Too often, young people have been told to wait until they are older. They have been told you won't understand. I'm here to tell you that you can! You're too young, you don't know what you're doing, you can't.
You are America's greatest asset. You are building the future of a society where people want to live. You are creating a place where everyone can live well. A lot of that depends on the education you receive today. Education isn't just about tests and grades and homework. Your heart and your soul are also growing!
This book provides the wisdom you need as you grow and change. As you step out into the world armed with this wisdom, you'll realize that only you can define beauty…and the most beautiful people are kind and honest. The haters and the fakers and the "cool" kids don't have any power over you because you are an influential person in your own right!
How do I know? Because I worked at different schools for forty years. Half of that time I spent teaching. The other half I spent as a principal of a school very much like yours. I worked with kids who had learning disabilities and those who were at the top of their grades. Some of the students transferred in at the middle of the year and fit right in. Others came in on the first day and felt totally lost! I taught black kids and white kids, rich ones and poor ones. I helped some students catch up with their schooling and waved others off to college.
Every one of those young people had goals and dreams. Every one of them also needed a little guidance or extra help. They all had strengths—some that lay hidden and others that blazed bright! Every one of those kids got one hundred percent of my attention. Because I want to keep helping students like you, I decided to write this book.