, when they
turn 18, he has to help theguards and officers deliver them
tool to the state prison.
But until they are that age.
When he tells his teachers weare not wardens, yeah, we are

(55:47):
teachers and I'm the principal.
They got a warden on the otherside.
When they leave our classesthey got officers, sometimes
right there in class with them,some of them chained to the desk
and some of them free, butthey've got officers with with
the necessary weapons.
We're not that.
We are here to teach these kids.

(56:08):
So all of that coming into mylife is why I chose that topic.
And While I've been in theclass Classes, class to class
and talking to my peers andmembers of my cohort, it's
solidified it.
But it's not just that.
One more and then I'm a shut upabout it Is a lot of people
know my husband's story and alot of people don't.

(56:29):
My husband was locked up for 17years Now, months, and so many
days he could take to work to atee because he was gangish, but
not in a gang, hmm, he was byhis brother's bed as his brother
was fighting cancer at night,helping his brother's wife With

(56:54):
her two small children.
Every night he was there at thefoot of his bed Helping take
care of him.
So he missed a lot of school.
And his father, who happened tobe a classmate of my mother's
really, oh yeah, that's how farback we go.
So I didn't go looking for aprisoner to marry.
Please understand that in thepodcast.
I had known my husband since wewere kids so we were always

(57:17):
friends.
But he was by his brother'sbedside and his father's will
was always you either gonna goto school, you're gonna go get a
job, because his dad got a GED.
My, he says, my mother was agood student.
He would.
He just went till he could gowork.
And so he told his boys becausehe had three boys and then a
dog, you're gonna go to schoolor you're gonna go to work.

(57:41):
So my husband, my friend at thetime, have been missing a lot of
days and when his brother diedhe actually helped his dad
physically pick him up and carryhim into To Houston to go get
treatments and ride back on thehighway as he's puking and all
that taking care of his brother,helping change his brother and

(58:02):
all that kind of stuff.
He's going through all of that.
And the first day he returns toschool he hears from three or
four teachers plus a principalJackson, where you're being?
You missed a lot of school,you've been skipping.
Nobody said are you okay?
What's been going on?
Nobody had called his home.
Nobody had reached out to findout why is this student missing

(58:25):
class?
It might have had his motherwork there on campus in the
cafeteria and nobody had beengoing to her and said why is
your son not in school, but yourdaughter is?
Nobody had taken the time to dothat.
My future husband was at risk.
Nobody got an SAS counselor.
Nobody said you've lost yourolder brother, who was just 24,

(58:49):
25 years old.
Nobody went to him.
It said we got something.
And might I add Johnny, it washis senior year in high school.
He said that day he walked inthe building In one door.
And he said he walked in onedoor and walked out Again.
No one stopped him, no onecared and he told his boss I

(59:13):
could start working full-time.
And that's what he did.
That's some other stuff.
Got him Caught up.
He didn't tell and in the stateof Texas, if you don't tell,
they call it your fall partner.
Oh, then you're considered Anaccomplice.
He chose not to tell and that'swhy he got the time he got.

(59:34):
But, yeah, knowing his story,even while I was at Texas Tech
working on my bachelor's degree,knowing his story while I was
working on my master's degree,mm-hmm, and knowing on his story
.
When I started on my doctorateprogram he would be getting out
soon.
We were still friends.

(59:56):
It changed some point in there,but he helped push me to start
back on this doctorate program.
You, they're not gonna say I'mthe reason why you didn't get it
, and so he's pushed me eventhroughout this to continue.
But I just His life.
His story was part of thereason why I started being

(01:00:17):
concerned about African-Americanat risk students and it goes
back to that law degree and whyI chose education so my question
is with All this extraknowledge you have, what advice
would you give a?

Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
We're gonna make it personal.
What advice would you give a?
What is it ECISD?
I'm like what is it again?
Ecisd teacher who may not beblack, um, but has a, you know,
african-american student intheir class.

Speaker 2 (01:00:53):
Well glad you asked one of the things I looked at in
my research.
There was somebody who had donea dissertation on it in
California, white women teachingblack males.
Mm-hmm, you can't make yourselfblack.
No, please don't even try pleasedon't, don't try to go up to
him talking slang.
Yeah, don't go, try to do.
Don't try to do all that, butgo familiarize yourself With

(01:01:18):
that student first of all.
I don't see them for theirblackness.
See them for their being astudent.
See them as an opportunity forsomebody for you to teach.
Number one two, whenapproaching that student Know
them, know their family, get toknow them.
Um, ecisd is real good on thisabout pushing us to make parent

(01:01:40):
contacts.
In fact, we're not supposed to,at least on the campus of
Permian.
We're not supposed to allowstudents to fail our class.
For six weeks we hadn't made atleast two phone phone calls or
parent contacts.
Here's the problem with that.
That goes back to when I toldyou that apathy.
So many times parents haveblocked ECISD phone calls
because they get tired of allthe phone calls.

