As a read I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but what she had written was the truth.  It was her truth and what she had lived.  In her memoir she explained how she had suffered in her life.  Some years before, she was brutally gang raped by a group of boys.  At that time she could have been no more than thirteen.  There it laid in a colored pen and write paper. My heart beat harder than usual.  How could this happen to such a loving and peaceful girl?  Didn't anyone see what happened?  Couldn't anyone have stopped this?  As I read on she said that,"this is my life and I have to be strong and move on."  Yes she was not about to let something in the past hold her back.      

Instead she had used past pain as fuel to aid her journey.  No she was not about to lay down and die. Several times as I walked around my classroom I could hear her giving advice to other young girls telling them that she has been through some hard times in her life, but she wasn't about to give up on her dreams and why should they?  All I know is that I am in awe of this young woman. She gave me strength as she gave so many others.  Even with a peaceful spirit Jennifer was indeed outspoken. My sixth period class was working on a hip hop magazine project.  I used hip hop as an educational tool because many of my students were so connected to hip hop culture.  It was evident in their dress, talk and music.  

Jennifer was so insightful in her discussions and writings. Right off the back she paralleled the lives of rappers with that of teens explaining that the violence between many rappers stems from envy. Just as in many high schools teens are picked on and ostracized due to the same reason.  She also expressed that many kids who cause trouble, "they are trying to get what you got and they want to bring you down to where they are because of jealousy."      

She continued to explain that some people make you so mad that you want to fight them, but fighting will not solve the problem, instead it makes the situation worse. In her words, "fighting makes haters happy because they got you right where they want you." If half of the adults in America alone could learn this one lesson the world would be a better place. If we could just internalize the patience and inner strength that this young woman possesses the possibilities would be endless.