Notes from The Max

A Luncheon "Thank You"

Three weeks ago, we held our 19th Annual Awards Luncheon and had the opportunity to honor some truly deserving students. More than 300 people attended the event, held in the Curry Student Center at Northeastern University. We're so glad we had the chance to share such a special day with our 2010 Max Warburg Fellows, their families, friends, teachers and principals and guests of the Courage Curriculum.

In addition, we would like to extend our thanks to:

• Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, for his continued support of the Courage Curriculum and his dedication to improving the lives of Boston's children;
• Northeastern University, including President Dr. Joseph Auon, Dr. Mark Putnam and Bob Gittens;
• Lexa Marshall, essay judging coordinator for the past 19 years and helpful editor for The Courage of Boston's Children;
• Ambassador Swanee Hunt and Dr. Charles Ansbacher, to whom this year's courage book is dedicated, for their support and dedication to children and the arts in Boston;
• Our featured guest speaker, Jacqueline Canady, a 2004 Max Warburg Fellow, for eloquently sharing the story of her life and encouraging the 2010 Fellows to keep working towards their goals; and
• The Warburg Family (Stephanie, Jonathan and Fred), for sharing Max's memory and courage and for passing along his lessons to 19 years worth of courageous children.

If you would like to receive a copy of the 2010 volume of The Courage of Boston's Children, please contact our office with your mailing address and we will be sure to send one to you.

As we approach our 20th anniversary year, the Courage Curriculum continues to grow and expand, including to school districts across the country, by partnering with Cambium Learning Technologies on a national essay contest for middle school students on the topic of courage.

One week after our luncheon in Boston, representatives from the Courage Curriculum traveled to Houston, TX, to honor the first national winner, a sixth-grade student named Maklin Ramirez, at Hartman Middle School.

We're so grateful to everyone who has helped us so many students over the last 19 years. Thank you.

LAL 2010 Winners

A diverse range of authors, including Francisco Jimenez, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.D. Salinger and Dr. Seuss were the imaginary recipients of letters written by young readers across the country in the 2009-2010 Letters About Literature contest.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, along with Target, hosts this annual writing contest, which asks students across the country to reflect on the books and/or authors who have had a significant impact upon their lives. Emphasis is placed on creativity and originality; the students are asked to be reflective, rather than critical or analytical.

Two national winners were chosen from each of the three competition levels (Grades 4-6, Grades 7-8, and Grades 9-12). Along with the designation of National Winner, the students received a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 grant for their local or school library. 12 additional students (four in each level) were chosen as National Honorable Mentions.

The 2010 winners come from a variety of states and towns, including some local towns. One Honorable Mention student in the Grades 4-6 level was from the Boston suburb of Needham. The contest is open to public, private, independent, and religious schools as well as homeschooled students. According to the organizers, more than 69,000 students participated this year, a significant jump up from last year. 

In the fall of 2010, the LAL reading-writing contest will once again begin to accept submissions for the 2011 contest. For more information, please visit the Letters About Literature website.

Announcing the 2010 Max Warburg Fellows

Earlier today, we posted our 50th archived courage essay written by a sixth-grade alumnus of the Courage Curriculum. Over the past six or so months, we've introduced you to a few of the Boston students who have discovered their ability to be courageous in a variety of ways and who have recognized the important role courage plays in their own lives and in the lives of others. The essays we've posted here are just some of the many students who have been honored with the title "Max Warburg Fellow" during the past 19 years.

And tomorrow, we will add 44 more students to that list.

The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum is proud to announce the 2010 Max Warburg Fellows. From more than 2,000 submitted essays, our volunteer judges chose 44 students from 35 schools in Boston and the surrounding communities as this year's Fellows. These 44 students will have their courage essay published in the 19th volume of The Max's signature publication, The Courage of Boston's Children.

The Max Warburg Fellows will also be honored at our annual awards luncheon tomorrow, held at Northeastern University, where the Courage Curriculum is in residence and a proud partner of the Stony Brook Initiative. Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, Courage Curriculum Founder and President Stephanie Warburg and leadership from Northeastern University will hand out medals to the Fellows. We're also thrilled to have Jacqueline C., a 2004 Fellow, as our guest speaker. Jacqui is an exceptional young woman with a story sure to inspire this year's students.

