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Excerpted from a speech by NYC Outward Bound Schools 8th Grader Aissatou Diallo

My name is Aissatou Diallo, and I am an 8th grade student at Launch, an NYC Outward Bound School. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Early on in my childhood, my mother and father got divorced. We went from New Jersey to Columbus, Ohio, to New York City without my father. When we finally settled in Brooklyn, I spent a few years bouncing around from school to school trying to find a place that I could truly call my academic home.

Aissatou Diallo

Before I found Launch, I was at a neighborhood school where each student was expected to learn the same way. Even as a fifth grader, I could tell I was in a place where I was being pushed down, discouraged from believing I was good enough for a great education. I couldn’t look to my teachers, because as young as I was, I could tell they didn’t expect much from me. Many times, I didn’t even try to understand what I was learning. My teachers didn’t believe in me, so I didn’t believe in myself.

No student can truly prosper in an environment like that, and I certainly didn’t. So, as you can imagine, I did not return to that school the next year. Instead, I found Launch, and enrolled there in 6th grade, and it has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.

My experience at Launch has been life-changing. My creativity, and not JUST my ability to memorize facts and figures, is a crucial part of my learning. My teachers consider my opinion when deciding what I need, and they work really hard to make sure every student feels connected to the materials we are learning. I’m not just reading and writing, I’m doing experiments, doing fieldwork, learning in and outside of the classroom, and relating everything I learn to the real world. Relating what I’m learning to the real world assures me that everything my teachers are teaching me is important, and knowing that pushes me to excel in ways I never thought I would.

I want to tell you about a powerful play that stands out as one of the moments I realized what makes NYC Outward Bound Schools so special.

Last year in 7th Grade at Launch, I read a play called “A Raisin In The Sun” by Lorraine Hansberry. “A Raisin in The Sun” had a big impact on me — it was one of the first times I saw my history, as a black student, represented so vividly. I was really moved. The play taught me so many powerful lessons and made me curious about my identity. The fact that I was given the opportunity to read it in a classroom made it all the more meaningful: MY history was being taught in class. Reading “‘A Raisin in the Sun” with my peers made me closely consider my own identity as a young black woman, and our classroom became a safe place to discuss my questions. At Launch, teachers listen to me, they don’t just lecture me. What’s more is that the history I learn is not a single-sided story.

There is a line from “A Raisin in the Sun” that reminds me of my teachers at Launch. It reads:

“When do you think is the time to love somebody the most… It’s when he’s at his lowest and can’t believe in himself because the world done whipped him so.”

That’s exactly what my teachers have done for me, and everyone else in our school. Their belief in our ability to excel lifts us up. Their commitment to making our education the most relevant, exciting and meaningful one possible inspires all of us to come to school each day.

Launch is just one example of how impactful NYC Outward Bound Schools are. They offer an amazing combination of great curriculum, great teachers, and unforgettable real-life experiences. At NYC Outward Bound Schools like Launch, there is an understanding that any and every student can succeed.

After the amazing journey I’ve had with Launch, I am proud to say that this September, I will be attending Choate Rosemary Hall. I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of NYC Outward Bound Schools; they truly brought out the amazing scholar in me.

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