The last few weeks have been extraordinary for me. The experiences of getting out in the community and meeting people has not only been fun, but has been rewarding in ways I did not expect.
One instance was my visit to Thornridge High School in Dolton. I am a member of Thornridge High School ~ Class of 1988. Since graduation I have only been back to the school a few times only because my daughter (Jayde Brooks) attended Thornridge and graduated from there. After her graduation I had not been back. I visited TR with two other judges from the Illinois Judges Council for Law Day. I got an opportunity to speak with the students and relay to them my life story, which included opening my first law office on my living room couch in an apartment in Dolton, IL. The students really related to my story. Answering their questions had a profound effect on me. The children not only wanted to know how much judge’s get paid, but also more thought provoking matters such as how I dealt with the struggles of working and living in communities with little resources. One student even asked how I felt about having a system where people sat in judgment of other people.
The experience made me realize I had previously wasted precious time. Prior to my visit I didn’t think I was enough to come back. I didn’t think me simply being an attorney was enough. I thought I needed to have accomplished more before I presented myself as a “success” story to those in our communities. I now realize I made a mistake. I should have gone back sooner. How many more young people could I have encouraged? I will no longer make that mistake. I have now adopted a different attitude. I am enough!! What I have accomplished is enough!! There are those around each of us who is suffering because they don’t believe they can achieve success in their lives.
Each of us owes it to the rest of the community to reach out and talk about our successes and our failures. The students seemed to get more out of my discussion with them when they learned I not only struggled but failed several times in life, before becoming an attorney and eventually a judge. I am sincere in my belief that I received a larger “awakening” from my visit to Thornridge than the students did. I would like to shout out some of the administrators at Thornridge that made my visit possible. Principal Ebonie Williams, Jennifer Wishba, and Sherita Sabbat. I also have to shout out Barbra Green-Kenan who I will always thank for getting my daughter through her days at TR.