Aloha! StarShine Academy!

It was a bright and sunny Friday. Kellie Kreiser, Fall ’04, Lucia Llobet, Summer ’05, Gbemi Disu, Spring ’06, Atif Khan, Summer ’06, and I went to the StarShine Academy in the downtown Phoenix. We were invited to talk to their students about our cultures, backgrounds and interesting facts, which are very different from the US.

This school is very special. The founder and the president, Patricia Adams, told us that she never thought of being a president of a non-profit K-12 school. Her idea to run the school is to inspire everyone become who he/she is. You may have no clue how successful the StarShine academy is. 3 or 4 years ago, this neighborhood was full of drugs and guns, one of the worst in Phoenix. As soon as Adams involved, she used every connection and business skill she earned as a former executive of AT&T and Norwest Bank. The school staff visited the neighbors door by door and provided free education to those kids. Nowadays, StarShine Academy is well-run and chosen by the UN as the best practice of the peace.

Adams encourages students to choose their goals and develop their skills toward their direction. They can change as many times as they want. Every child also needs to know how to use a computer. She keeps it as simple as possible to run this school and ensures that any successor will have no problem to operate it. “You don’t know who may play a role in yours someday.” She also shares a story with us. One of her students had a miserable childhood. When Adams asked her: what’s her life goal? The Student responded: Be a lawyer. Adams probed further: How? She thought for seconds and said: go to community college to study law. Adams: do you think that you are gonna make it through the community college? The student shook her head. Adams: Which school do you think to attend and to achieve your goal? The student replied: Harvard. One of unknown visitors stood next to them and listened till the end. He broke through the conversation and introduced himself as an honor alumnus of Harvard Law School. He also promised to invite her to the alumni reunion event. “Isn’t that amazing?” Adams smiled. I thought of the Alchemist: “when you really want something to happen, the whole universe conspires so that your wish comes true.”

StarShine Academy has the ambassadors for different countries. After talking with Adams, we met and greeted our ambassadors from different grades. Mine is a grade 2 girl. She was a little shy but full of smiles. We started to introduce our cultures and share some interesting stories class by class. There were three groups of students, Kindergarten and Grade 1, Grade 2-4, and Grade 5-8. Most of them particularly were interested in food from our countries. By pointing the map, they realized how far each of us came from. Atif showed them Pakistan bill. I drew Chinese characters and explained the symbolic meaning of them. Lucia had the language advantage because many of them can speak Spanish. Gbemi brought some small gifts for them to join the interaction. All students were eager to learn some of our languages. We continued doing so until we met with the kindergarten and Grade 1 kids…

They are curious in how to speak everything in different languages. They wondered how to say “belly”, “tree”, “sky”, and even “princess”!! What’s this and that? They asked whatever they saw. However, after I taught them what’s “thank you” in Chinese, they said: Aloha! Something returned when I asked “hello”, “goodbye” or “how are you”. No matter what I asked, they all responded: aloha! The rest of teachers and t-birds can’t stop laughing. Well…me neither. Those kids are so cute and sincere. Kellie described that they are little t-birds. I think so! At the end, those students even sang a song including many greetings in various languages to us. We were so touched and joyful. Thanks and kudos to Kellie making this happen and to those who attended, supported, or helped! You are the best! I am looking forward to seeing those students again.