Emily, High School Student, CA
I think the most important thing I'm learning [in school] right now is that what you want to do in your life could be hard, but if you really put your mind to it, if you just try and put a lot of effort into it, you can probably do it one day.
Emily is a high school student in California. She was interviewed by a fellow student, James, as part of a #schoolpartnership #studentvoice project with REENVISIONED, in which students interview each other and adults in their lives, and reflect together on school and what makes a good life.
Tell me about yourself, How would your friends describe you?
I think they would say i’m outgoing and silly.
What would you like the role of school to be in helping you have a good life?
I would like school to teach me things that would help me later on in my life, for when I'm grown up, like how to budget my money and prepare for a career.
Why do you think we have schools as a society?
I think we have schools as a society because adults need a place for their kids to go when they're at work. I also think that people would like everyone to be at least a little bit educated for the good of society, and students are the future so we want them to be educated.
What do you think is the most important thing you're learning in school?
I think the most important thing I'm learning right now is that what you want to do in your life could be hard, but if you really put your mind to it, if you just try and put a lot of effort into it, you can probably do it one day. Thats what I've been learning recently.
Could you tell me a time when you learned something and it felt really good and empowering like you just wanted to keep learning more?
Yeah, When I was in Biology. I was learning about the black hole, just space in general, and I was so interested and intrigued that I didn't want to stop learning about it and watching really fascinating videos of space, I was just really interested.
Who has been your favorite teacher until now?
My favorite teacher was probably Mr. Dillis because he was really funny and kind but he also had a strict side if you didn't get your work done. He just really tried to help you get an A in the class.
What is something you feel like adults should know when they are working with high school students?
I think adults should remember to keep it entertaining and fun for students, because no one minds learning its just when it gets boring kids start to not listen and get distracted.
10,000 Stories. One Shared Vision.
REENVISIONED is a national movement to redefine the purpose of school. We believe schools should foster flourishing individuals and a thriving democratic society. But what does it mean to thrive or flourish?
To answer this, we're building the world's largest collection of stories about what it means to live good lives and the role schools should play in helping create them: 10,000 stories from people across the country. We'll use the stories to learn about our shared values and dreams and to create a new vision for why we send our children to school.
We work with people like YOU across the country: Catalysts - individuals, classrooms, schools, and community organizations - who interview people in their communities and foster empathy nationwide by sharing the stories on our website and social media: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (@reenvisioned).