One of the many take home lessons from the career development events — find a sponsor who takes an active interest and advocates for you when you’re not in the room. I learned this lesson in elementary school and recently had the chance to thank one of my first sponsors.
My fourth grade class with Mrs. Meador.
Mrs. Meador was not only my fourth grade teacher, but also a neighbor to my family when we integrated a neighborhood in 1987. To say that I felt lost at the beginning of my fourth grade year is quite an understatement. New state. New town. New neighborhood and new school. All of this newness was overwhelming for a nine-year-old, especially one who preferred written words to spoken ones.
Mrs. Meador and me earlier this month.
In Mississippi, I had always been in the advanced classes, but without my academic records, my new school didn’t know where to place me. I thankfully ended up in Mrs. Meador’s homeroom class and stayed with her throughout the day. While we were doing a round robin of reading one day, Mrs. Meador stopped me mid-sentence and asked whether I’d been good in my classes at my old school. Too shy to say much, I simply nodded my head “yes.” Based on her intuition and my “word,” she moved me into the academically gifted classes, where I stayed throughout high school. For Mrs. Meador, this was simply her job, but the redirection helped pave the way for the rest of my academic career. Also, I felt seen for one of the first times since I left Mississippi.
Last week, while back in that little town for the first time in over 30 years, I knocked on Mrs. Meador’s door and thanked her. She remembered the exact house my family lived in and wanted to hear about my continued success. I had hesitated getting out of the car, but am so glad I gathered the courage to knock on her door and finally chat.