The following spoken word poem was written and performed by Sidra, a Pathways to Education alum, about the unlimited potential of young people.
Students, peers, and youth alike, we have been trying for so long. To be done school,
to be independent, to be living on our own, to be earning a salary.
We have been hustling, and we are burned out. But, remember that we can overcome
anything. We have been underestimated for far too long. We are not less than, we are more than anyone can ever imagine.
So, we must call ourselves amazing, successful, intelligent, anything but a failure. Because we are people of achievement, and of greatness, and of drive.
So, let’s continue to strive for excellence, because we are the role models, athletes, and politicians of tomorrow. We can also be the chefs, entrepreneurs, and social support workers.
And we are people to look up to, because we are the epitome of inspiration.
We have felt the aches of backpacks, and textbooks. The pressure of achievement and expectation. But these growing pains haven’t been all for naught.
Our growing pains have transitioned us from molehill to mountain. If we could physically feel all of the support and love around us, we would pressurize from rock to diamond. But it looks like that already happened. I see diamonds all around me.
Our potential radiates off of us as if we are stars. And we are. We’re the next Einsteins, Malalas, and Viola Desmonds.
As we work towards our dreams, we must remember that we are the future. And whether that sentence sounds inspirational, or scary, know that we have people standing by our side, wanting the best for us.
They want to see us succeed, and yes, that’s exactly what we will do.