This was my first year as a pen pal for Letters to a Pre-Scientist (LPS), a nonprofit that pairs fifth to tenth grade students in low-income communities with a worldwide network of STEM professionals for a yearlong pen pal program to inspire all students to explore a future in STEM. I was matched with a student in Arizona. We exchanged eight letters during the school year and discussed higher education pathways, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) career journeys, and overcoming obstacles in life, school, and career.
I think that piece about overcoming obstacles and getting through difficulty in life is incredibly important. We all face challenges at some point. It’s important for young people to know the challenges can be overcome and provide examples of how we’ve faced challenges as a way to inspire them.
My pen pal was always very interested to know about my dog, Phineas. She has a dog, too, and this was something we bonded over from our first letters. I decided I had to be honest with her about Phin’s passing in January, how it made me feel, and how I was coping with grief. Something extraordinary happened in our last letter exchange; something I didn’t expect.
My pen pal showed such an incredible amount of empathy for my loss. To cheer me up, she made me these little reminders that show wisdom far beyond her years. The front sides of the notes say “It’s okay…” and “I’m not gone”. Inside, they say “A dog wags his tail with his heart. Don’t forget the love they shared” and “Dogs leave paw prints on our hearts.” Truer words were never written. I’ve placed them by my desk because they make me smile while I’m working. All the while I was hoping to inspire her; turns out she inspired me even more!
In her letter, she goes on to talk about how much her dog means to her, and to also express some challenges she’s having in school. She said even though school was very difficult for her right now, she believed in herself, loved learning new things, and knows she will get through these challenges. This student did not express this level of confidence in herself at the start of the school year, not by a long shot. Growth and evolution are beautiful gifts to witness.
To further encourage her, I decided to put together a special package. I made her a book mark with charms I thought she’d like–a book, a paw print, a moon and star, and the planet Saturn. I also sent her one of my Emerson Page charms that I hide around the world for readers to find. It says, “She believed she could so she did” and has a tag with “Always believe in yourself.” My pen pal’s confidence reminds me of Emerson so I thought this was a fitting gift.
I wrote my reply letter to her on fancy paper. I told her how much her kindness meant to me and how I admired her belief in herself to overcome her challenges in school. I told her my dream for her is find something that brings her joy every day. I made sure to mention to love every day she has with her dog so she has a lot of wonderful memories with him, and that giving him his food and water, playing with him, taking walks together, and brushing his hair will make him so happy. I closed the letter with one of my favorite quotes by the great naturalist Mary Oliver who asks in one of her poems, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?” I told her I can’t wait to see what she decides to do with her life.
We never know how our words and actions may impact someone. The important thing is that we keep putting our hearts out there, that we keep showing concern, empathy, compassion, and kindness at every turn, even when our world and the world at-large is heavy. Perhaps especially when it’s heavy. This might be the only way we’re going to save ourselves and each other–keep showing up and giving our best, honest, authentic selves.
Christa Avampato 