From the 50 students we've highlighted on this blog and the many others of years past to the 44 students being honored tomorrow and the many more yet to come, The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum is proud to celebrate the courage of Boston's children.

Youssr's Courage

In 2009, Youssr was a sixth-grade student at Al-Noor Academy and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Courage means different things to different people. For a four-year-old, courage might mean going to school for the first time, away from his or her parents, or not being afraid of the dark. But to me, courage is when you don't lose hope in what you are doing and follow your dream. Now here is a recent story that touched my heart:

Boom! The sky in Gaza lit up. It's shining everywhere, but no, there aren't any fireworks. The horizon is filled with the smell of smoke. It's just the continuation of a destructive war that has sucked all the happiness out of so many lives.

In case you don't know, Gaza is a strip of land in the heart of the Middle East, which is disputed and fought over. There are innocent people in Gaza who share one dream: to have a free country based on equality and fairness. Imagine children without toys, electronic games, or computers, let alone beds, homes, food, water, and electricity. You can hear their devastated voices saying, "My toys were burned to ashes," or "I can't watch anything like cartoons. Every time I turn on the T.V. I see people dying, flames everywhere, and our burned homes and schools."

During the short periods of time when the violence stops, people come out from their shelters. They see their homes, their mosques, and their schools crushed to the ground. What do they do? They don't lose hope. They stay strong. They carry their deceased loved ones, say their goodbyes, and bury them. And sure enough, they go straight back to work. But what about the children? What are they supposed to do? They have lost their schools. Their teachers put up tents beside their collapsed schools. These innocent children continue to try to learn through harsh winters. They don't sit and whine because they don't have fancy chairs or desks. They get to work and use their weapon, education, to pursue their dreams. Now that's the true struggle. Now that's courage.

Brandon's Courage

In 2000, Brandon was a sixth-grade student at Mario Umana / Joseph Barnes School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely his own. We are honored to share his essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

There are many ways to show courage. An act of bravery on a battlefield, being composed and in control when facing a deadly illness or disease, or even overcoming poverty. My story of courage is a bit different. I don't know for certain if it is indeed an act of courage, but it is definitely working in the face of adversity.

I am thought to have Asperger's Disorder. I am a high-functioning autistic. Some autistics crawl into themselves and don't speak, but I don't have any visible signs of autism. I do have fine motor skills trouble and extremely poor penmanship and organizational skills. I tend to lose and forget things and my senses are overloaded. I hear sounds long before anyone else can. I see minute things that no one else can see - I don't miss anything. The most important symptoms I have are ADD and OCD. Things get to me, like germs and sanitary issues. I get easily distracted and tend to focus on one interesting subject and tune out the other. And sleep, what I would give to sleep solidly through the night - it has been years! I suffer from broken sleep or no sleep at all. I also get very antsy. I sometimes feel like my brain will explode. I am a loner - I don't appreciate social interaction as much as kids my age. This alone makes me very different.

School years have been difficult. I crave my personal space and being around kids all day makes me feel like I'm going to jump out of my skin. I try to be very good in school; I am usually not a behavior problem. But with an impulsive nature such as mine, I cannot resist giving answers. Sometimes I forget myself and blurt out the answers. This makes for dislike, tension and taunting from my peers. I am called many names. I am intelligent and this seems to be more fuel for those kids that taunt me. Reading is my escape and comfort! Knowing that I am different or unusual doesn't bother me. I feel people should appreciate the differences humans have - this is what makes us unique. Despite my thirst for knowledge and love of literature, going to school is a real chore. It's painful to never "fit in" and be at the mercy of others' insults.

My ultimate goal is to be a scientist. You need school to do this, so even though I challenge my parents, they push me on. They insist I get a proper education. It is because of my dad, and especially my mom, that I am not in a special needs class. I attend an Advanced Work Class and am presently enrolled in a Scholars program. I know my parents love me. I don't always agree with them, so we lock horns often. It takes all the courage I have to face a hostile class and it takes all my parents' courage to continue to back me up when there are no clear choices. I promise not to waste their efforts. No matter what I become, I'll be better at it because of their drive and faith in me.

