Over the course of my research on World Relief, what
stands out to me the most is the fortitude of the refugee high school students.
Regardless of what country and what type of conflict these kids have left
behind, each must bear the burden of emotional scars while simultaneously navigating
a completely foreign new life—foreign in every sense of the word—and they each make
it work. It’s hard to put myself in their shoes. Most of the kids come here speaking
little to no English, but they learn so quickly. They work hard, study hard,
help support their families, and they help each other so much. Kim Orchard, the
guidance counselor for the WR students at West Aurora, facilitates adjustment
group meetings for the students to discuss, seek advice, or vent about issues
they face. Imagine an English-speaking
counselor, a French-speaking African, an Arabic-speaking Iraqi who translates
for a Bhutanese in Spanish so the Pakistani can understand…you get the picture.
Given the level of trauma so many refugees have experienced, they certainly
deserve the chance to begin life anew in typical American towns such as Aurora,
IL.
Regardless of the issue being discussed, it sure seems like Economics and Political Science have been the most thoroughly represented disciplines in the media, at least since 2008 and the Great Recession. It’s hard to blame the media for such a focus because it seems like that’s what most viewers want to hear about. Of course the financial health of the country and its citizens will always be a hot topic, and between the auto industry’s near collapse, the banking/mortgage fiasco, and subsequent high unemployment levels all coinciding with the beginning of Obama’s presidency, the media always had relevant economic news to cover. And since the government became heavily involved in each of those crises, political commentary proved of equal interest. Add to that the partisan shenanigans that exploded with Obama’s presidency, which have shown no signs of slowing down, and the media continues to have persistent political news to cover and analyze by bringing on political intellec...
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