A local commission that advocates on behalf of incarcerated youth is giving students enrolled in OCDE’s alternative education program the chance to express themselves through the written word.
In partnership with OCDE and the Orange County Probation Department, the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) of Orange County hosted its fourth annual essay contest to honor current and post-secondary students not only for their resilience but for their self expression.
Throughout the month of October, youth enrolled at Otto A. Fischer and Rio Contiguo schools — two detention and treatment facilities run by OCDE’s ACCESS program — were invited to write personal, reflective essays on the topics of “Hope and Me,” “If I Could Change the World” and “What Do Others Think About Me.”
Below is a brief excerpt from a tenth grade student’s submission titled “Hope for the Hopeless.”
“Hope in knowing there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and all I can say is that my path is slowly getting a bit brighter as I push and pull through obstacles that life puts in my way. So, you see, how does an individual feel hope when the hopeless is surrounding him? Well, all they need is a sliver of light. A way out. Just that one person or situation to change a person altogether. We are all on a path and some of us take a detour, years, or decades, but it’s never too late to come back to the right path where we enjoy a life full of hope and happiness, something that my old self lacked.”
The essays were judged...
Read Full Story: https://newsroom.ocde.us/local-commission-honors-ocde-alternative-education-students-for-their-personal-reflections-of-hope-and-resilience/
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