So, as you see, battlefields are different from everyone and for me, life is a series of many little battles. My survival depends on me facing every new day with a fresh outlook. I can't always do it. Bravery doesn't always get rewarded with a medal, but my mom says being comfortable with who you are and your true self is the ultimate reward. In order for me to survive, I must be comfortable in my own skin, sure of who I am and what I want. I am learning to do this every day and for me, it takes courage.

Mya's Courage

In 1993, Mya was a sixth-grade student at Martin Luther King, Jr. School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

The night before my very first piano concert, I was so incredibly nervous that I bit all my fingernails completely off. The whole night, I tossed and turned in my sleep. I woke up the next morning and put on my dress unwillingly because of the special, nerve-wrecking event about to happen later in the day.

When I arrived at the concert hall, I got even more worried because it seemed like there were at least a thousand people there. I took my seat and twiddled my fingers.

Before it was my turn to play, about twelve people were ahead of me. In between the long wait that seemed like days, I played my pieces through my head. Then the worst thing that could ever happen in all of music history happened to me: I forgot my piece! I was just about to tell the lady who called my name that I forgot my piece, but for some reason, I did not. I got up and sat on the piano stool and counted to ten, just as my piano teacher had told me to do. Magically, my hands started to move and play notes. "Wait a minute," I said to myself. "I think I am playing the piece I was supposed to!" I guess I had not forgotten the piece after all!

After I finished, I got up and bowed. I felt so good and proud of myself. Even though I had not played the hardest or the longest piece, all that mattered was that I played my piece well. From now on, whenever I go to a concert to play, I think of that very first experience. It helps me not to get scared or worried about making a mistake. I just think about playing my piece.

Andrae's Courage

In 2006, Andrae was a sixth-grade student at William B. Rogers Middle School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely his own. We are honored to share his essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Courage means facing your fears and facing a challenge. When you have courage, you can basically do anything that you put your mind to. One of my courageous days was in October of 2005.

My good friend Kathy was getting married. The wedding was held at the Peabody Marriott. I was looking sharp, dressed in my black tuxedo. It was Kathy's wedding and I had a job in her wedding. I was an usher. My job was to walk her mother down the big, long aisle. I knew that this was a big job. I knew that the wedding party was counting on me. I was nervous because we were the very first people to walk down the big long aisle and it was a really big wedding chapel.

When I was little, I had many operations on several parts of my body. To this day, I still walk with a limp and have vision and stomach problems. I was nervous that I might trip or fall as I was walking down the aisle. As I walked down the aisle, I looked around and I kept saying in my mind, "I know that I can do this." So I held Kathy's mother's hand and I sat her down in the second seat in the first row at the end of the big, long aisle. I was very nervous and afraid. There were 200 people in the room. But I was also very excited to be there and I was very excited to be a part of this celebration.

I had the courage to overcome my fears. I did this for Kathy because she is a very important person in my life. When I was young and sick in the hospital, Kathy was my nurse and took care of me for three years. She was there for me when I needed her the most and I was able to be there for her when she needed me the most at her wedding.

Dionicia's Courage

In 1996, Dionicia was a sixth-grade student at the Thomas Edison School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

An obstacle I've overcome was my fear of asking questions about assignments that I didn't understand. It was embarrassing because I was afraid my classmates would mock me because I did not know what they knew. This was because everyone in my class had been in the advanced work class at least three times before. For me, this was my very first year. Even though my classmates were supportive (and they still are), I still felt very self-conscious about the situation.

I overcame my fear in algebra class one Wednesday when I was having trouble with a problem. I was afraid to ask for help, so I just told myself there was nothing wrong with asking a question. I kept telling myself that until finally I held my breath, walked up to the teacher's desk, plopped my book down, and said bravely, "I need help." He was happy that I finally asked him for help.

