So therewerea lot ofteacherswhowerelike, "She'snevergoingtomake it. Shehasanissuewithauthority. She'snotgoingto goanywhere."TED소리듣기그곳에도이런 선생님들이많이계셨어요. "그아이는졸업하지못할거야. 학교에서문제아야. 어느대학도가지못할거야." 라는분들이요.
Ineededteachers, intheclassroom, every day, whoweregoingtosay, "Youcanmovebeyondthat." Andunfortunately, thelocaljunior highwasnotgoingtoofferthat. Itwasgang-infested, hugeteacherturnover rate. Somymomsaid, "You'regoing onabusanhourand a halfaway fromwhereweliveevery day." Soforthenexttwoyears, that'swhatIdid. Itookaschool bustothefancysideoftown. Andeventually, Iendedupat a schoolwheretherewasamixture. Thereweresomepeoplewhowerereallygang-affiliated, and thentherewerethoseofusreallytryingtomake it tohigh school. Well, tryingtostay out of troublewasa littleunavoidable. Youhadtosurvive. Youjusthadto dothingssometimes. So therewerea lot ofteacherswhowerelike, "She'snevergoingtomake it. Shehasanissuewithauthority. She'snotgoingto goanywhere." Someteacherscompletelywrotemeoffasalost cause. But then, theywereverysurprisedwhenIgraduatedfromhigh school. Iwasacceptedto Pepperdine University, andIcamebackto the sameschoolthatIattendedto beaspecialedassistant. And thenItoldthem, "Iwantto beateacher."TED소리듣기저는선생님이필요했답니다. 교실에서그것도매일 "너는저것을넘을수있어." 이런말을해줄 사람말이죠. 하지만불행히도, 지역중학교는그런것을제공해주지않았습니다. 그곳은 갱들로들끓었고, 선생님들의이직률이높았습니다. 그래서어머니는말했습니다. "버스로매일우리집에서한시간반정도거리로통학해라." 다음 2년동안, 정말어머니말씀대로했습니다. 저는스쿨버스를타고멋진시내로갔습니다. 결국, 저는여러 사람들이혼재하는그런학교에도착했습니다. 그곳에는진짜로갱에소속된 사람들도있었고, 또한정말로고등학교를졸업하고싶은 사람들도있었습니다. 글쎄요, 문제를피하려고노력하는것도때론불가피했습니다. 여러분들도살아남아야한다면가끔어쩔수없이해야하는 것들이있습니다. 그곳에도이런 선생님들이많이계셨어요. "그아이는졸업하지못할거야. 학교에서문제아야. 어느대학도가지못할거야." 라는분들이요. 몇몇 선생님들은저를완전히가망이없다고여겼습니다. 그러나그들은이내놀랐습니다. 제가고등학교를졸업할때, 저는페퍼다인대학에입학했고제가다녔던그고등학교에돌아와서특별조교가되었습니다. 그리고그들에게말했죠, "선생님이되고싶습니다."