Gave a Year. Changed the World.

I thought a "starfish story" would be a nice way to end my posts relating to City Year. What is a starfish story, you ask? City Year defines it in a PITW (Putting Idealism to Work) maxim: If you want to communicate powerfully, tell a story.
A major part of our mission is to inspire others to civic action. All great leaders communicated their ideas best by telling a story...

We were asked to submit starfish stories before we graduated in sort of a contest, and I won. : ) Here it is:

From an outsider’s point of view I was Alex’s enemy. I certainly felt like it. To him, every suggestion or command I made was like salt in a wound. He’d thrash about in anger followed by a string of expletives directed at me. He always had something negative to say and his knack of defying all directions would surprise most. Against his will, he was placed into the literacy program, Read 180, but he needed it. He was in the 6th grade and his reading score was at an elementary level.
One day, Alex threw a fit because I took away a seemingly benign pad of sticky notes that he was playing with instead of doing his work. This object automatically meant the world to this young boy when I took it away. “You didn’t buy those! Those aren’t yours,” he chanted over and over again. “I know, Alex. I will give them back to you after class. They are distracting you and others,” I replied. I felt like he hated me even more, and although I wasn’t trying to be “Miss Popular” with the 6th graders, I felt bad. I felt like I’d never be able to handle his antics.
Springtime arrived, which meant it was time for our weeklong leadership camp, Hero’s Summit. I was excited for a change of pace and a break from Alex. Mid-week, I see a new face. It’s Alex. My jaw dropped in surprise. He had heard from one of his friends how much fun it was and decided to join.
I walked into the middle school Monday morning and….my jaw dropped again. Alex said “hello” to me. This was the first time he had ever done that. Immediately, I had to tell some of my teammates who knew of my difficulties with him. From then on, Alex looked forward to seeing me. He would sit on the steps of the school with me in the morning, which he did every day till the very last day I was at his school. It was a complete 180 with him—in academic work and his attitude. Not only did he say “hello,” but we talked like there had never been a time when I was his enemy.
During state testing, our team held morning greetings with stations that promoted studying and stress relief. Alex showed up at my classical music station and sat down. He was quiet, and I asked him how he felt about the math test. He said he was worried. I gave him a run down of what he should be looking out for when multiplying, dividing and adding fractions along with other essential math review. The following day, during 6th grade lunch support, he came up to me, put his hand on my shoulder and said “Stella, thanks for those math tips. They really helped.” Just when you think you have a kid figured out, they blow you away with something unexpected.