When You're Running for Your Life
When You Are Running for Your Life
By Claire Miller
When your home has been bombed and your neighbors are dead, your #1 priority isn’t academics. When you cry for your deceased family members, and instead of tears, blood and dirt trickle down your cheek, your #1 priority isn’t academics. When your school where you and your friends used to play before the war lies in rubbles at your feet, your #1 priority isn’t academics.
When you are running for your life, your #1 priority isn’t academics.
Refugees from Syria, Iran, and Iraq who fled their homes for a fresh start have been able to survive but because of their dangerous situations in their home countries, their studies were not their first priority, survival was. Due to this, many children refugees who live in Dallas are extremely behind in their schooling. These kids, who barely understand English, are placed into classrooms of students who are far ahead of their academic capabilities. These kids continously feel dumb and lesser than their peers because of the circumstances that they have been put through. One tutor who is helping other students succeed in school told us, “There are kids in 5th grade who are having difficulty spelling words like cat and bat. It’s concerning because it is so hard to stand out as it is. It is very difficult for these kids.” These kids are in our own Dallas area and we need to help them succeed.
There are a few different ways through which we can help them. The first is something many high schoolers have taken upon themselves already: tutoring. Tutoring these kids is slowly helping them become more and more familiar with the English language and it will make them more confident in their abilities at school. Another way you can help, from the comfort of your own home, is to donate money for educational opportunities for these kids.
Make a difference in this underrated problem occuring not so far from you.
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This article is one of the shorter ones I have written but it addresses an important issue, I hope you all enjoy.
Wow this beautifully summarizes the refugee crisis! Your beginning was very beautifully written and brought attention to the severity of the problem.
Thank you!