(01:02:00):
They say, um, and so ECISDtried something different.
We had school status that sendsalerts.
They started blocking that andin fact.
In fact, we used to have toregister kids in person and you
had to show yourself with thebill and you have to write in
all this information and you'dhave to bring it back Return
sign.
We don't do that anymore and wego online and fill out.
It's so wonderful and helpfulto a parent who's very busy,

(01:02:22):
who's got five kids.
Instead of going to fivedifferent schools or Three
different times up to differentcampuses, they can fill it all
out.
But many parents Refuse to putcontact information.
Seriously, I can't imagine as aparent that I don't want
somebody to be able to contactme in the event something

(01:02:42):
happens with my child.
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:02:45):
I, but that happens.
I hear what you're saying about.
The same time I just feel likeI don't know.
I think this is just the walkI'm on now, but I'm always
wondering like why?
So I guess my head goes to.
Well, what's going on with theparent?
Yes, is there a way we canmaybe I know that does ecstasy
do this to where, if it's justsomething where they don't put

(01:03:06):
the contact information down orthere's issues at home, is there
something there to then I'msure we can't fully step in but
Supply some support to thatparent.
Yes, that way they can be abetter parent, that way the
student could be a betterstudent ecstasy has several
programs if an elementary.

Speaker 2 (01:03:23):
They even have programs like if a kid has
missed so many or even Tried somuch, because I'm guilty of that
when Christian was a student.
They send you a letter and tellyou we have some parenting
classes you can take really wecan guide you.
Yes, they have all those kind ofprograms out there.
Um, on our campus we have whatwe call communities in school.
Um, one of the people with thatprogram, reverend Michael Smith

(01:03:44):
, is one of the People thatworks there, and there's another
lady and they, um, they willprovide food.
I've seen them cloth people.
I've seen them have hygienestuff.
Hygiene yes, ma'am, right therethey give you school supplies.
I've seen them give girls promdresses.
Um, I've seen them put caps andgowns on kids.
They pay for them.

(01:04:05):
That was years ago but I wascloser to the program then.
Um, I've seen them get kidsglasses.
So the key is you got to bewilling to ask.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Yeah, you know pride is always it's hard.

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
And so I make it clear to every student I don't
single a kid out that way,because you can't assume in this
day and age your parent mightbe working for um, an oil
company.
A friend of mine on facebookjust said today they told
everybody to come in and theytold everybody in that meeting
Um, you are all being laid offtoday.
Today, a friend of mine and,and so that happens at a day's

(01:04:41):
notice in this area that we livein.
And so you might have been a 75to 150 thousand dollar home
earner that day, but in sixweeks, if you didn't save,
you're at zero.
So it changes the socioeconomic, and so you might have been
driving abends, but that'sbecause you paid for it, but you

(01:05:03):
can't afford to put the gas init.
You know pride, um.
But so what happens with mystudents?
Every class, I make it clear Ifyou can't afford the poster for
this project, I've got theposters over here.
And if you can't supply, can'tafford the supplies, I've got

(01:05:24):
them here.
Just borrow them.
Tell me after class, miss lj,don't steal them.
So I know what happened to mystuff, miss lj.
I'm borrowing these markers.
I need these map colors becauseI didn't finish in class, and
then I'm gonna take them homeand I'll bring them back, and I
always say how long are yougonna keep my stuff?
If you tell me I'll bring themback tomorrow, then I expect
them tomorrow, but if you tellme well, I got to work on
babysitting or we got church, Idon't know, I got a lot of other

(01:05:48):
makeup work out I might nothave them back till next Monday.
Thank you, bring them back nextMonday.
Do you have a bag or somethingto put them in?
Yeah, so those kind of thingsare there, but, again, I do that
with every class.
I make sure they're aware ofcommunities in school.
I also make sure they're awareof our student assistants, um,
sas counselors.
These are those counselorsthere for your emotion.

(01:06:08):
We had a student who justpassed away, um, and so they go
around to every class that thatstudent was in to be there for
grief.
They bring in grief counselorsfor them.
So it's up to you, though andthat becomes something as an
adult.
Even again, earlier questionwhat do you do for your mind?
We're providing it for you.
Learn how to use those tools.

