Two Paths to Success click the image below to play video
I made this video in a graduate course at UW Bothell called, "Education and the American Dream" where we deconstructed the mythology of the American Dream and the implications of social and economic mobility.
This piece explores my own academic journey and love for learning while paralleling my dad's journey of his own definition of success without a college degree. He gained knowledge by "doing." His hard work and determination led to his achievements as a blue collar business owner, master carpenter, and dedicated single father.
I wrote the script below as a poem.
Two Paths to Success [script]
My dad always says, “I don’t know where you get that love for school, it sure wasn’t from me.” I’ve loved school ever since I can remember I can still see the inside of my elementary school classrooms The way the teachers dressed, their voices, the songs we sang, subjects studied Drawings of Dinosaurs and the Great Pyramids swim in my head School became a place where I thrived School hallways and sidewalks became paths to success, wonder, achievement I found my desire for learning inside this place of discovery
While I developed in school My dad reinvented himself by re-building his cabin He built his dreams with his own calloused hands\ His dedication and perseverance permeate through every piece carefully crafted\ Dad rebuilt himself through creating a log trucking business, building our home, and raising an only daughter. Dad achieved his goals through hard work, hard labor. He learned by doing. Hammer and nails scattered about his work space, his shop Books, paper, pens evidence of my work space, my mind. Instead of college He attended the infamous School of Hard Knocks.
I became the attentive student, nodding as the teacher spoke, taking notes, excelling at every test I soon realized I stood out The Teacher’s Pet Teachers would highlight my work, their accolades would almost say, “Look what Cora did, you should be more like her.” I was one of “the smart ones.” The academic, the nerd. School became my passion
Even though my dad didn’t go to college his support was always present In grade school, dad came home from a long day’s work to help me with my homework. My dad’s support resulted in my success. “I had nothing to do with it,” he says modestly. I always respond, “Oh, yes you did.” His pride says it all
The television sitcom, Roseanne, was a favorite of ours when I was young. The episode we love is when DJ wins a spelling bee at school. He spells his winning word correctly and the family stands up and cheers. “This is all we got!” they yell, as other parents gawk. We laughed so hard. We understood When you get that glimmer of hope, that taste of a win, hold on to it and build from that. “It’s all we got” would be an inside joke between my dad and I.
Dad achieved his goals by using his hands, back, and lived experience. My path was the way of books, classrooms, writing, group projects, lectures, late night studying Dad learned from trial and error and by taking a chance He created a successful log trucking business from that chance. I succeeded through academia.
Even though we chose two different paths to success Our relationship continues to be rock solid He respects my love for school I respect his accomplishments without that college degree.
School defined me and still does My dad defined me
More Digital Stories click the images below to play videos
31- The most recent digital story I created completely on an iPad - it's about my first gen experience and is also dedicated to my late mother.
The First - Here's another narrative about my proud first generation experience and my father is a big part of this video once again. I can't seem to tell my story without telling his.
First in Our Families is a digital storytelling project centering around student advocacy and aims to share with a broader audience the struggles of first generation college students in an effort to improve student success strategies. The project reaches out to college students around the nation through our traveling Mobile Digital Storytelling Lab. In a 3 day workshop facilitated by our Project Leader, a retired Education professor from the University of Washington Bothell, Jane Van Galen. These workshops have opened up opportunities for students to learn how to create their own digital stories about their sometimes troubled experiences being the first in their family to attend college and successfully graduate. Our mobile lab consists of fully equipped iPads with video production software. The digital stories are created completely on the iPads. I was part of the original storytelling workshop that inspired this larger project and was a major player in the mobile lab fundraising campaign in November 2014. To learn more about what we do visit our website: firstinourfamilies.org.
View my fundraising campaign site that concluded at the end of November 2014. "First Generation Students: Telling Our Stories" - USeed Crowdfunding Campaign to raise funds for a Digital Story Lab. I was asked to join the team since I was an original member of the first gen project and became the Public Relations Lead - our team raised $13,000 in 30 days.
