By Jeremy Estes, Class of 2014
Yesterday was quite a powerful experience. I was one of the lucky candidates selected to sit down with the mayor and make my voice heard on George Washington’s need for funding. During Mayor Nutter’s visit, it was a very different atmosphere in school. As I entered the library, all eyes and ears were set on Mr. McKinney, our English Department Chair. He was at a table with Mayor Nutter and a few others as he pleaded why our school and our city need more resources to prevent the student body from suffering further from budget cuts. I know Mr. McKinney as a humorous, goofy English teacher. However, at that table, I saw a man on a mission.
Those few minutes listening to Mr. McKinney made me have a completely different perspective on this event. My thoughts of this went from performing an errand for the counselor to a ‘do or die’ moment for the future of our youth. When Mayor Nutter asked which student would like to open up, the adrenaline running through my head made me volunteer. I wanted to make a statement. I shared how Mr. Bachmann’s last minute advice before my FULL SCHOLARSHIP interview at Drexel helped preserve my bright future and how that alone proves that with more than one counselor, we will have more success stories with our students. I also expressed my interest in an expanded My Learning Plan, and with more counselors to help implement it, I explained how it could drive at-risk students on the right path to develop a résumé for the future.
The other 15 or so students in the meeting had unique views that all made convincing cases for more staff. Some spoke about the wandering students in the aide-less halls, or the absence of programs that would make students value going to school, some requested career academies to specialize in guiding questionable students. One thing is fair to say for all of these students: they should be proud for stepping up for our school and city. I feel it was a humbling time for Mayor Nutter himself, as he gave a group hug to us and promised his best efforts to fix this crisis.
The Eagle Eye 
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