(01:06:30):
So then, when you graduate, I'mnot only teaching you about
history, but I'm teaching youabout other ways to find other
problems that can help you asyou go through life, because you
do not have to go through lifealone when I make my shit.
Well and here's what I tell mykids you won't work alone.
No, because they hate.
Sometimes they hate working ingroups.
Some of them love it becausethey don't want to do the work,

(01:06:51):
but some of them hate to work init.
Well, can I just work by myself?
Sometimes you can, sometimesyou can't, because there's not
one job In this world that I canfind that you can work alone.
I don't care if you work fromhome.
You need somebody to be fillingout the paycheck that's going
to be mailed or put into your,your account.
If you're a truck driver, youeven need somebody who's going
to load your truck and unload it, and if they don't load it

(01:07:13):
properly, it could cause you towreck and die on the highway.
And so I tell them you needpeople.
I teach them history, but Ialso teach them life lessons.
Um, I teach them about collegeexperience.
Every first Wednesday of everymonth is college day, so we talk
about my college experience.
I talk about my bachelor's, mymaster's, and I even talk about

(01:07:33):
my Doctorial program.
I tell them, when you go getyour bachelor's, 50 percent is
what you're going to learn inthat class, but the other 50
percent Is going to be from theconnections you make.
Don't just stay in your dormroom, I'm not telling you.
Go to no frat and sororityparties, but join some clubs,
even if you're not in athleticsanymore.

(01:07:55):
But you work.
Go join the interim, permanentor how do you say?
The sports leagues, intramural,that's it, intermural sports
leagues.
Um, go work out, because you'repaying for all of.
You're paying for every timethey change out the flowers,
every time they put the lights,like I told you I was at tech.
You're paying for every timethey cover the pool when it gets

(01:08:19):
cold and when they uncover itcomes springtime.
You're paying for every weightIn that workout room.
You're paying for that teacherthat's teaching the zumba class.
So you might as well go andjoin them.
Yeah, go to the medical people,because you're paying for them
too.

Speaker 1 (01:08:34):
Go see the therapist.

Speaker 2 (01:08:34):
What you did go see the therapists, because all of
them are provided, and I tellthem those parts of my class as
well.
We talk about financial aid.
We talk about, um thedifference in FAFSA and those
loans.
We talk about scholarships andwe talk about um the difference
in a scholarship and a grantcompared to a loan.
And so we we do all of that andum, that's what I teach my kids

(01:08:57):
.
So in leadership, what I wouldgo back to telling that um,
teacher, teacher, tell a studentall that you would a white
student, all that you would anhispanic student.
But then when it's anopportunity, let them find
themselves in your lesson.
Um, math for christian is sodifferent when he was going
through elementary compared towhen I was.

(01:09:18):
Yeah, when I was elementary wasdig, jane, we're running um,
and sally and su.
But then I started looking atchristian's math assignments and
his word problems hakeem andhasus, we're running up the hill
.
Yanni, you're young enoughthat's probably starting to
change it for you.
I didn't get that.

(01:09:40):
So they started realizing ineducation that we needed to be
more culturally aware.
But it's more than you justsaying Hakim and Jesus Get to
know when Hakim says I'm notdoing Christmas, miss, you can't
force me to do a Christmassweater decoration for a grade,

(01:10:01):
which is what my daughter isdoing right now.
Why can't I For one?
Because we might be Jehovah'sWitness.
We don't believe it, we don'tcelebrate those, or it might be
instead, miss, can we talk aboutKwanzaa?
Because my family, because I'vegot African students that is
true too.
My daughter was doing theThanksgiving turkey we decorated

(01:10:22):
.
You saw it when you first gothere.
Well, I got Vietnamese students.
They ain't celebratingThanksgiving, they just know
they're not going to school.
Some of them are not here longenough because we've made them
part of our culture.
But then I asked them what areyou going to have for your
Thanksgiving meal?
It's that simple.

(01:10:43):
That teacher could simply saywhat are you all going to have
for your Thanksgiving meal?
What do you have for yourChristmas dinner?
We're having ham and we'rehaving duckling at mine.
Oh really, we're having ribs atmine.
Miss, miss, we're havingtamales.
That cracks me up.
I had a co-worker years agobecause they were ignorant,
ignorant, and there's nothingwrong with being ignorant, as

(01:11:05):
long as you don't stay ignorant,because if you stay ignorant
then you become stupid.
And she asked us in a facultylab.
She said y'all, I got to asksomebody you Mexicans and of
course, you got to know how toword stuff.
So let me say it this way shewasn't the most culturally aware
, but she was trying.
She said I need to ask youMexicans about this.

