Recently, I was on a plane returning home and overheard a young lady’s conversation behind me. Once the plane landed, I wanted to speak with her and apologized for ease dropping. I was excited to give the young lady my business card and told her she was F@B! As we walked, I briefly told her about F@B and asked her to contact me to share her F@B story at www.whatareyoufabat.com. She proceeded with, “I never thought of being F@B.”  Well, Naamonde Williams reflected, went to the website and contacted me.

Enjoy her F@B story…

Honestly, I do not know where to begin. I’ve never thought of myself as fab at (F@B) what I do. However, upon deep reflection and observing the impact that I have on the children and teens that I work with it has become clear to me that I am F@B being myself as a teacher, caregiver, and leader. I have spent the past seven years working with students on the southside of Chicago. South Shore to be exact. This is not a task to take lightly, given the battles that my students fight daily. Working with my students in this community has allowed me to give of my time, talent, and compassion unselfishly. I spend time with my students before and after school in order to mentor them, tutor them, and to provide a safe place for them to find peace and quiet. I have built relationships with their families, and because of these relationships parents often call on me to help them problem solve and to explore more meaningful educational/ enrichment activities for their children. Because of my experiences within Chicago Public Schools and spending the past four years working in the South Shore community, I recognize the need for academic enrichment, conflict resolution education, athletics, and cultural awareness/arts programming. This need has motivated me to begin laying the groundwork for a new South Shore Community Center that I have incorporated under the name “The Champion Center”. This center is still a work in progress. Though this is true, when this dream becomes a reality children within the community will have a safe haven that is strategically planned to grow with them and keep them out of the streets and consumed by positivity and their passions. I am proud of the work that I do daily, and I would not trade my students or our experiences together for anything in this world.