Dear School Administrator,
The past few years have been challenging for many reasons. If anyone knows that most, it is our students and educators. As a teacher myself, I saw the impacts of the pandemic and natural disasters on my students, my coworkers, and myself. As we navigate the road back to normal in our schools, it is more important now than ever to pour into the culture of our communities in intentional ways. Through the “Oklahoma Cares for Children” program, I have created programming perfect for your school body to embrace themselves and others.
As a biracial woman, I became a teacher partially because I took a look back at my own childhood, and could count the amount of educators of color I had on one hand. While this didn’t keep me from achieving my dreams, I recognized that it at least made me question them, and for some students – the question alone is enough to keep them from believing in themselves enough to try. I wanted to pour into students in a way that helped them see that their potential has everything to do with their perspective.
I’ve known this to be true for more than just race because of my relationship with my sister Danielle, who lives with Down Syndrome. She is an inspiration to me in many ways because of the breadth that she lives her life with. Though she is very capable, I’ve seen the impact of others’ low expectations and limited opportunities on her. Those experiences are unacceptable. Danielle has done a great job pushing past them to show she deserves the independent and fulfilling life she dreams of, just like those living with typical abilities.
My purpose as Miss Oklahoma is to create better communities through a culture of inclusion. This begins with our students! I am prepared to share this message with your students, focusing on things like Inclusion, Hard Work & Goal Setting, and Self Worth.
I hope to share this message to your school, knowing that it was a message I needed to hear as a student. Thank you for your dedication to your students and our future in them! Together we will create a better state because of the adults they will become.
All my best,
Ashleigh Robinson
Miss Oklahoma 2021
Download a copy of the school letter.
To schedule, contact Kay Alexander at the Miss Oklahoma Office, kay@missoklahoma.org or 918-461-9595.
