Student speeches inspired attendee

To the editor:

Last Tuesday I drove to Cape Elizabeth’s St. Alban’s Church to hear Southern Maine Community College students speak from the nonprofit group, “Color of Community.” These students all met in an English class taught by Rosemarie De Angelis and shared their essays on “something for which they felt passionate” through personal storytelling. Students represented Cambodia, Somalia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Rwanda.

What struck me most were the shifts these students’ lives had taken when faced with serious challenges.  Yuan-Chen shared the power of her American teacher’s encouragement, saying she had never before felt the freedom to make mistakes; Hassan spoke of his high school English teacher being his hero because she accepted him for who he was without judgment; Ali praised the gift of U.S. public education and expressed gratitude; Truc shared the balance of self-discovery with the yearnings for family and love; Chansatha and Giang spoke of lessons from their fathers and Providence told what he has learned through the Rwandan genocide.

These are stories I often have trouble relating to given my own personal history of greater privilege. Through these stories, my own lens and sense of perspective grew wider and sharper as I listened to their insights and witnessed their courage. I stepped out of my own story and related to a bigger world. With varied accents and palatable passion, they spoke from their hearts.

I impart my evening with your readers so that perhaps when these students speak again, more may share in the generosity of their gift of story-telling. 

Elizabeth Birchmore

Biddeford