Triumphs of Glory
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is a list of the Triumphs of Glory national finalists. Please click and read the amazing, inspirational stories shared by each of them. |
| Nyra
S. |
| “Through
God’s grace, he brought me back strong and healthy. I had to
learn to walk all over again. But, now I can say I’ve been completely
healed.” |
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| Lizzy
M. |
| “My
mother inspires me daily to be a better person … and to hold
myself with class and dignity.” |
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| Bonnie
A. |
| “When
I came out of surgery fine, I was surprised. That afternoon, in physical
therapy, I cried being able to walk again.” |
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| Cynthia
M. |
| “I
am comforted in knowing while I am out in the rough seas, God has
been and always will be with me.” |
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| Briana
S. |
| “Athletic
competition was my life before these kids … now I go by Aunt
Bri, something I cherish more than any title or trophy.” |
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| Felicia
S. |
| “My
grandmother is the epitome of a Black Matriarch. This family adores
here and so does everyone that knows her.” |
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| Victoria
V. |
| “She
joined AA and has remained alcohol free since the day she set foot
in her first meeting. And, she remains in remission for colon cancer.” |
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Thank you for you interest in Triumphs of Glory.
This campaign was designed to find inspiring stories of triumph in the
face of adversity.
The winner is Karyn Rolling, a special education high school teacher from
Niagara Falls, NY. Rolling will receive an all expense paid cruise for
two to the destination of her choice. Read Karyn’s inspirational
story below. |
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Everyday
I am inspired by my students. I am a special education teacher in an inner
city high school in New York. Many of my students come to school each day
with baggage that would bring down the strongest man in the world. I always
thought my job was to help them sort through their baggage and make the
load lighter. But as the years have gone on, I have begun to realize how
much they have lightened my load, too.
Many
of my students have needs that go beyond that of a typical high school
student. For many people it is hard to be positive when you know that
each day you are going into a place where success doesn’t come
easy. But my students have found the best in each other and are willing
to put aside their own difficulties to help others. I watch them work
in groups and use the strength of each other. Hearing comments like,
“Ask Josh, he's really good at math” or “Melissa,
come help me" are wonderful things to hear.
Some days I’m even embarrassed by the things that I struggle with
because they seem so trivial compared to theirs. Each day my kids have
a kind word to say, an apple from their lunch or the effort to be a
little nicer if they recognize that I’m having a bad day.
When we are writing sentences for vocabulary I will find my name in
the sentence. One student quietly turned in his paper and it said, “Miss
Rolling inspire me to do good work”. The grammar may not be there
but, WOW what sentences! Jeremy has already made me promise I would take
him to the prom this year because he can’t think of anybody he’d
rather go with.
Last year, three of my students had parents pass away. When I attended
the funerals, it was inspiring that they took time out from their grief
to introduce me to their extended family. We spent a lot of the year
learning how to be compassionate and understanding towards others. One
student named Josh had his mother pass away during Christmas
break. When he returned to school I quietly told the class what had
happened. Many of the students with a tear in their
eye and went to Josh and patted his back or quietly said, “I’m
Sorry”.
These are tough students who have a hard time showing emotion in a positive
way. The care and love these students showed for each other inspires
me to realize how each of us can make a difference in a life by being
positive and caring and that what you ultimately contribute has nothing
to do with your IQ. |
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