The Wind Beneath My Wings

"Others pass the torch, but DC Area Writing Project passes the pen and pencil to change the world". - Cynthia Henderson, 1995 Teacher Consultant

It was supposed to be warm with summer just around the corner, but "old cold spring" decided to have his last dance. Last night with my corporate suit and high heels, I braved commuting with the train and waiting for the bus and walking uphill to the Metropolitan Day School, Northeast, Washington DC. This was a momentous event for the DC Area Writing Project because this marked our "Celebrating Ten Years of Service to District of Columbia Area Teachers and Students.

I met renowned authors/ poets: Eloise Greenfield (Recipient of 3rd Annual DCAWP Award of Excellence) and E. Ethelbert Miller (Recipient of 1st Annual DCAWP Award of Excellence). I bought some of their books and personally asked for their autoghraphs after a little conversation with them. I could write numerous entries here letting everyone know how the DCAWP changed my life as a wannabee writer and as a teacher. I have summed up everything in the Prologue entries in my DIGITAL BOOK and in my reflections as a teacher. The metamorphosis is overwhelming to me.

As one of my fellow teacher consultants, Barbara Graham, puts it: "I thought I learned everything I needed to know about writing in college. DC Area Writing Project proved me wrong. My writing has taken wings since I joined the DCAWP." And for me, I consider my fellow teacher consultants as the wind beneath my wings.

When I woke up this morning, an email from Ajay surprised me:

"Hi Marisol. You might be interested in reading this email. Wow! Am glad my article made it to the archive of the writing project. It must be good for you too. You really answered the questions well.

Leonor, the letter-writer, is an old friend of my sis. They've lost touch until Leonor read my article about you..so she sent me an email and asked about my sister. Small world talaga!"

Curious at what it was about, I scrolled down to check Leonor's email:

"One of our directors sent an email to me asking if I'm interested to read the articles that featured one of our Teacher Consultants in Washington, DC. She's a Filipina kaya ipinabasa sa akin. The article is about blogging in school. Tapos, when I read the name of the writer of the article, sabi ko, wait a minute, parang familiar sa akin ang pangalang ito. So lakas loob, I emailed Annalyn. Small world talaga.

You all must be very proud of her. You know, that article that she wrote about blogging in school was included in our archive. We use this archive as part of the documents to present sa Congress to get funding. I've attached the archive, she's # 9. It feels good kapag may nababasa ka tungkol sa Pinoy dito.

--Leonor Bagamano
Accounting Manager
National Writing Project
University of California"

It feels good too knowing that there's another Filipina working with the National Writing Project. I hope to meet more of us in my upcoming National Conventions in West Virginia and Nebraska this summer.