This Tech High School senior, Fiona Lee, is ready to go anywhere after graduation. “Anywhere in Africa, Asia or South America– places where people would be too scared to go. That’s where I want to go.”
Lee grew up in Brainerd, Minnesota. She describes her childhood as being “not very diverse.” When she moved to the St. Cloud area a few years ago and attended Sauk Rapids, there was considerably more diversity, but she felt as though she just didn’t fit in. When the opportunity arose to study abroad in Finland during the last trimester of her sophomore year, she jumped at the chance and loved it.
During her middle-school years, Lee enrolled in CareerONE, a youth summer employment skills program through St. Cloud Technical Community College. She was in a group of students where she found herself in the minority.
“I’ve always been for diversity and inclusiveness. That’s the way I was raised,” explains Lee. “This was the first time I felt uncomfortable. … Now I understand where insecurities may come from.”
She worked to get to know the 20 students in her group.
“They were the greatest people I’ve ever met,” remembers Lee. “They’re from Somalia and Ethiopia. They are so funny and made me laugh. … They were so cool.”
The experience is what clinched her decision to attend Tech High School for her junior and senior year. She craved more diversity.
“It was at that point that I knew I wanted to do something that can bring people together,” says Lee. “We’re all people. We’re all here together.”
Lee discovered the Work Experience Program through St. Cloud Area School District, a program that allows students to be employed and learn job skills while earning high school credit. Teaching younger students is one of those opportunities.
She began on the second day of school working in an English Language (EL) classroom at South Junior High School. She was nervous at first being placed with middle-level students. However, her fears were quickly set aside.
“It’s so cool,” exclaims Lee. “I love coming here. It’s the best part of my day…. They count on me to be here.”
Lee has developed relationships with all of the students in the class. They squeal with delight when she walks in the room shouting, “Miss Fiona! Miss Fiona’s here!”
She tells of a boy in her class who wouldn’t engage at the beginning of the year. He had difficulty writing and reading. With one-on-one help from Lee, the student began to engage by asking questions, writing notes, participating and presenting to the class.
“After coming here, I can’t even imagine seeing myself doing anything else, honestly,” smiles Lee. “My dream would be to go to other countries and places where education isn’t necessarily a big part of their lives.”
Lee has already decided that she will be focusing on intercultural studies while in college with the goal of becoming an EL teacher. Her experience with students astounds her. The students have impressed upon her just how far they’ve come this school year.
As the school year winds down, she’s saddened to move on to her next stage in life because she’ll miss the students so much.
“The impact on me has been so strong. They just pour into me,” says Lee. “This [experience] has opened my eyes more than anything. It’s made me want to be a better person. At the end of the day, no matter what, it’s that I want to be a kind person. Yeah, that’s what I want.”
And she’ll go anywhere to do just that.
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