(01:11:25):
My students told me that y'allonly have tamales for Christmas
because those are the onlythings you wrap.
Is that true?
If y'all don't wrap presents,instead you wrap tamales.
And the teachers just shooktheir head.
He said, okay, y'all, it's timefor us to teach and I won't say
her name A little bit aboutMexican culture.
And then there would be timeswhen we have to teach about

(01:11:47):
African American culture.
But she would take that backand she said okay, guys, y'all
got me.
This time I learned from mycolleagues.
No, it's not.
But then it was not only hergetting to know her colleagues,
it was a joke to the kids.
They laughed about it.
But then the next year she saidokay, I know y'all are wrapping
more than tamales.
And don't get me on this anddon't sound, don't try to

(01:12:12):
overcompensate by saying becausemy Mexican students, no, say,
because I had previous studentslast year who got me.
Be real and be sincere.
That's what I would tellsomebody Be real, be sincere.
And then here's the other thing.
Go to what the kids wereinvolved in.
If I don't go to football games,hardly, I got tired of them for

(01:12:32):
one, because I was in band allthose years.
We were going to state and thatwas y'all.
But I started looking in thestands at the basketball games.
We have thousands of peoplehere Stand in the basketball.
We have a lot of room andtypically not stereotypically,
but typically the basketballteam is full of black males.

(01:12:55):
That's true, and I even told anECISD employee he's no longer
with us there, I mean, he'smoved to other somewhere else in
the country but I told him, sir, you are in an upper position
in ECISD.
I'd like for our black men tosee somebody that looks like
them, that's not just a coachthat is funny or just a

(01:13:18):
custodian, because we hardlyhave any black males teaching.
If so, they happen to be fromAfrica.
I'd love for them to meet ablack administrator that's at
the administration building,coming in a suit if you have to,
but you don't.

Speaker 1 (01:13:35):
They just come in.

Speaker 2 (01:13:36):
And so I was keeping score at the game.
He said Miss La Jackson, I'mhere.
I said, good, come on down sothe players can meet you.
And so if the players see theirteachers there, and how do they
know?
You ain't got to hollow overthe rails like he did, but
instead, hey, that was a good,that was a good shot.
Third quarter, you were at mygame.

(01:13:57):
Yes, you know the difference.
That student will start workingfor you.
They see you at their stuff.
I never worry about badstudents working for me because
they know I'm their biggest fan.
I followed them all the way tothe state competition last year.

Speaker 1 (01:14:10):
It's just funny you're saying all this.
So I don't know if those whodon't know, but Aaron started
teaching seventh grade.
So I'm hearing what you'resaying and, with experience
these last two months with himand hearing what he tells me and
seeing what he does, I do knowthat, like last Saturday, if I'm

(01:14:33):
correct I don't think it wasSaturday One day last week he
went and watched Nimitz.
I don't know if it was the boysor girls, but he went and
watched their basketball game,the A team and the B team.
I think is what it was and I waslike, oh okay, that's cool and
I'm just knowing him.
I know that he's taken thattime to love on those kids and

(01:14:55):
make those kids feel likethey're the only kid in the
classroom, as much as hepossibly can.

Speaker 2 (01:14:59):
And that will make a connection and those kids will
be better students.
But here's the other part of itgoes back to their parents will
possibly be there.
So then you say, hey, how doyou know that's the parent by
the way they're yelling.
And when they finish yellingyou realize, hey, I'm his
student, I'm his teacher, I'mgonna tell him that one, I'm

(01:15:22):
gonna stick that one up.
Yes, I'm his teacher, and don'tstart off negative and say, and
I want you to know, I thank you.
I love to get parents with this, thank you for the opportunity
of teaching your child.
Like what?
Yeah, especially for dualcredit, I can say that because
you paid money for me to teachyour child.
Thank you for that opportunity.
But I see it as an opportunitybecause I'm going to grow as a

(01:15:45):
student and as a teacher, and asa student I do mean while I'm
in college, but as a student ofnature and of life, I'm going to
learn from these kids.
If nothing else, I watch themand I'm like I don't want you to
act like that.
I've learned certain things.
I even see a girl with ahairstyle.
Baby, what kind of jail do youuse so I can tell my daughter

(01:16:06):
that part?
It puts a connection with them,like, oh, she's even paying
attention.
That little bitty thing youknow.

