For the VIP-ers in the Dallas Country Club Founders’ Room, it soon became apparent that they had found their very BBF in Erin Gruwell on Monday, April 24. The former teacher who was to be the keynote speaker was bubbly and walked away from the Family Compass‘ North Star Luncheon with a fan club.
With the event’s theme “Calling North Stars,” the ballroom’s foyer was filled with all types of settings for guests to come on board as a North Star. But it was when the ballroom doors opened to a filled-to-capacity setting that the message really hit home.
Following a welcome by Co-Chairs Brooke Bailey and Elizabeth Dacus, Presenting Sponsor ExxonMobil representative Gerard Monsivaiz admitted that the days of moving south to Houston from North Texas had been trying, but the company still wanted to support the plight of children facing challenges.
Gerard was followed by Mark Holmes, representing the North Star Awardee Lake Highlands Exchange Club, who reinforced the group’s commitment to the Family Compass mission.
Just before noon, Family Compass CEO Ona Foster recalled milestones that showcased the North Star people in her life, adding that a North Star could be more than just one person. But for Ona one of those people had been Honorary Chair Candace Winslow, who had encouraged and inspired her during the years of the pandemic.
Without missing a beat, emcee/moderator Calvert Collins-Bratton took her place on the stage with Erin, warning that she hoped that guests were wearing waterproof mascara.
And rightly so, as Erin told how the riots of L.A. had changed her course from being a lawyer to becoming a teacher. As she explained, in the courtroom, the damage had already been done. By being in the classroom, she might make a difference.
On the first day of school in her first class, she was confronted with kids who saw her only as temporary and as an outsider. Instead of backing away from the threats, she decided to meet the kids with books like the “Diary Of Anne Frank.” For some it was the first book they had ever read.
As time progressed, she used the books to encourage the students to share their own stories of abuse, fear and homelessness. It was so effective that a movie, “Freedom Writers,” starring Hilary Swank, was made.
Erin laughed that her father had suggested that Jack Nicholson and Robert Redford should play his role. Erin had to tell him that the budget couldn’t accommodate such actors as Jack and Robert.
In having the students owning up with their own personal challenges, they created a family within their classrooms. A telling point came when Erin asked them to step up to the “red line” in the room, signaling they had a true, often heartbreaking, story to share with the others.
As a result of Erin’s efforts, the students chronicled their fears, their journeys and their recoveries that resulted in the Freedom Writers program that has resulted in a foundation helping both students and teachers overcome the problems facing youngsters.
In closing, Erin tied in her work over the past decades with what Family Compass is doing in North Texas — providing a resource to help youngsters and their families overcome child abuse and neglect.