sky and said that to my grandma. For most <strong>of</strong> my childhood, I lived with mygrandparents. Sometimes to this day, I still think about the good times I hadwith them on the ro<strong>of</strong>.I cherish every moment. How could I forget the things that happenedthere? They controlled my emotions. They made me feel happy, excited,scared and more.Just now, I felt I came back to my heaven. I hear the birds singing andI can smell the perfume from the flowers . . .Can you?Passing Down53LIHUA (SHIRLEY) LIANGBorn in China, 21-year-old Lihua (Shirley) Liang has lived in <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> fortwo years. She is a CLIP student <strong>of</strong> Jay Klokker at the <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> City College<strong>of</strong> Technology. She studied art in China but now studies nursing because herfriends told her “most artists are only famous after they die.” She says, “MyEnglish is improving day by day. If we never give up studying, I think everydream will come true.”
Rukiye AydinRUKIYE AYDIN Passing Down54Sister Storylike all sisters, my older sister and I fought a lot during our childhood. Yes, Iloved her, but there were times when we both just wanted to hurt each other.I remember one day, we were fighting over whether I should give her myextra piece <strong>of</strong> candy. I didn’t want to share it with her, and she kept asking for itbecause she’d lost hers. My mom was cleaning the house and heard us screaming,so she came into our room. We both tried to blame each other. My mom stayedquiet until we finally stopped talking. When we stopped, she signaled for to us tosit on her lap. I sat on one side, and my sister on the other. Then she began:“Once, there were two sisters. One <strong>of</strong> the sisters was really sick. She hada serious sickness and needed a blood transfer to survive. The only blood type thatmatched hers was her younger sister’s. The doctor asked the little girl, ‘Would youwant to give your blood for your sister?’ The girl thought about it for a second andsaid, ‘Okay. Why not, if my sister is going to live?’“So the doctors started transferring the little sister’s blood to the olderone. As the blood transferred, the older sister looked better, while the youngerone’s face was pale. Even though the younger sister’s face was pale and sad, shewas smiling into her sister’s eyes to make her feel happy. Then she asked the doctor,‘Am I going to die right away?’”My mother explained, “She thought she was going to give all <strong>of</strong> her bloodto her sister and then die.”This story made both my sister and me cry. The little sister thought shewas going to die after that blood transfer. But even if she was to die, she accepteddying if her sister could live.After that day, anytime my sister and I were about to start arguing, weremembered my mom’s story and smiled.Rukiye Aydin <strong>of</strong> Turkey has been living in <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> for three years. She is a student <strong>of</strong>Cheryl George at CUNY’s Brooklyn College Adult Literacy Program. Thirty-six years old,she is married and has three children. Rukiye Aydin says that she loves her country, andshe also loves to live here in <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong>.
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The Gallatin School of Individualiz
- Page 4 and 5: CONTENTSINTRODUCTIONgallatin alumna
- Page 6 and 7: amanda rodriguez An Angel Without W
- Page 8 and 9: khady gueye The Best Job I Have Eve
- Page 10 and 11: IntroductionNext year, for the 10th
- Page 12 and 13: Abbey Fenbert was a student-teacher
- Page 14 and 15: thrilling and incredibly humbling.
- Page 16 and 17: Introduction15Author
- Page 18 and 19: LIVING INNEW YORK CITYkee fong liu
- Page 20 and 21: Josephine LamLifesaverlate one nigh
- Page 22 and 23: elationship to the black slaves who
- Page 24 and 25: Colin TriumphDo I Fit the Profile?W
- Page 26 and 27: Elena TarneaA MemorableWork Experie
- Page 28 and 29: neela arnoldyGettingLostears ago, I
- Page 30 and 31: YanMing WuNew York in My Eyesnew Yo
- Page 32 and 33: New York City was torn apart.Our sp
- Page 34 and 35: Rose CovingtonRebirthon the first o
- Page 36 and 37: Living in NYC35Author
- Page 38 and 39: yacouba yeo The Hunt 38stacy (xiulu
- Page 40 and 41: odies of animals. The last animal w
- Page 42 and 43: Ambiorix E. BaretA Passion for the
- Page 44 and 45: elif yigitMy Great-Grandpawhen I we
- Page 46 and 47: Geysha Prescott Hassan#50409in Pana
- Page 48 and 49: Qian (Michelle) YangSecret Pathsigr
- Page 50 and 51: Vasyl BarabashBorn in Ukrainethe vi
- Page 52 and 53: Cecilia RichettiI Am an IslanderI a
- Page 56 and 57: Amanda RodriguezAn Angel Without Wi
- Page 58 and 59: Khazanah AwadMy Mom WhenShe Was a L
- Page 60 and 61: TELLING TALESTelling Tales59Authorn
- Page 62 and 63: modou sambFalse Teethhis name is Ha
- Page 64 and 65: Olga TseytlinahHeWas a Stone Mane w
- Page 66 and 67: Lina Wu De ChecoThe Ugly Pencilone
- Page 68 and 69: Sybil SCOTTYes, My Pen Can DanceWhe
- Page 70 and 71: would not meet again. But they met.
- Page 72 and 73: Efim KrishtalHaikuCloud in the sky,
- Page 74 and 75: point. “We will find out who did
- Page 76 and 77: Being Together75Author
- Page 78 and 79: with my grandmother because they tr
- Page 80 and 81: Diego lasluisadToSee My Father Agai
- Page 82 and 83: N.S.Thanksgiving Dayas a family, we
- Page 84 and 85: Hanako SakagamiSakurafor the Japane
- Page 86 and 87: Victor DeSantiagoPopsI remember a d
- Page 88 and 89: Is from this summer at the beachMak
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- Page 92 and 93: Finding Encouragement91AuthorFINDIN
- Page 94 and 95: Last Friday, my husband came back h
- Page 96 and 97: ana riosMy First Job,Far Away from
- Page 98 and 99: mario perez“Take the Test in Span
- Page 100 and 101: khady gueyeThe Best Job I Have Ever
- Page 102 and 103: ming xian (cindy) linHelping People
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gabriela florestMyFirst Giftoday’
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ashanti robinsonEncourage YourselfE
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situation. I felt sad.Mr. Baker not
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Gaining Perspective109Author
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lined up. Behind me are beautiful d
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caterina gambinotChildrenTodayo be
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Kenneth PauljajouteReflections on t
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obert dolkowskiThe Sniffermy mother
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florence choiceOde to My Shiny Shoe
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Frankie mercadoOccasionallyOccasion
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Who am I? Who is the real me? I hav
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the key to success,the mistakes.Who
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PERSEVERINGlisa ng Journey to Freed
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water. The ring of light over Hong
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my mother. I told him, “Leave me.
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town. Perhaps my mother left the to
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and not harm my pets. I didn’t wa
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and listened to the radio all night
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minimum. Slightly embarrassed. Stil
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cynthia sotoiMiguel,I Want to Thank
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he had pulled my wife and son from
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Phipps CommunityDevelopment Corpora
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College of Staten IslandAdult Learn
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NYPL ESOL ProgramsOutreach Services