Esperanza, Inc.-Week 2

This week at Esperanza has been full of visitors. The one that stands out most in my mind is the visit from the United States Air Force Academy. The presentation consisted of accounts from two graduates of the academy, a short film about the academy, and an informative question and answer session. The buzz of airplanes always gets everyone excited and full of intrigue, especially when it comes to the seventh and eighth grade audience at Esperanza. While the presentation itself taught me much that I didn't know before about the USAFA (like it only accepts 1200 people out of the 12,000+ that apply each year-wow), the best and most entertaining part of the presentation was the question and answer session. It was always great to see the looks on the representatives' faces when the kids shouted out questions like "How many push-ups can you do in a minute? Don’t lie." The representative answered “136,” but from the disbelieving groans that emerged from the audience, I think that many of the kids suspected some dishonesty on the representative’s part. After the kids finished quizzing the representatives, it was their turn to turn the tables by asking the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. The eclectic group of answers ranged from pediatrician to soldier to chef. However, I think the kids took away the uniform message of the afternoon: in order to be what you want to be, you have to work hard.