My little World Changers
I didn't pick my students, I didn't recruit or look for a particular type of student. All I did was make sure my barn would be safe for people to be themselves, to be safe for the animals to be themselves. The right people and the right animals found us.
Of all my students they are almost all neurodivergent, LGBTQ+, or live with physical, mental, social, or emotional health challenges. They choose this barn and this way of working with animals because they have an amazing capacity for empathy and compassion, they see their own struggles reflected in these animals and they become the hero that THEY need.
One of our girls was saying that she wants to be homeschooled because of the bullying situation she said, "even when I do all the right things that adults tell me to do, my feelings still hurt".
These kids are SO brave.
They are WORLD CHANGERS all of them.
They are preteens and already fighting for what they believe in like tiny warriors. They speak up for the animals because they can't always speak up for themselves. They are each working in their own way to make the world better for people and animals. Some have chosen to be vegetarian or pescatarian, some participate in programs for LGBTQ+, one of our students who has been here almost 8 years has started college to become a social worker to help other people with BPD and Autism like her. They each find their own path to make things better. Whatever that looks like to them.
I am continually blown away by their selfless choices to stand against the norm, even when it means being bullied, losing out on fun things like horse sports or hang with the "cool kids". I am so proud of them. I am so amazed by their compassion, their gentleness in the face of cruelty, undying empathy for those around them, their leadership skills and amazing example for their peers. I couldn't be more proud of these amazing people.
But I'm also so SAD for them all. They are losing their childhood fighting for something that should just be. They shouldn't have to fight bullies, lose out on fun things, or stand up against cruelty to their loved animals.
They should be children, free of worry, full of love.