Speaker 1 (01:16:14):
I think it is everything you're saying just
comes back to the idea that kidshave feelings.
They do, and I've alwaysthought I'm not that I'm a
parent at all, Been around abunch of kids but I just feel
like sometimes we forget asadults that kids have feelings.
They want to be heard, theywant to be seen and they want to

(01:16:34):
be loved.
And a lot of times I feel likewe spend a lot of times barking
orders at them and not givingthem a chance to explain.
And I get it.
You know, my mom is alwaystelling me I do it because I
said to do it.
Cool, but listen to that childbecause she might actually be
telling her, he may be tellingyou something that you know
maybe can make it a little biteasier.

Speaker 2 (01:16:54):
And I had that issue with Jizayah.
Sometimes, yeah, well, what arethe?
Because I said so?
Because there's.
Sometimes it's because I saidso, yeah, I agree.
But then I do try to listen.
I know I listen sometimes morethan I was heard.
Yeah, as a child, becausethings were different when I was
growing up.
As opposed to when Jizayah'sgrown up, she's exposed to so
much more just with social media.
She's at the Boys and GirlsClub.

(01:17:15):
She's got different friendsthat are exposed to different
things, so she's bringing whatshe's heard home.
Some shows we watched that Iwould never would have watched
as a kid, but she's watchingthem right there beside me.
Because I want to explain it, Iwant to give it to her from my
perspective, instead of whatsomebody else tells her.

Speaker 1 (01:17:35):
Yeah, but it goes back to the idea of like.
I feel like what you just saidwas things are different now
versus when I was growing up.
I feel like there's that gap ofpeople.
Yeah, because there's adisconnect.

Speaker 2 (01:17:50):
There is a disconnect .
Femaw is real in these schools.
Oh gosh, yes, and it looks likea highlighter.
Yeah, or Skittles.
I had a colleague he said lastyear year before which I didn't
know his classroom was directlyabove me.
Seattle Paramedics had a comeand get a kid because she nearly
died.
I'm like you got to be kidding.
So it's real, and so I've gotto express that with my child.

(01:18:13):
So, going back, what would Itell a teacher for one?
Through my dissertation, I justrealized, if I teach every
child and treat them likethey're at risk, they no longer
would be at risk.
And I realized, though, forsome kids, it's harder for them
to learn.
It's harder for a black kid,because even in 2023, I got kids

(01:18:37):
sitting in my class that areblack.
I said, miss, you know, you'rethe first black teacher I've
ever had.

Speaker 1 (01:18:41):
That part.

Speaker 2 (01:18:42):
I'm teaching 11th grade Now.
You can't require it if youdon't have people willing to go
into education that are black.
Now do I tell them to go intoeducation?
Nowadays it's hard.
It's hard because things havechanged so much.
But my daughter had one and Iinsisted upon it.
I knew it and guess what?

(01:19:04):
She's not even there teachinganymore.
She's still in the schoolsystem but she's not teaching
anymore.
Oh, wow, she's a teacherShayray, really.
Yeah, but she was anoutstanding teacher and I
understand why.
Probably pay.
I don't get into a businesslike that, but I know what she's
doing is probably better pay,if not the time and efforts it

(01:19:25):
goes into teaching.
People think we get summers off.
No, we don't.
First of all, I get a check forthe year and they break it up
into 12 months and so, accordingto the 12 months, that's when I
get paid each month.
But for instance, I'm going toget one of those payments right

(01:19:49):
before Christmas.
I won't get paid again tillJanuary 31st, that's six weeks
until I get a paycheck.
A teacher is going to have totake care of their family,
having not been paid for sixweeks.
Every teacher I know has a sidehustle, a side stipend, whether

(01:20:11):
they're doing something else onthat campus, whether they're
doing D-Haul, whether they'retutoring and getting paid a
little extra for that, whetherthey're a coach, or many of them
who are working at Lowell'shardware or who are working.
I play for a church and twochurches.
We have to work those extrajobs just to make ends meet.
That makes it hard.

(01:20:31):
So tell a teacher now I needyou to go, pay attention to
every student, especially theblack kids, and make sure that
you are connecting with them.
Now you don't have to go totheir houses anymore.
But if you want to see success,that's what I would tell a
teacher.
It's hard.
Let them see you at the games.
Let them see you not only atthe games, grading papers, but

(01:20:55):
actually be there hollering forthem.
Tell them good job, you'redoing great.
Or learn something aboutbasketball.
And for one, I had a formercolleague who moved to San
Antonio.
He came from North Dakota.
Why did he end up in Odell City?
He said he was just looking fora change.
I said well, baby, you found ithere.

