Jordan Zangaro

This past week, members of the Merciad, including myself, started to work with elementary school students at Lincoln Elementary hoping to start their own school newspaper.

In all honesty, I was nervous, and I found that a little odd considering the one thing I know for sure is how to write an article. We stood in front of the classroom and explained to them what we do and how we do it.

We started to work with the class and help them generate ideas of what they could possibly write about for their articles. They had many different ideas and I found myself being surprisingly inspired by these young children who are just learning how to write persuasive paragraphs.

When we broke into groups, I got to work with five different kids with five very different backgrounds. They all have dreams of getting scholarships and going to college and becoming rich and famous. It was so refreshing to see the unbreakable hope that these kids had and that they really believe they can accomplish anything.

When I was telling Larry, a fifth grader who cannot wait to become a judge, what I do on a weekly basis at the Merciad, he asked me, “Why?”

I was definitely puzzled at the question and Larry said to me, “Why do you do that?” For whatever reason, I was not prepared for this question and it actually took me a minute before I explained to Larry that I love to write.

I have known since I was Larry’s age that I was destined to be a writer. I used to tell my parents that I was going to change the world with what I wrote. I was determined to change the world and it did not seem impossible to me.

Now, as I have started my beyond-stressful job search, changing the world seems nearly impossible, the idea of it so far out of my reach that I almost became prepared to settle for the first job with a communication title. That is, until I went to Lincoln Elementary.

It took seeing the enthusiasm and hope that I could not deny in these kids’ dream-filled eyes that restored my belief in myself. Explaining to them what I write about, how I choose my topics and formulate my articles reminded me of how much I love to do it and answered the question ‘why?’

I am a writer. I will be a writer no matter what, and maybe, one day, I will change the world.