Myself in six words

I attended a conference in Chicago recently and, wow, that was fun. What a great city for its neighborhoods, food, and fun. My high school friends flew out from all over the country and we tacked three days onto the conference just eating and laughing and shopping and exploring.

While at the conference, I attended a workshop by Gordon Mayer. He challenged us to tell the group something in six words. Something about yourself, why you do the work you do, your org’s mission. This is what I wrote about myself:

Trying to do good. Mixed results.

That has been the theme in my adult life when trying to be a good person. It’s easier than you can imagine. Just hold the door open for the person behind you. And it’s harder than you can get your brain around. I have mismanaged many relationships that developed with good intent but became complicated due to unequal power dynamics.

Still I try. And listen. And learn.

One night in Chicago, we were walking back to our Air B&B, and the Waze app put us onto this elevated path. It was empty and the moon was full and the air was cool and dry and it was so beautiful and perfect. When I got back to Atlanta and shared the moment with my friend, she was horrified that I put myself in such danger. But in that moment, I didn’t feel danger. I wasn’t even focused on danger vs. safety. I just took in the moment.

Memories, moments, relationships … they can be multiple things at the same time and seen differently depending on the vantage point.

Trying to do good. Mixed results.

Chicago’s elevated path: The 606

College Essay Coaching: Free workshops

For the third year, Michelle Hiskey and Patti Ghezzi are offering coaching that takes the anxiety out of this process so you can enjoy your senior year and (most importantly) tell the story only you can tell. 

Free essay-writing workshops (July 13 and July 23) We invite rising seniors to join us in the Decatur-Avondale area (location TBD) for tips on getting started and one-on-one coaching. The goal is that every student leaves with a topic and a game plan. For additional one-on-one coaching, we are each available for hire but there is no obligation. Wednesday, July 13 at 7 p.m. and Saturday July 23 at 11 a.m. Sign up here. 

NEW THIS YEAR: Free essay-writing workshops on your schedule. Can’t make those dates? Schedule an hour long session during the summer for groups of at least four students. Get your friends together, pick the location, and one or both of us will provide an hour of FREE group coaching, in person. This offer expires when school starts. Contact us using the information below. 

NEW THIS YEAR: Weekend intensive on your schedule. Want to knock out your essays in a weekend of your choice? Our $400 weekend intensive is for you and your friends. We’ll join you (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) for two days of get-it-done coaching and writing. The intensive requires a minimum of six participants and a quiet location (we can help scout!) Tackle the Common App essay and supplementals—and as a bonus, each student will gain great writing strategies for college and beyond. Contact us to schedule a weekend intensive. 

Summer is short! If you don’t see an option that will work best for you this summer, contact us. We’re here for you and your best college essays.

The Invisible Food Pantry: Grocery store gift cards instead of canned goods

When researching the possibility of a free fridge or food pantry in my community, it occurred to me that we already have plenty of well-stocked, giant food pantries. They’re called grocery stores. Instead of creating a food pantry to address food insecurity, we can pool our money, buy digital gift cards, and give them to people. It won’t end food insecurity. But it’s a way to meet an immediate need with love, generosity, and solidarity. Go here for more details. To contribute, please fill out this form, so you will get updates on where your money goes. You can also just give using one of the methods below. And I also take checks. Contact me at invisiblefoodpantry@gmail.com for my mailing address. Thank you!

To my AE neighbors: Our School Supply Drive Is On!

This will for sure be a challenging year for students and teachers. Everyone in the DeKalb County School District will start the year wearing masks. Everyone will have to cope with learning loss and other effects of the pandemic. Let’s work together to make sure every student and every teacher has the supplies they need to make the 2021-2022 school year successful.

To order supplies from our Amazon wish list and have them sent directly to me (Patti Ghezzi), go here.

If you are a senior applying to college ...

Michelle or I would be happy to support you in writing your essays. Working with a coach can alleviate stress as you manage multiple deadlines and pressures. Michelle and I worked together at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and we have both been writing professionally for 20+ years. We have been coaching students in writing their college essays for a combined 13 years.

What it means to be a socio-economically diverse school

Two years ago, I was on the Student Recruitment Committee of The Museum School, a charter school that struggles to enroll families of lesser financial means. We were under pressure from the county and state to diversify, not in terms of race, but in terms of socio-economic background. Some parents were nervous about the prospect of the school becoming more diverse. They liked the school the way it was and did not think the student body needed to change.

I had researched school diversity extensively over the years when I was an education reporter, so I wrote a white paper summarizing the research on school diversity. Research consistently points to positive outcomes for students from families of means in schools serving students from diverse backgrounds. But parents often have a hard time believing this is the case. They feel like a school where almost all the kids come from economically stable homes is the safer bet.

I am posting the white paper because economic diversity in schools has grown into a bigger issue in recent years, here in Atlanta and elsewhere. I thought the research might prove useful. I would like to note that language has evolved in recent years, and I now cringe at my use of the term minority instead of people of color. But the general findings that diverse schools are healthy and positive for most students have been consistent through the years.

OMG Full Frontal with Samantha Bee featured us ... and gave us a HUGE gift!

In one of the more surreal moments of my life and career, “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee” contacted El Refugio, the organization I work, and offered us to feature us on their holiday special and buy us a house. And there weren’t any strings attached. And everyone associated with the show was so gracious. And the house is so perfect for our needs. I still can’t believe it happened.

Watch our segment here.

Read about it here.

Immigrant detention: immigrant abuse meets mass incarceration

I first learned of El Refugio in 2014, when the Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University, the organization I worked for at the time, put on a conference about immigration. Marie Marquardt, the organization’s board chair emeritus, mentioned El Refugio while on a panel discussing immigrant detention, a horror I did not know existed.

She explained that El Refugio was a ministry of hospitality, providing visitation to immigrants detained at Stewart Detention Center in the rural and isolated Lumpkin, Georgia, and free accommodations and meals to the friends and family members of detainees. I thought this was such a beautiful concept, so gracious and giving, a shining light of kindness amid dark circumstances.

When a job opportunity at El Refugio surfaced four years later, I jumped! Now I am learning all about immigrant detention and the network of privately operated civil prisons spread around the country that house more than 110,000 immigrants. The best sources for information are Freedom for Immigrants, and this publication by Project South.

I am so honored to work with detained immigrants and their families and to get the opportunity to educate myself about the gross violation of human rights going on right in my state. (Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms stopped detaining immigrants on behalf of ICS in Atlanta shortly after taking office.)

I will share more as I learn more…

This little yellow house is where the inherent kindness of El Refugio unfolds. We provide accommodation and meals to families who are visiting loved ones at Stewart Detention Center, which is right down the street.

She asked for books, and she got 15,000 books

A mom in a struggling California town posted requests for books on two online writer's groups, and she ended up receiving more than 15,000 books for the local school library. Books, says Garcia, offer a world beyond the isolation that can breed intolerance. "I hear sweet kids say stupid things about Asian Americans and Chicanos. A little diverse information could go a long way in helping stem rural American racism, sexism, and homophobia." 

Indian Valley Academy has not had a librarian since 1997. 

Khloe's care packages

I love this story about an 8-year-old girl who makes bags filled with essentials for homeless women. Makes me want to break out my sewing machine!