Education Narrative by Sorbari Zegenee

Spring 2013


‘’Knowledge is power’’ is what I have heard my entire life of going to school, but going to school and trying to be educated did not make me feel empowered--it only made me confused and angry. The lesson I learned is somewhat similar to Frederick Douglass, in that he believed being educated was more painful than delightful, because he is awake to understanding how his fellow slaves are mistreated. During my education I have felt just a minimum of what Douglass felt, because sometimes I did feel that I had lost my innocence to what was occurring around me, and that I had to also wake up to my responsibilities.

An Education Narrative by Larry A. Bradley

Spring 2013

The most significant lesson that I have learned in life is to listen. When I look back on my life and examine the mistakes that I have made, I am reminded of the time when I went to jail at twenty-four years old simply because I failed to listen to good advice. I had a troubled childhood for one reason – the lack of parenting.

A Lesson Well Learned by Erica Anderson

This Education Narrative was written after Frederick Douglass. Fall 2012.


I was raised by my maternal grandmother, Lenora Melton, who I witnessed go to work every day except Sundays. Sunday was her day with the LORD! Every time I saw her I wondered why was it so important for her to carry on a conversation with someone who was not there, yet never mustered up the courage to question her about it. My grandmother was a hard worker; she owned her own home, paid her bills on time and didn’t bother anyone. She was a God fearing, sweet, yet stern woman when it came to discipline for my siblings and me. I remember my granny always emphasized “Train up a child the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Later in life I found out that saying was Proverbs 22:6, a scripture from the Bible. She was so nurturing like that, always feeding my spirit without my knowing. My Grandmother was always quoting “The Good Book” as she called it.