FreeMindsAustin

When I graduated from Free Minds in 2007, I left with an understanding that I would try to educate myself more in world views. Part of that plan was the introduction of a Humanities education to my then-five-year-old daughter, Natalia. I probably would not have exposed my child to this form of education if I had not had the chance to learn what an impact the Humanities can have on your life. Those courses helped me hold on to my job in a very competitive market. Today, I have applied the teaching of a liberal arts course to mastering and understanding human development.

Since 2007, Natalia has learned the world of Shakespeare and children’s Greek mythology. We are currently studying the formation of America during slavery through Frederick Douglass’ Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. Staying up late and reading over my Free Minds materials has kept my curiosity fresh. When I read the hand-outs and go over the syllabus, I feel alive and very proud I had a chance to experience what a freshman at Princeton experiences.

Feeling this freshness gives me a lot of hope for the educational opportunity my daughter has now that she is attending middle school at Kipp College Preparatory. Kipp is very open to having curious children learning about the Humanities and not leaving her to find these exclusive courses on her own.

Natalia recently attended an alumni master class on The Tempest with me, and everyone welcomed this curious ten-year-old with open hearts, open minds and lots of patience! We had a blast attending the play at UT the following week. A UT student sat behind us and was in awe that Natalia was attending the play. That student is in training for Teach for America at my daughter’s campus.

Opportunities present themselves in many magical forms. I’m not missing mine, because what I learned from Free Minds is to be inquisitive about education and remain a lifetime learner.

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