I was expecting to meet a couple of rabble rousers when I went to have coffee with two young adults, both recent graduates from Washington and Cornell universities. They have not gone for ‘the money,’ but instead have started a foundation. I thought they certainly would have some great stories about bucking the norm.
As you know from last week’s column, I feel that I have grown complacent. No more protests or attempts on my part to change anything. In my fictional life, I was the person leading the charge for change, the one on the front line. I wanted people to ‘stick it to The Man’ until I realized what I really wanted was to become ‘The Man’. Once I graduated college and got my first loan payment, I knew I couldn’t really lead any campaign for change; I just needed a job! I would have to ‘raise my voice’ on my own time. So I was excited to meet two people who had hit pause and were not following the typical path of most graduates from top-tier universities.
Meghan Bach and Will Shao were not what I expected. Neither looked like rabble rousers. I was the only one with a visible tattoo. As we chatted, I learned Will had been to only one protest, Meghan none. Neither had been involved in any political campaigns or stood outside a polling place handing out information about a particular issue. Instead, because they had been given so much in life, they wanted to work on an issue that might not be profitable, but that means something to them.
Will and Meghan formed Representation and Education Advocacy for Children (REACH), which supports parents who have children with learning disabilities in the public school system. The organization helps with setting up proper testing and individual learning plans (IEPs). It can be a cumbersome process, something they both understand because their families have been affected. After doing their research, they filed documentation and became recognized as a 501(c)(3).
They are now able to start their work. Their first step is to set up a parent-to-parent network because they realize funding is needed, which means grant writing and fundraising. And then they have to make sure people know what they’re trying to do, which means building a public presence. Oh, and in the meantime, they have to support themselves. Each has a job since there is that whole thing about needing to eat. So in a way, it would have been much easier for them to just get a job right out of college and not follow their passion. Yeah, but they didn’t.
I am not sure what will happen to Will and Meghan. You should visit their website at reachstlouis.org. They are new to this endeavor, but I am certain that if passion and hard work are any measures of success, very soon they will be making a difference in our community. Not ‘sticking it to The Man’ but rather helping ‘The ’Man’ and his children. That’s pretty darn nice, don’t you think?
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.