I truly never expected how much being a part of NYSYLC would challenge me and push me out of my comfort zone. I anticipated that I would be professionally challenged, but not necessarily personally challenged, as I was already familiar with many of the experiences of the community I am now serving. However, last week, during a school visit with my supervisor, I was proved wrong.
The school we visited was an International High School, which means that its students have been in the country for less than four years. As such, many of them are still learning English and adjusting to life in the U.S. Being at the school reminded me of when I first arrived in the U.S. and began integrating into American society. However, many of the students I met on Friday arrived in the U.S. while they were already in high school, making it especially difficult for them to adjust, let alone adequately prepare for college.
During our visit, there was also an alumni panel where I had the opportunity to meet and hear from former students. One alumnus had just graduated from college in May, where he studied architecture, and was planning to attend graduate school. Meeting the alumni really put into perspective what my supervisor and I were there to do. We had come to speak with a teacher as we began developing the curriculum for a summer program the school hosts in a partnership with NYSYLC. The program runs for five weeks, and while not all of the students are undocumented, many are. What they all share, however, is that they are recent arrivals to the U.S.
Talking to the alumni prompted me to think about what is fundamentally at stake as I help my supervisor develop this summer's curriculum: How can we enhance and facilitate these students' transition to high school, college, and life in the U.S? This question is important because it sits at the center of what we are trying to accomplish this summer with a group of students from that school.
Even though I am excited and equipped to help put together a strong curriculum for the summer program, one of the things I have been thinking about is how to simplify without flattening. By this, I mean that my supervisor have decided that this summer's theme should be “Reclaiming Immigrant Narratives.” To that end, we are designing several lessons focused on political education, including topics such as "Systems of Oppression" and the "School-to-Prison-to-Deportation Pipeline."
While I recognize how important these lessons are, I also acknowledge how easily they could discourage students given the systems they must now navigate in the U.S. I am especially concerned with striking a balance between fostering aspiration and cultivating a critical awareness of the systemic barriers undocumented students face. I want them to dream and strive, but I also want them to understand that there are real systems, laws, and environments working against them.
As I continue thinking through these questions, I will lean on my own experiences while also deferring to my supervisor, who has taught in this summer program for the past two years. Above all, I think intellectual humility will keep me centered and grounded as I interact with more students and teachers and continue searching for ways to ease their transition into U.S. society.