Crosscut Festival Essays from Students – Seattle


 

 

 

 

We were able to bring 17 of our local Seattle students to this year’s Crosscut Festival that featured a variety of speakers including Valerie Jarrett and Macklemore and a series of engaging and thought provoking panel discussions.  I’m sharing some of the short essays from some of our students who participated. Big thanks to Crosscut for providing this opportunity to iUrban Teen.

Crosscut Festival Experience

Jermaine Kihuha – iUrban Teen
During my time at the Crosscut festival in Seattle University, Seattle, WA, and it had provided some inspirational experiences for me. One of the more memorable must have been the interview with Doug Baldwin and Macklemore. Their callings to the American communities were what made some of the festival enjoyable. I will say that for one, a look at the audience gives the feeling that we were not the main audience the speakers were speaking to. