I worshipped the ground Bethany walked on (Picture: Simon Ashton) Whenever I had a bad day, I dreaded trudging home, up a hill, in the dark. Then I’d remember my daughter, Bethany, was waiting for me and I’d think ‘everything’s not so bad’. I couldn’t wait to see her beaming smile and hear her laugh. …
When I left Alabama for college in the Northeast, I was wearing the most neutral of disguises. My wardrobe consisted of tops and miniskirts belonging to the girl-next-door aesthetic, found at mall stores like the Limited and Gap. I unintentionally had a characterless accent—a vaguely coastal one possibly born from the dissonance between the Southern…
I first queued as a teenager in 2005, and arrived at around 2am wildly unprepared (Picture: Lydia King) The Venn diagram of those who believe they can wrangle a pop-up tent back into its bag consists of mavericks and fools. Head to Wimbledon Park at 5am on any given morning throughout the Championships and you…
I stand against women being detained (Picture: Simon Tang) Once again, I was woken at 4:00am in my room at Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre. I was put in the back of a van and driven for around six hours to an airport, where I was told I’d be deported. It’s difficult to describe the…
I worshipped the ground Bethany walked on (Picture: Simon Ashton) Whenever I had a bad day, I dreaded trudging home, up a hill, in the dark. Then I’d remember my daughter, Bethany, was waiting for me and I’d think ‘everything’s not so bad’. I couldn’t wait to see her beaming smile and hear her laugh. …
First Person is where Chalkbeat features personal essays by educators, students, parents, and others thinking and writing about public education. The night I returned to New York City at age 5, the city felt surreal — bustling, vibrant, and intimidating. As my parents, older sister, and I got into the taxi, the city lights appeared…
When I was 14, I met a handsome boy from another school at a neon-themed rave. He was athletic; tall and muscular, on the school’s rugby team. I was perpetually picked last to join every team. The asymmetry was perfect. I was obsessed. A few weeks later, over text, he asked me whether I wanted…