“After all I’ve been through, I’m fortunate to be here alive today. I’ve had heart surgery. I’ve been shot multiple times. I’ve lost close friends. It got to the point where I didn’t care about life anymore. I was done. I...
“I grew up with messed-up feet. They were real club-footed, like turned in. To help fix them, I had to wear these casts that went all the way up my legs. When I was 8, they cut them down to below...
“When I was 6, Mom took me and my brothers to this little Italian guy who played a ton of instruments. He said, ‘What instrument do you like?’ I said, ‘Oh, I want to play drums.’ Instantly, I was drawn to...
“My mom loved coffee. Starting when I was 7 or 8, I would make her a cup every morning. Back then, we had Folgers instant. I’d heat up the water in the microwave and mix it in. “Growing up, we always...
“I don’t do too much of nothing these days. Work around the house. Come out here to the park and watch the water. Just relaxing. I’m 74. Sometimes I think about going back to work. I get kind of bored. “My...
“In the same way that physical education is mandated in schools, I would like to see mental health education become a policy in schools as well. I would love for every single person who steps onto a school campus — students...
“Unless kids feel safe and loved, they’re not going to perform to the best of their abilities academically. That’s true for adults as well. We’re not going to perform professionally unless we all feel loved and secure. My personal way of...
“I was a newcomer teacher. I taught high school students who were just coming to this country and learning English. But it was much more than teaching them English. It was creating a community of belongingness for these new Americans, many...
“I’m divorced. My ex-wife and I share our daughter evenly. And I thank God for my profession. As an ICU nurse working the night shift, I’m able to set up my schedule so I can spend the most time possible with...
“I’m a registered nurse. I work the ICU. I’ve been doing it for five years now. And I love it. Because being a nurse embodies some of the same principles as being Spiderman. “I tell people that I have two uniforms,...
