Monday night I went to the Decatur Library to see Sam Bracken & Echo Garrett.
Sam shared his amazing story. His story reminded me of so many of my students. Sam grew up with extreme abuse and in a family that used alcohol and drugs. The amazing part of Sam’s story is that he earned a full scholarship to Georgia Tech, even though he was homeless at the time.
During his talk, we laughed and cried. Sam’s story is a powerful one. So much of it will be with me always. But one thing will never leave my heart or mind. He told us that it just took one person who cared about him more than he cares about himself. One person. That’s what changed his life. Amazing.
As a teacher, this hit me like a bus. I want to be that person for my kids. The lost ones, the lonely ones, the scared ones, the hungry ones, the ones that just don’t have anyone. Sam’s words were a call to action for me. A powerful call to action that reaffirmed my calling as a teacher.

Echo Garrett talked to us about the Orange Duffel Bag Foundation and their work with young people. She shared the sobering statistics about homeless and foster kids that I am too aware of. Most of them don’t graduate from high school. Most jobs require at least that.
These two amazing people touched my heart. We need more people like Sam & Echo in the world.
Check out Sam’s book here:
http://www.myorangeduffelbag.com/
Check out the foundation here: http://orangeduffelbagfoundation.org/