(01:21:16):
But he since moved to SanAntonio, got married, teaching,
has a child.
He was fresh out of college andI was his mentor.
Well, I had some kids who wereon the hockey team.
I ain't done nothing about nohockey.
I've watched hockey a coupletimes on TV Like oh okay, and
then it loses my interest.
But the moment I told him, Isaid you got to find a way to

(01:21:38):
connect with those kids and sowhat I would use as analogies?
He started using the hockeyanalogies and the three kids he
had in his class, who he didn'tknow at the time were hockey
players on the local team,started changing for him.
He said miss, miss, love,because at the time I was still
not love Jackson.
He said you will never believethis.

(01:22:01):
I started talking hockey andthese boys started perking up
and giving me their attention.
I said are they hockey players?
He said yes.
I said you won't ever haveenough of the problem out of him
.
Now the girl said well, I'm notin hockey, I'm in this.
He said I guess I got to go tothese games too.
I said exactly.
But it's hard when you've got afamily, when you've got kids

(01:22:21):
and you're working a side job.
So I do something in my classbecause my health, I just can't
go to everything anymore Everyfirst day of the week.
It takes a lot of time and Ihave to structure my class.
Every class, we do what we callshout outs and celebrations.
We got a song, go, shout outcelebrations, shout out
celebrations, shout outcelebrations.
I even have one class that doesa wave with it, like there in

(01:22:46):
the stands.
We call it a wave of excitement.
Tell me something great thathappened.
Are you in golf?
Okay, tell me how I went.
How did you golf match?
Tell me how tennis went?
Are you playing doubles orsingles?
I know that much about thesport.
Swimming, are you diving or areyou doing this?
You know?
Oh, you're in gymnastics.
What are you doing ingymnastics?
Are you doing the pommel horse?

(01:23:06):
Are you on the floor?
How did you do?
How did you score?
We do that.
I can't do anything.
We're at least going to singHappy Birthday to you that day,
if you had a birthday last week,and then we'll say, okay, if we
didn't have any school, shoutouts.
If we have any academic, do wehave any academic?
Do we have any fine arts?
We do it that way.

(01:23:26):
So we'll shout out that kidshad region band and I had
several percussionists, did well, had some kids who just made
all state choir, so we're goingto celebrate that.
But then those kids who weren'tin anything, anybody get a
raise on their job.
Anybody just get a job.
Hey, that's something tocelebrate.
What are you doing with junkabout?
Did you buy, not go to jail?

(01:23:48):
You know, and I say jokely,it's not professional, but for
some kids it's real, it's a gooddeal.
For some kids it's real.
You know, did anybody just havea day off?
And you were excited?
And it's one kid.
I got employed the month and weshouted out and celebrated just
like the kid who scored thewinning shot at a basketball

(01:24:10):
game.
We'll give him one clap, twoclaps, We'll give him applause.
Those kind of things, that kindof investment in those kids,
letting them know I care, theycheck on me, being they're like
well, if I wasn't in class onMonday, miss, why weren't you in
class yesterday?
Baby, it's none of yourbusiness.
So I have a question though, doyou?

Speaker 1 (01:24:30):
is there another colleague that teaches the same
thing?

Speaker 2 (01:24:34):
you do.
I am the only US history dualcredit on campus Right now.
It's been for years because youhave to have a master's degree
in history.
You can have a master's degree,but if it's not in history then
you can't teach it.
But there are several.
We have a PLC group thatteaches US history.
It's seven of us.
One has more special ed kidsspecial unit I mean not unit,

(01:24:57):
but those students.
Then there's somebody whoteaches more English, has a
second language, and then we gotAP as well.
There's two who are teaching APthis year, and I've taught that
and then.
So I'm the only one, though,that teaches dual credit US
history.

Speaker 1 (01:25:13):
I'm just curious if the investment that you're
putting in those kids is payingoff in their grades.

Speaker 2 (01:25:19):
I think it does.
It pays off in their future?
No for sure.
The very first assignment Igive my students, all classes
has to do the name assignment,Because I tell them you need to
know why your parents named you,what they named you, Because
that's the beginning of yourhistory and I think that's the
strangest thing and I find ithilarious that they've made it
to 11th grade and you don't knowwhy your parents named you.

Speaker 1 (01:25:39):
Yanni, but my story I would have been like my mom
named me Yanni because it's aguy who plays the piano.

Speaker 2 (01:25:44):
But you now know, pianist Is that right.

Speaker 1 (01:25:45):
What's the correct way of saying that?

Speaker 2 (01:25:46):
Pianist, ok, but then there are some kids they don't
know.
You mean to tell me you'renamed junior and there were two
boys before you.
How do you get junior Exactly?
Why are you junior?
That's important to me.
But then for my dual credit, thesame day they get that
assignment, they get a collegecomparison assignment.
It's dual versus AP is what itstarted off, because I don't

(01:26:11):
want them sitting in my classand they don't even accept their
dual credit classes.
I love you, I appreciate theextra funding I'm going to get
come Christmas time for you, butif you're not going to go to a
university that will take yourdual credit, why are you here?
You need to stay on the AP.
So they have to look up everyrequired AP, the AP required

(01:26:33):
score, because it changes.
Texas Tech for US historyrequires a three to count as a
semester, whereas UT, for onesemester, has to be a four on
that score.
A four at Texas Tech will getyou two semesters, but you'd
have to have a perfect five toget it.
And then what is it at Harvard?

(01:26:53):
And so that's one of the firstquestions.
The second is will they acceptyour dual credit US history?
They have to contact them andinvestigate.
They also have to ask one ofthe things that it has to be
college or university that's instate, one that's out of state,
one that's in HBCU.
So for some of them that's thefirst time they hear about it at
HBCU.
That's a whole other topic too.

(01:27:14):
Historically Black College orUniversity and I explained to
some of my Anglo kids you have abetter chance of a scholarship
at that program than some others.

Speaker 1 (01:27:23):
Because, they have a lot of money just sitting,
because nobody ever wants to goto them, right.

Speaker 2 (01:27:27):
And then the other part of it is they have to do in
a state, they have to doprivate, they have to do public
because some privateuniversities won't take a dual
credit but some will.
And here's the other thing.
I'll tell them the benefit ofbeing in OC compared to other
schools, because of the level ofappreciation well, because of
Odessa College throughout thecountry, how high ranking they

(01:27:50):
are.
They will accept your dualcredit when they won't even
accept somebody who got dualcredit at a school in Houston,
because they can only go, maybe,to the University of Houston,
but they won't transfer to TexasTech.
So I tell the kids the benefitof that.
So make sure you understand.
And then the last thing theyalso have to do one that's
international, because I havestudents who have come from out

(01:28:12):
this country and you need toknow if you decide to go back to
where you were born and raised,will this class transfer?
Because, again, why are youtaking it?
If you want the last one, Iadded for the past two years
also Alverno, because that'swhere I go.
Look that up to me oh, and theyhave to do YouTube to be.

(01:28:34):
Why not check out?
I don't plan on ever going toYouTube because it's here, but,
baby, you need to know you aredown the street.
Yeah, if push came to shove,you need to know.
Will YouTube accept your dualcredit classes?
And so it's really helped.
It helps students in theirfuture, in their planning,
because as juniors, you shouldautomatically be planning out

(01:28:55):
where you're going to go toschool.
And so then the next thing Itell them, with all these
schools, it's normally teen.
They have to send letters orseek out their entrance people
and ask about information ontheir program, and so some have
done that and it's helped a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:29:11):
I bet.

Speaker 2 (01:29:12):
Yeah, they can't stand this.
I'm not the beginning.
I tell them trust me, let thisbe.
And it might be a collegeuniversity.
Oh, and the way to keep themfrom cheating, they have to give
me two colleges, and some ofthem can be more than one.
So it could be an HBCU.
It could also be a private, butit also could be, because one
of them has to be your firstinitial and the other one has to

(01:29:34):
be your last initial.
That way, ha, baby, you're notlooking up every school that I'm
looking up Because you're YanniJones.
So you might choose Jarvis,because that's a private HBCU
and it's in state and it's yourlast initial.
But then you might also chooseYale, oh, because they also have
to look up Ivy League, becausesome of them are the top 10.

(01:29:55):
So you might choose Yale.
It's out of state, it's an IvyLeague.
Your name is Yanni, ok, that ishilarious.
So that's why I make it unique.
And they got to give me theinsignia.
And they understand theimportance of the insignia, even
more so Because that's some ofthe what's an insignia?
Baby, at this point you need toknow the time of insignia.

(01:30:15):
Let's look up what's primaryinsignia.
You know that kind of stuff.
Yeah Well, I know I have talkedso much, probably more than you
needed.

Speaker 1 (01:30:24):
No, you're fine.
I just say thank you forcalling with the opportunity to
learn more about this and tohave the conversation to expose
others listening to some of thebarriers that people may face
when getting their education.

Speaker 2 (01:30:43):
Yeah, and for anybody trying to get their doctoral,
if you're interested in Alvernoor just.
I think I'm pretty good.
I've done it long enoughhelping students get into
college.
I write great recommendationletters.
I tell them I'm not just goingto write it, but you know, I got
to know you.
But they can reach me at432-349-5803.
I don't mind giving that numberout.

