Elizabeth A. Leib

by Elizabeth A. Leib

PBS first aired a report about California high school students whose families are in crisis last week and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. The video they produced is a compliation of their individual stories. They talk very personally about the struggles they and their families are going through. Some are facing eviction and/or don’t have enough to eat. All are having trouble figuring out how they can manage or justify a college education; torn by the desire pursue their dreams.

What they are going through is sad, yet their stories are becoming more and more familiar. The video titled, “Is Anybody Listening?” should be required viewing at the beginning of each congressional session where the economy/Wall Street is the subject.

When Obama conducted a town hall last week in California, he paid a visit to the school to talk with the students and dispel their fears about not being heard. The PBS report concludes with Village Academy students talking about how they are working together on solutions by sharing information on local food banks and reaching out to other students who are struggling.

I admire their resourcefulness, courage and sense of community. Those students who don’t give into despair will gain invaluable life skills. If only they didn’t have to acquire these skills at such a tender age.