Students from University Heights and Fieldston are just six miles apart, but the students live very different lives from one another. They’ve come together to share their stories with each other:
MARIENELY: “People in my community have welfare and Section 8. My family doesn’t receive that aid anymore, but we once did, so I know how it feels to let people know you receive help from the government. Sometimes I get stressed just seeing my mother working so hard to get me what I want and need. The only thing she asks for is for me to do great in school, but I wish I could get a job to help her out. She’s my motivation in life.”
ASHLEY: “I am a TEAK Fellow at Fieldston. TEAK is an organization that helps low-income students gain admission to prestigious private high schools and colleges. I wish conversations about class and wealth would happen at Fieldston, but socioeconomic status is one of the hardest things to have open conversations about. How do you make people feel safe and included without being too vulnerable?”
