NADIA LOPEZ:

If we don't show up, then we lose generations of children, and we're just repeating what I often say is generational genocide, that when our children aren't learning here in our classrooms, then they can't teach the next generation to be better, they can't teach them to aspire, to want more.

That's why we plant their feet in the places we want them to go. We take them to high schools. We take them to colleges. We bring people in from the outside who have various careers in industries that they're not represented, because when do those people ever come to Brownsville and tell them their stories?

And that's the other thing that we fail to do. We fail to share our stories. I think what was significant about mine is that people were like, here's this principal who was about to quit because she said she felt broken.

And it got to a point where I felt like I couldn't be the superhero. I can't act like I'm going to show up to work every single day and this is easy and I can do it.

No. I'm tired. And it's OK, because all of us hit that wall, right? And what was resounding is that the world, the world said, education is important and was willing to step up and say, we want to help these children.

And I'm so grateful to that.