1. 20 OctOber 11, 2013
those books.”
Today, the foundation set up by
Gruwell — whose mission is to em-
power educators and students to
positively impact their own lives
and the world around them — gets
letters and emails everyday from
teachers and students about the im-
pact the book has had on their lives.
“These kids are being inspired not
to hang out with the wrong kind
of people and do positive things in
their communities,”Jacobs said.“It’s
making waves. It’s definitely mak-
ing waves, and slowly but surely, I
hope that one day every student
can be taught by a Freedom Writer
teacher.”
*****
Jacob’s message to the 600 or so
students at Rothesay High will
be about not letting your circum-
stances define who you are.
“Ms. G always said if you hang
out with 10 losers, you are going
to be that 11th loser. If you hang
out with 10 winners, you are going
to be that 11th winner. So know
yourself, know your goals, and sur-
round yourself with positive and
like-minded people so that you can
succeed.”
Jacobs is proof that it works. The
shy sophomore at Wilson Wood-
row School who was too afraid to
raise her hand in class now travels
to classrooms across North America
talking about her life and the book.
“Never in a million years would
I think this is the journey or path I
would be walking,”she said.“Never
in a million years.
“I had the lowest self-esteem. I
didn’t think I was pretty. I didn’t
think I had anything going for me. I
didn’t think I had any talents other
than being able to read. I used to
read books and, look, now I’m an
author … . I don’t even recognize
the girl that I was when I entered
high school. This has been a huge
blessing in my life.”
For more information about the
Big Rothesay Read, visit facebook.
com/TheBigRothesayRead. For
more information on the book or
the Freedom Writers Foundation,
visit freedomwritersfoundation.org.
Coverstory
Submitted photo
Tiffony Jacobs and the rest of the Freedome Writers still get together from time to time. They all graduated from high school.
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