"A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love" - St. Basil
Whenever George Washington Carver tried to attend a school, he was either quickly turned away or ridiculed because he was black.
Following the Civil War, it wasn't easy for former slaves to carve out a life for themselves. Even so, George pressed on.
The Listons were a white couple whom George befriended while at Simpson College in Iowa where he was the only black student. They owned a bookstore, and he spent most of his free time there. Later George chose to attend Iowa State, and once again he was the only black student. Immediately, he was the object of racial insults. In a letter to the Listons, Carver complained about the way he was being treated.
Mrs. Liston took the train the Iowa State and walked the entire campus leaning on his arm. "The next day everything was different," Carver later explained. "The ice was broken, and from then on, things went very much easier."
Students who don't quite fit in for one reason or another sometimes just need a helping hand - not necessarily to help them reach but to help them connect.
Is there a student in your midst who could use your endorsement today? Be an advocate for someone who really needs it.
Prompt: Is there anyone I know who needs an advocate? How can I lighten their load?
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