Put to the Test
This week has been filled with a few special moments, however one stands out in particular. Last week was filled with a lot of tension and anxiety as my students prepped for their final week of studying before the GED. I could tell that their nerves were getting the best of them because many started to say that they did not think they would pass. I kept trying to redirect them. I would say, "you will be fine, watch you pass."
On the day of the exam, myself and the other tutor sat in a room down the hall with other students who were not going to test that day. For some students it was their first of the four tests, for others, it was the final test they needed in order to obtain their GED. Although I was nervous for them all, I really wanted the two who needed the final test to pass. After the test everyone was relieved. At the same time I could tell that they were unsure. Many, more than I expected, said they did not think they passed.
Over a week went by and the results of the test were still not in. Every day they students would come to class and the first thing they would ask was if the scores were there. We would go over to the office where the head of the department was and ask him if he received them. Day after day the answer was, "no." Knowing that he was going on vacation the following week, we began to think that the scores would not be received for a while.
Then the day arrived. The scores came in. The department head entered the room and said, "I am really surprised at how many people passed these tests." I wanted to say, "I am not sure why, you never teach." However, as a good inmate would, I kept my mouth closed. LOL. He then began to read off the names and scores. I in particular was listening for the names of the two students who needed to pass to graduate. One by one he read the names and scores until he finally got to one of their names.
Fast forward, I head up to the second floor to look for the two students to tell them to come to get their scores. As soon as I stepped into the hallway I saw one of them. I said, "Have you heard? The scores are in. YOU PASSED."
She literally ran towards me and hugged me so hard. The moment was priceless. It was almost as if time stood still. I actually laid in my bed and replayed it in my head a few times that night. I could remember almost every detail. The smile on her face, the brightness in her eyes, how the wind was in her hair, but more than anything the tears that streamed down her face. As she hugged me she just kept saying, "thank you." I was so emotional. But when she said, "I have to call my mom and tell her I did it. I finally did something right," was the moment my tears began to flow.
The simple things that I take for granted, like a high school diploma, mean so much to some people. I knew at that moment I knew that what I experienced was pure love. I don't know everything God has in store for me or what I came to prison to do, but I am certain that that moment was a part of it. I had the opportunity to experience what it truly meant to be present. I knew that everything I ever learned, every degree, every teaching position, everything, prepared me for that very moment. A moment that I would not trade for anything.
