To My Students

My time in Indonesia will soon come to an end. I will be leaving this wonderful place and returning to a place I once called home in order to finish my studies. The people I love the most in Indonesia, my home away from home, are my students. My students have taught me more than I can ever teach them; they have taught me a lesson more valuable than any lesson I could ever teach to anyone or anyone could teach me. It is a lesson in respect.

My parents used to tell me I did not know what respect was; I used to think I did. I observed my peers and concluded that I was more respectful to my parents. They would constantly give me example after example and I would not understand. I was always told on how little respect children in the west had, so I observed my foreign peers that my parents talked so highly about, and I only saw, what I thought to be, superficial displays of respect.

Since teaching the children of Sidoarjo, Indonesia I have learned what respect is.

My father once told me that knowledge may or may not change the world but respect will. And to my students I advise you all to never change. To always be respectful no matter how successful you become. With respect you gain more and more success.

-end