Original Freedom Writer speaks to El Dorado students
From living on the streets as an 11 year old to working to inspire students and teachers to make a positive impact on each other, Manny Scott hasn’t had a simple life.
Scott, one of the original Freedom Writers who the 2007 movie by the same name was based on, came to El Dorado for two days to speak with teachers and students at Barton Middle School and El Dorado High School.
The Freedom Writers were a group of students inspired by their English teacher to write about the challenges they faced in their lives. Their writings were published and became a best-seller.
The district spent $25,000 to bring Scott.
He spent Monday with teachers from the two schools doing professional development, both in a group and as smaller groups for each of the schools.
“One of the things that he said that impressed me was that we as educators need to become students of our students, that we need to know that they each have a story,” said Alva Reibe, EHS principal. “And that they each deserve a person who cares about them and is going to support them and help them move forward. That was the main message I got, just how powerful our jobs are.”
On Tuesday, Scott spent time with students. He did
an assembly with all Barton students in the morning and went to EHS in the afternoon. His focus was on showing the students that they aren’t alone when they’re going through hard times.
He did this by having students stand up who are being raised by a single parent or a guardian, those whose parents or guardians have dealt with alcoholism or drug addiction, those who have seen abuse in their household and those who have been depressed or suicidal.
Students at both schools stood with each question with at least some crying.
After going through the list of questions, Scott gave the students time to comfort each other and thank those who had been with them when they needed somebody.
Scott spoke on losing his mother at a young age while living with an abusive father, living on the streets as a preteen and being exposed to drugs and alcohol at that time. He mentioned losing friends to gang violence and dropping out after one semester of freshman year.
He was sitting on a park bench in Long Beach, California when an older man sat down next to him and encouraged Scott to continue with school and try to get out of the gangs, violence and drugs.
Scott has now earned a master’s degree and is working on his Ph.D. He’s married with three kids, who he has traveled to Italy and Egypt with. He’s earning his piloting license and flew himself and his family to El Dorado. He now travels around the country talking at schools, conventions and prisons about having a positive impact on others lives and helping people understand that they aren’t alone.
“Each day is a page in our life’s story,” Scott said in a release. “We hide those stories, maybe live in fear of others reading them. But seeing how much detail our stories share gives us license to close that chapter with control, not fear. Then we start a new chapter — and that transforms not just lives, but organizations, departments, classrooms and schools.”
Michael Shine may be reached at 870-862-6611 or mshine@eldoradonews.com. Follow him on Twitter and like him on Facebook @ MichaelAZShine for updates on Union County school news.