Before I overcame my fear, my mother kept telling me to ask questions, but I was afraid. There was absolutely no way on Jupiter that I was going to go up to the teacher's desk in front of the whole classroom to ask a dumb question. A little voice in my head kept telling me that there was so such thing as a dumb question, but I hadn't listened. Finally, that voice came through and I asked for help. Now I am happy in school. My mother was thrilled that I wasn't confused with my work and that I was happier now that I ask questions.

Stephen's Courage

In 1992, Stephen was a sixth-grade student at William B. Rogers Middle School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely his own. We are honored to share his essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Back in March of 1989, my brother Brett was taken to the doctors for evaluation of headaches. After the doctor examined Brett, he spoke with my mother. Ever since he was born, my brother hasn't had a regular pattern of sleep and my parents knew that there was some kind of head trauma, but did not know what. Doctors kept treating my brother for hyperactivity, but both my parents felt something was really wrong, so they went to a doctor who listened.

This doctor set up some tests for Brett and the Children's Hospital. When the day came for the testing, I wanted to go so I could stand by my brother. I can remember my little brother walking out to the waiting area with a sticker in his hand and a big smile. The doctors told my mother that they found my brother's problem and that they had to operate right away. Brett had a brain tumor.

My mother, grandmother and I were crying. We had to call my dad at work to tell him to come to the hospital. My mother was very upset. Everyone was crazy but Brett.

Brett was only three years old and going in for an operation. I think it was a 14 1/2 hour operation. The doctor told my dad everything that was going to happen, but my mom didn't listen; she was too upset. After a long, long wait, the surgery was over. My parents got to see Brett. He told my mother all these things, such as his head was in a basket and he was sitting up. He was telling the truth. The doctor told us that Brett had to be awake through the whole surgery.

While in the hospital, Brett never complained about anything - all the machines, the needles or just the doctors touching him. Brett still smiled even if he was hurting. The doctors saved my brother's life, but he still has to go to the doctor for check up to make sure the tumor doesn't grow back.

I think my brother is one courageous little kid to face danger. He went into the operating room with the nurse, without one cry, wide awake. He has guts. I think God my brother is alive and so strong. I love him.

Rolanda's Courage

In 2008, Rolanda was a sixth-grade student at Solomon Lewenberg Middle School and a Max Warburg Fellow. The views expressed are solely her own. We are honored to share her essay with you. Please do not copy, republish or repost the following content without express written permission from The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum.

Tyler Perry said, "What's done in the dark shall come to light." All secrets are not meant to be kept. I was between the ages of seven and eight when my mother's boyfriend molested me. It took me a long time to speak up and tell my mother what was happening to me. I loved him like a father and he treated me like the daughter he always wanted. I now realize that people aren't always what they seem to be.

How can someone love you like a daughter and want to hurt you at the same time? I thought he would stop mistreating me, stop coming into my room at night, but he did not. I guess I thought he would stop abusing me because he bought me stuff and when I needed someone to talk to, because my biological father wasn't acting like a father, he was always there for me. He was my second father.

Then I realized that if I didn't tell someone, it would get worse. I hated him and I hated myself; I thought I was the reason why he was abusing me. I thought I was going something to make him mistreat me.

One morning, I woke up and decided that I needed to tell my mother. I walked into the kitchen where my mother was sitting down fixing my lunch for school. I told my mother that her boyfriend was sneaking into my room at night. She looked at me like she had never seen me before.

I thought she was not going to believe me. I felt so bad inside that I just wanted to run out of the house and never come back, but I just stood there and looked at my mother's blank face. I felt like shrinking into the floor so that she couldn't see me.

My mother finally spoke and she reached out and grabbed me.

She held and hugged me, and told me that she loved me over and over again. She said she was sorry that this happened to me. She was so sorry that I experienced something so horrible. She believed me and I was happy that I told her. She also told me that it wasn't my fault and that I shouldn't blame myself. I don't anymore.

I wrote this essay because I want to speak out to kids who are afraid to tell that someone is hurting them. Telling is saving yourself. It took courage for me to tell my mother. Courage is also being able to share an experience that might help other girls who might be going through a similar experience. Courage is speaking out and releasing all of those fears.