-what my parent’s engagement meant to me.
Many people wonder why, a 20-something year old with no children of his own, would want to be involved in an organization whose mission is to encourage parent engagement. The truth is, I am not a parent, but one day I hope to be and want to help shape an education system for the future, where parents, teachers, principals, and students work together to achieve shared successes.
While I may not be a parent now, I certainly was a student not too long ago, and I was lucky enough to have parents who were engaged, involved and showed a genuine interest not just in my academic achievements, but also in knowing my friends, teachers, and larger school community.
As a student I didn’t always realize the benefit of having a parent involved in my education. At times it even felt frustrating, to have my parents constantly asking and wanting to know about my education, progress, and friends. We had conversation after conversation about what I was learning, what conflicts I was having, how I felt about my teachers, what I wanted for my education and future, and so much more. However, having that support system also made it easier to discuss any issues I was having, and, also instilled in me a love of learning. It showed me the importance of learning, not just from a textbook, but from the world around us, and it encouraged me to take my schooling seriously.
That support system and love of learning are what I want for kids today, and my future kids. That’s which I am working so hard, and encourage everyone else to Dream Big.
Nicholas Pastore
Director, Parents Engaged in Education
Help us help others
We hope you enjoyed Nicholas’ story. Our continuing series hopes to inspire and encourage other parents to get involved and be engaged in their child’s education. Help us to continue our great work by visiting our donation page. Help us to provide the means to continue to motivate other parents to DREAM BIG for their child.
