Youth Reflections, Dreams [VIDEO]
/In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Klamath County School District asked students to talk on video about his message and their dreams
Chiloquin senior Dan Jones is inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s ability to change the world with his leadership.
Dulce Mendez, Chiloquin Junior-Senior HIgh School: “I myself have a dream to become a teacher, and this would not have been possible without the efforts of Martin Luther King.”
“Few people have the power to bend history by themselves,” he says, “but if we all stood up for the injustices in the world today, it would create a tidal wave of hope that would sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression.”
Klamath County students have dreams: They want to be lawyers, teachers and engineers, but mostly they want to be part of a more compassionate and peaceful world.
As Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches, students throughout the county district were asked to reflect on his message and their own dreams. They then vocalized those thoughts for a video honoring King. MLK Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 21.
Watch the video above or visit: https://youtu.be/Oorw1Jah0uU. The video is also on KCSD’s website and Klamath County School District Facebook page.
Jones, the Chiloquin senior, dreams of going into law enforcement. Rodrigo Madera, a senior at Bonanza Junior-Senior High School, wants to be a dental hygienist and return to his hometown to practice. His classmate, Madalyn Cory, wants to be an orthodontist. Both want the world to have more smiles.
In Chiloquin, students discussed the character traits of Martin Luther King Jr. – leadership, kindness, bravery, peace, love, and equality.
Neveah Lossing, 13, Henley Middle School: “In order to be compassionate you need to also be forgiving...”
Chiloquin’s Tobias Vazquez embraced King’s message of peace. “Martin Luther King Jr. was an advocate for creating peace,” he says in the video “… as we reflect on our society today, you’ll see the world has lost that peace … I have a dream to recapture his message of peace, love and equality for all.”
Gabriel Cordero, also of Chiloquin, adds, “Martin Luther King was all about love, from standing up for people he didn’t even know to loving his enemy.”
Neveah Lossing, an eighth-grader at Henley Middle School, talks about her dreams for peace and compassion. “In order to be compassionate you need to also be forgiving, so forgiveness is a big part of that,” she says.
Some other insights from our students:
“Our world’s diversity, united, is unstoppable.” -- Makenzie Girtman, Lost River Junior-Senior High School
“My dream for the future is for a united world. One in which people can become what they want. One where differences and nationality and culture are celebrated. One where nations and people work together for a better society.” – Jabul Rasmussen, Henley High School
“We have made great progress since Martin Luther King’s speech, but I personally believe we still need work.” – Leslie Hernandez, Chiloquin
My dream for the future is for people in our society to embrace their true selves, regardless of their gender, religion or race. It is also up to us … to use our differences to make us stronger.” – Nayeli Murillo, Henley High School
“As a young Latina, I am thankful for his sacrifices to help ensure I get equal opportunities. I myself have a dream to become a teacher, and this would not have been possible without the efforts of Martin Luther King.” – Dulce Mendez, Chiloquin
