the best slave

Posted by Daniela Elza on Aug 07 2010

Erica Goldson speaks as Valedictorian at her graduation ceremony:

But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.

Thank goodness for her tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan.
Why such a rare breed?

Lots could be said here. But I won’t. I think Erica said it well. Enjoy her speech. As she put it in her words
“I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored.”

Too bad I do not see the speech on the Coxsackie highschool website.


One Response to “the best slave”

  1. Rose Says:

    I was very much like this “best slave,” in high school and to some degree in university. Then I started to go wrong…! (Right? Well, wrong first, & still going….)

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