>> MY NAME IS LISA MEAD, I AM FROM EFFINGHAM,
KANSAS AND I AM A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE
STUDENT.
WHEN I FIRST STARTED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL I LIVED
NEAR NORTONVILLE, KANSAS, IN BETWEEN NORTONVILLE
AND CUMMINGS, AND THEN WHEN I GOT OUT OF HIGH
SCHOOL, I NOW LIVE IN EFFINNGHAM, KANSAS,
WHICH IS, LIKE, 10 MINUTES FROM WHERE I USED
TO LIVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I USED TO REALLY WANT TO
DO WAS BE AN ARCHAEOLOGIST.
I DON'T LIKE BUG, I DON'T REAL LIKE DIRT,
I DON'T WORKING IN THE HEAT AND I WAS LIKE
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A GOOD IDEA.
BUT I HAD ALWAYS LOVED HISTORY, SO I WAS LIKE
WHAT PROFESSION COULD I DO SOMETHING THAT
HAS TO DO WITH HISTORY.
AS I GOT OLDER AND INTO HIGH SCHOOL, I STARTED
BABY SITTING AND I FOUND OUT I LOVE WORKING
WITH KIDS.
I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TEACH KIDS ABOUT
HISTORY AND I WANT TO SEE IF I CAN MAKE THEM
REALIZE THAT HISTORY IS A FUN TOPIC.
ALL MY FAVORITE TEACHERS WERE HISTORY TEACHERS.
MY SOPHOMORE YEAR AND MY SENIOR YEAR I HAD
THE SAME TEACHER.
HER NAME WAS MS.
HANSON AND SHE WAS GREAT.
SHE WAS VERY DEDICATED TO HER WORK.
SHE WOULD BE THERE TO HELP YOU AND SHE WAS
THAT TEACHER WHO IF I WAS HAVING A BAD DAY,
SHE WOULD LET ME TALK TO HER.
SHE COULD TELL WHEN SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
LIKE, I WANT TO BE THAT PERSON WHERE IF YOU
NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING, IF IT'S JUST
YOU'RE HAVING THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE AND
YOU DON'T THINK IT'S EVER GOING TO GET BETTER
AND YOU JUST NEED TO VENT, I WANT TO BE THAT
TEACHER WHERE MY DOOR IS OPEN.
I WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO COME IN AND FEEL
COMFORTABLE TALKING TO ME.
THE KIDS THAT QUOTE UNQUOTE NOBODY WANTS ARE
THE KIDS THAT I HAVE THE SOFT SPOT FOR.
>> EVER SINCE SHE WAS SMALL, SHE WAS ALWAYS
FOR THE UNDER DOG.
SHE'S ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP EVERYBODY.
AND I THINK THAT WILL HELP HER.
I DO.
>> THE KID THAT HAVE THE MORE TROUBLED PAST,
THE MORE TROUBLED BACKGROUND, ESPECIALLY IF
IT'S A FAMILY PROBLEM.
I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM A LITTLE
BIT, AND SO I KNOW THAT TO THEM IT'S A BIG
DEAL.
HAVING SOMEBODY TO ACCEPT YOU OR HAVING A
PLACE WHERE YOU FEEL OKAY AND ACCEPTED IS
ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU POSSIBLY GIVE
SOMEBODY.
IN ONE WORD I FEEL LIKE MY CHILDHOOD IS WAS
KIND OF VERY TRAGIC, AT THE BEGINNING ESPECIALLY.
I MOVED AROUND A LOT AFTER MY MOM PASSED AWAY.
>> HER MOTHER WAS KILLED.
AND THAT WAS WHEN SHE WAS FOUR.
SO OF COURSE I WAS THE ONE THAT HAD TO GO
PICK HER UP FROM THE DAY CARE AFTER WE GOT
WORD OF HER MOTHER'S ACCIDENT, AND BRING HER
BACK TO MY HOUSE.
SO THEN SHE WAS WITH ME FOR ABOUT ALMOST ANOTHER
MONTH BEFORE HER DAD MOVED HER OUT THEN AND
TOOK HER OUT ON HER OWN.
>> BUT, UM, MY FATHER WAS NOT A VERY GOOD
PERSON OR A VERY GOOD PARENT.
WHEN I WAS EIGHT, A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENED
AND I ALMOST DROWNED.
MY DAD DECIDED WELL, FINE, WE'RE GOING TO
PUT YOU UP FOR ADOPTION AND SO HE GAVE MY
MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER FIRST CHANCE AND IF SHE
WOULD HAVE SAID NO I WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN
SENT TO THE OREGON FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
SO MY GRANDMA ADOPTED ME LEGALLY WHEN I WAS
EIGHT AND IT KIND OF FEEL LIKE A LONELY CHILDHOOD,
I THINK FOR ME.
IT WAS BETTER.
THERE WAS LOT LESS PHYSICAL ABUSE, BUT IT
WAS STILL REALLY HARD EMOTIONALLY BECAUSE
SHE WASN'T OUT RIGHTLY LOVING.
AND SO I JUST GOT TO THE POINT WHERE I WOULD
COME HOME FROM SCHOOL, I WOULD STAY IN MY
ROOM, ALL DAY.
WELL, I DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF HELP GETTING
TO COLLEGE.
THE FAMILY THAT I BABY SAT FOR MY SOPHOMORE
YEAR ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUMMER AFTER MY
FRESHMAN YEAR OF COLLEGE, THEY HELPED ME WITH
HOW TO FIND THE APPLICATIONS TO THE SCHOOLS
AND APPLY.
>> I WAS ASKING HER IF SHE HAD DONE ANY SCHOLARSHIPS,
IF SHE HAD HAD SHE APPLIED TO COLLEGE YET,
AND SHE DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HOW TO GO ABOUT
DOING THAT.
>> WHEN I GOT IN, I WAS SO EXCITED AND I,
LIKE, RAN TO TELL EVERYBODY.
>> SHE WAS VERY EXCITED AND THRILLED AND BOUNCING
ALL OVER THE PLACE.
>> IT WASN'T ONLY I GOT INTO MY DREAM SCHOOL,
BUT IT WAS I CAN LEAVE HERE AND GO SOMEWHERE
ELSE.
AND DO WHAT I WANT TO DO.
AND BE MYSELF.
AND SO IT WAS GREAT OVERALL, IT WAS JUST A
REALLY GREAT DAY WHEN I GOT THAT LETTER.
MY MOM WAS GOING TO BE A TEACHER BEFORE SHE
HAD TO DROP OUT.
>> I THINK TRYING TO DO WHAT SHE THOUGHT HER
MOTHER WOULD HAVE WANTED HER TO DO WAS PART
OF HER DREAM.
>> WHEN I WAS YOUNGER I FELT GUILTY.
YOU KNOW, WHY AM I HERE, AND MY MOM IS NOT.
SO PART OF IT KIND OF GREW OUT F THAT.
BUT IT BECAME I WANT TO LIVE A LIFE THAT MY
MOM WOULD BE HAPPY.
TO KNOW THAT'S HER DAUGHTER.
AS I WAS GROWING UP JUST KNOWING THAT I HAD
SOMEBODY TO TALK TO, EVEN IF IT WAS ONE TEACHER
AND IT WAS LIKE ONCE EVERY THREE WEEK THAT
I ACTUALLY MANAGED TO GET IN A WORD IN WITH
THAT TEACHER.
THAT KEPT ME GOING.
A LOT OF TIMES JUST KNOWING THAT SOMEBODY
CARED.
