For as long as I can remember, I have taught children. As a kid myself, I babysat putting in long hours and eating Cherry Garcia out of other people’s refrigerators. When I married, I worked with little ones with severe autism, teaching them how to hold a spoon and a pencil, how to maintain eye contact and say “Hello” when someone says it first. After a few years, I went on to teach teenagers in middle school first, then high school. No matter the age group or situation, I tried to hold onto the same core value in each classroom. Teach them how to recognize their own dreams, and then teach them that they are worthy and capable to follow them.