(01:31:04):
Or my email is aloveaka Ataolcom.
Yes, I'm still aol.
I was getting ready to say notaol, I am still me and your aunt
are still aol.
I'm going to be with them until.
But they can.
Hi, the dogs have been let in,y'all.
They let you know that we'realmost done.
But you're good, christian,come on in.

(01:31:26):
Yeah, you're fine, they canreach me at those two ways.
They can contact you and youcan reach out to me For sure,
because I don't want it to gopast.
I want it to be able thispodcast in doing it, to be able
to reach somebody who needs helpand even if it's because your
child is African-American orthey're at risk, they're here in

(01:31:47):
rural West Texas Just to guideyou of different platforms that
are out there available for you.
There are different programsthat can help students.
That again, you've got to bewilling to know and if you don't
reach out, some people aregoing to reach for you.
You've got to reach out, but Ibelieve I'm standing on the
shoulders of my ancestors andthe responsibility is to reach

(01:32:09):
down and pull somebody up, evenhigher.

Speaker 1 (01:32:11):
That's sweet.
Well, the last thing that is atradition here for this podcast
is we like to have the guestspray us out.
Well, hey, so if you don't mind, doing the honors and praying
us out?

Speaker 2 (01:32:25):
I will.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thankyou for this day.
We thank you for thisopportunity to speak to each
other, to build on therelationship I have with Yanni,
Also to be able to reach out tothe minds and the souls of
people who this podcast willreach out to.
I ask, Lord, that the words andthings that have been said and

(01:32:48):
shared will help somebody help alittle further.
Help Yanni as she continues todo this endeavor.
Lord, I pray blessings on Yannion this experience.
I pray blessings on Yanni asshe works towards this podcast,
reaching for people, family andfriends.
And then, Lord, if there issomebody out there who just

(01:33:11):
needs help, allow them to bebold enough and courageous
enough to reach out for help inwhatever type of help they need.
As we go into this holidayseason, Lord, give them comfort,
Give them strength where theyneed, Allow them to realize that
you truly are the present andyou don't have to be unwrapped.

(01:33:32):
We thank you for everything andwe thank you for anything that
comes our way.
In Jesus' name, we pray Amen.

Speaker 1 (01:33:42):
Amen, Once again, thank you for having me.
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:33:46):
Yanni, I love this.
No, no problem, you can come byanytime.
You know I love to talk and gab.
If I don't start my own podcast, then you'll be one of the
first ones I interview.
I'm ready.
I'm ready to go on the firsttopic.
Yanni, why did you have apodcast?

Speaker 1 (01:33:58):
Yes, you know, my aunt said she wants to.
This is a sign, though she'sready to interview me, and I was
like OK, but anyway, thank youfor those who have listened.

Speaker 2 (01:34:08):
Thank you for those who listened to the whole thing,
because I know I will weighover Yanni's time.
I already warned her I talk alot.
Y'all know that You're fine.

Speaker 1 (01:34:18):
I just pray for those that are listening to remember
that you guys are loved, You'reneeded.
Someone in your community needsto either see your face or hear
your testimony and then just toremember that it's OK sometimes
Well it's OK.
Not sometimes it's OK, but youtry and need to be made in life,
make the U-turn and get in linewith the purpose that the Lord

(01:34:41):
has for you.
And if you don't know what itis, I just pray that you just
start with a conversation withHim.
Pray to Him, listen to Him, putyourself in His presence and
allow Him to show you exactlywhere you're supposed to be.

Speaker 2 (01:34:52):
I agree.
So before you sign off, yanni,I need to give you some
accolades.
I am so proud of you and howinvolved you are in this
community.
You're not born and raised here.
You got family here, but youdidn't have to be here long to
get involved in the communityand it makes a difference.
It just goes to show you don'thave to be born and raised to be

(01:35:13):
seen.
You're part of the OdessaChamber and the young
professionals.
You're with the Black CultureCouncil of Odessa.
You're on the YouTube EBCampusGuess what?
I see?
You Thank you, and that says alot Because you stand out
amongst many and I'm proud ofyou.
I'm getting to know you andyour walk in Christ.

(01:35:36):
That's even better.
You look good in pink, right?

Speaker 1 (01:35:39):
now Better be even brighter.
On that note, we're going tosay, ok, yeah, goodbye, y'all
Bye, you don't even get the date.
But it's all about sex andinternals and through this
sometimes we don't have time, soare we all at the same time?

(01:36:01):
Right now, I'm accidentallywalking away in a vacuum bin.
So finally, thailand isprobably corn.
I mean, we're here, we'reenjoying our 7 days in合作.
Right now, we're all here atthe lol you

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