I remember growing up in a low-income, single-parent household. My mom would work long days and weekends to be able to make ends meet and put food on our table.
There were many things we would go without. I remember the feeling of embarrassment when I would show up to school with holes in my pants or shoes. I remember how unstable my home life felt. But there was one place in my world that I could just be a kid and that was at school.
When I showed up at school my teachers treated me with compassion and love. I wasn’t judged for what I was wearing or wasn’t wearing – finally a place I felt comfortable.
My teachers inspired me to dream big, set goals and focus on what steps I needed to take to achieve those goals. Those same teachers struggled with relatively low pay, limited resources and schools that were busting at the seams. But they never let their stress show. They showed up every day ready to educate the next generation of leaders.
Today, because of them, I work at the State Capitol. I have the honor and privilege to work on policy that directly impacts those up and coming leaders. I am here because of those teachers and schools in Kent that never gave up on me. They constantly pushed me harder and harder until I knew in my heart that I could achieve greatness.
Now I fear for those students that come behind me – our schools don’t have the resources to give them the best education possible. I fear that students who have backgrounds like mine will fall through the cracks and choose a lifestyle that will also end up in the paper but for different reasons.
We have the opportunity in Kent to show our kids, all of our kids, that they are worth it. I don’t have kids of my own but I know the kids in our community are worth the investment, and I am willing to pay a little bit more to ensure their successful future.
Please join me in voting yes on the Kent School District levy. We tell our kids they can be anything they want when they grow up – now it is time for us to put our money where our mouth is. Vote yes.
– Bailey Stober
• Editor’s note: Typos have been corrected since the initial posting of the letter.
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