VOICE & AGENCY | ILLUSTRATIONS Journals College resumes Public speaking Public writing Graduation tributes See also related student and staff commentary Sustained Relationships Real World Learning Reflection and Accountability Home

3.0    Public speaking

The Met encourages all students, even those who are shy or reluctant, to speak in front of public audiences. At the opening ceremonies (Dec. ’02) for The Met’s new campus, an event that included Rhode Island’s governor along with leading business and political figures, two Met students spoke. Here’s what one said:

Hello my name is Jesse. My freshman and sophomore year I attended [the local high school]. While I wasn’t nearly failing, I felt frustrated that my effort did not show through in my grades. My junior year I entered The Met. My expectations were not clear, but I was very excited about a different kind of learning experience, a learning experience that promised a chance to explore my interests. At [my old shool] the bell dictated my day. For an environment that is meant to prepare kids for the “real world,” an environment meant to lay the groundwork for our democracy, it actually reflected our real world very little, or at least I hoped this to be true. At The Met I found that I was right. I was given a blank canvas, I scheduled my day, I made my education my own. I dove into books I was interested in and I explored subjects that I was passionate about. My first quarter I continued to be surprised that not only did they allow me to do what I wanted, but they encouraged me to. Most schools seem to believe that kids do not want to learn; The Met recognizes that kids do, and further more that learning is not something that can be prevented. Through facilitating real world experiences students naturally learn. Early in the second quarter, I entered my real world experience. My internship at Jobs with Justice was life changing. It provided me with the most intense learning of my school career. At The Met students learn what they want to; because they want to. This is unlike any other school. Because of this my learning was internalized, NOT memorized. My project was to create a documentary about the exploitation of a group of immigrant fish processing workers. My learning ranged from researching the National Labor Relations Act and Board, to the artistic and technical side of video production. Possibly, the most important and valuable attribute of The Met is its community. Advisors at The Met know students personally and truly care about each of them. Within weeks of entering I became close friends with my entire advisory. The Met advisories are diverse in every way: and alone offer a learning experience worth changing schools for. At The Met we learn from our peers, are provided opportunities by our peers, and are supported by our peers. The growth and division of campuses has made it important to work to preserve the close relationships found in the student body. The first few weeks have gone well; I have had access to both a small student body for personalized learning, and to a large student body that provides vast resources. I have been asked what kind of kid should go to The Met. All kids should go to The Met. The Met is not only for kids who stand up to authority, or for “college bound” kids, or for artists, mechanics, mathematicians, scientists, writers. It’s not only for these kids, it’s for all kids. This wide group of students creates the diverse learning environment, which is The Met. So I stand here in this new space, a very beautiful space, and I am very appreciative—and excited about making it our own. In the same way we have made this school, our individual learning, and our community our own.

4.0    Public writing

The writing of Met students frequently circulates well beyond the school’s walls, as handbook,s and research papers or on the pages of the state’s journal of youth poetry and expression (The Muzine published by AS220). Occasionally, the writing of Met students also reaches a national audience.

In the Fall 2002 issue of the Coalition of Essential School’s Horace, Met senior Laura Hughes writes about individualizing her own learning. Click here to read

In the March 2002 issue of Youth Today, Misty Wilson, a Met graduate currently enrolled at Brown University, writes about precariousness and hope in an autobiographical essay, “How a Family Turns.” Click here to read

5.0    Graduation tributes

As Met seniors receive their diploma at graduation, their advisor summarizes what’s made them special. As one graduate said, “We’re all the success story here.” The following advisor graduation tributes come from The Met video, Learning Journeys.

From Juan's advisor ... Juan and I had the distinct pleasure of seeing and listening to Saul Williams speak at Harvard University. He talked about the power of words, the spell they cast on people. And I think more than any student that I know, Juan possesses this ability, to be able to use words in a way where they can cast—they can cast spells, where they can really provide power. Juan has been a passionate defender of The Met culture, this culture of respect and safety. There has been a willingness to share his mistakes, his history, to benefit other people. I’m proud of his direction, his example for others to follow. His classmates said, We will never forget you. You really made an impact in our lives. A huge inspiration to us, your courage to stick with the school—you realized that it was more important than the streets. Congratulations. From Raysa's advisor. So I’m walking into the courthouse one day, where Raysa has her internship with a state Supreme Court justice. Raysa sits by the judge’s bench while lawyers present their cases. This seems fitting, to see her sit next to the first African-American woman Supreme Court justice in Rhode Island. Raysa’s a natural leader with a penchant and talent for law. Seven college classes later, she has almost completed the requirements for a paralegal degree, but why stop there? She interned with the Attorney General’s office, but she wants to know, How much higher can I go? Her first internship at the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade was a springboard for Raysa and she has thrived. I’m sad to watch her go, but excited to see how far she’ll climb. Congratulations. From Priscilla's advisor. She’s memorized every nerve, muscle and bone in the body, learned to write beautiful poetic prose, mastered high-level algebra, learned how to calligraphy in many fonts. She has taken seven college classes, spoken at conferences and influenced in a positive way almost every facet of The Met. She has pursued her interest in poetry, physical therapy, and medicine; she has boundless potential. She will be deeply missed. Congratulations.