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Welcome to our e-newsletter
Minds in Motion
Classes are out, papers are in, and we're closing shop for winter break. But first, some highlights from the fall semester, and our heartfelt thanks to all who made it possible.
Please remember Free Minds in your end-of-year giving, and help an adult begin a new chapter in 2012. Here's how you can support us. Happy holidays from everyone at Free Minds!
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Meet Student Jennifer Reyes
"I tell my daughter, 'You gotta keep going to school till you're old and old and old!'"
 At 24, Jennifer Reyes is one of the youngest Free Minds students, but when she came to interview for a spot in the program in July, she said she had already waited too long to start college.
"The way my caseworker explained this program to me, it helps you get started, so you're ready when you go to ACC," Jennifer explained when AmeriCorps volunteer Hana Silverstein caught up with her midway through the semester. "I knew it would be hard work -- but not actually being in class, you don't really know. But once I started going, I liked every class."
Jennifer has nearly perfect attendance. The only class she missed was the day she got her wisdom teeth pulled, a testament to how seriously she takes this opportunity. "I never thought I'd think that way about education," she said. "I almost feel like a whole new person. Now I tell my friends, 'Get your GED! Go do something. I'll go with you.' That was never me. I was never the one pushing anyone."
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| Writing Workshop Wraps Up
Our fall writing workshop at Foundation Communities' Trails at Vintage Creek apartments wrapped up on December 6 with a reading of original works by the writers in the group. One woman shared an experience of racial self-awareness; another read a story about the time her pregnant mother had such an intense craving for turnips, she induced her husband to steal some. (You can read this story on our blog.)
Workshop facilitator Alice Shukalo, a teacher of writing and rhetoric at UT, guided the writers through eight weeks of free-writing and feedback sessions. Every Tuesday evening, participants gathered to improve writing skills and express themselves in a supportive community. As writer Thelma Lee James put it, "A lot of people need this opportunity to share the creations of the mind." Thelma, who also participated in the spring writing said she "had stopped writing so much, but when I came back to Free Minds, I began to realize how much fun it is, and how broad your mind can explore. It also keeps your mind activated with new ideas and energy to share with others."
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Students Celebrate End of Semester
The fall 2011 semester began with satire from Benjamin Franklin and ended with brisket from Franklin's BBQ. Along the way students explored Alice Walker's short stories, the Mendez v. Westminster case, and the creation stories of the Inuit and Maya cultures.
For their final assignment, each student stood and read excerpts from the writing they did this semester. Most shared paragraphs from the personal narratives they wrote for the creative writing unit, essays that brought together the texts they read in class, their own histories, and answers to the semester's thematic question, "What does it mean to belong?" Speaking about their neighborhoods and families, ends of relationships and births of babies, early breakfasts and "struggle food" meals, they honored the stories that make them who they are today. Along the way, they affirmed the importance of making room for diverse and powerful voices.
On Wednesday, December 14, Free Minds students and faculty celebrated a successful fall semester with a potluck meal and a congratulatory cake from student Selvair Bryant. Sitting around tables decorated with streamers, they discussed favorite moments from a semester that transformed them from a group of strangers into a committed and dynamic intellectual community.
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Special Thanks
We are fortunate to have hosted a number of visitors and workshop leaders who shared with students their expertise and enthusiasm this semester. We are so grateful to:
Grace Adams, Free Minds '09 | Andrea Black, Detention Watch Network | Tera Bock, Foundation Communities | Kellee Coleman, Free Minds '08 | Stephanie DeHoff, ACC Human Development | Lyman Grant, ACC Dean of Arts and Humanities | Josué Guillén, Progressive Technology Project | Jean Anne Lauer, Cine Las Americas | James Noblitt, Skillpoint Alliance | Amira Pollock, Theater Educator | Judith Rhedin, Texas Performing Arts | Clayton Stromberger, Shakespeare at Winedale | Melinda Townsel, ACC Head Librarian | Emily Whitehurst, Free Minds '11
If you are interested in volunteering with or supporting Free Minds, you can find more information on our website.
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YOUTUBE: Stacey Kennedy, Free Minds '12, and her son Richmond talk about their journey from homelessness to college.
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Minds in Motion
Archive
November 2011 Students share their stories: Balancing work, motherhood, and school. October 2011 Philosophy class, writing workshops, and a double dose of Shakespeare. September 2011 The back-to-school issue! Including insights from a new student. |
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The Final Word(s)
Free Minds students share their favorite moments of the fall semester.
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L-R: Debora Otero, Sandy Smith, Lisa Pous
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Writing instructor Laine Perez and Cristina Maldonado
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I really loved the history professor. He was awesome. He took boring history and made you think. He took controversy and put it right in front of you and said dig in. He made me think, he made me laugh, but most of all, he helped me to learn.
Jennifer Johnson
A moment that stands out for me is when we read a scene from The Tempest out loud and my classmates went to the front and acted it out. Shakespeare came to life in a way I never thought I'd see. My classmates braved the stage and we all had a hearty laugh. How wonderful!
It was weird seeing myself in the newspaper. My mom and dad bought 5 copies so they could save it for memories.
Cristina Maldonado
Never in my life did I think I would be in school again and enjoying it. This has changed my life for the better. It pushed me to do things I never thought possible.
One of the best moments was going to see The Tempest. Having the opportunity to experience the theatrical scene was rewarding, because I saw firsthand how passionate the actors and actresses were about their performance.
Jennifer Reyes
The class brought complete strangers together to feel like equals and to feel important no matter where we came from or who are are today. I am so grateful that I have had an opportunity to be part of this class and know these wonderful people!
Debora Otero
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A program of the UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, in partnership with the UT Humanities Institute, Austin Community College, and Foundation Communities, Free Minds offers a two-semester college course in the humanities for Central Texas adults who want to fulfill their intellectual potential and begin a new chapter in their lives.
Free Minds Project
Community Engagement Center
1009 East 11th Street, #218
Austin TX 78702
Project Director: Vivé Griffith Project Assistant/AmeriCorps VISTA: Hana Silverstein
Ph: 512-232-6093 F: 512-236-1729
www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/freeminds |
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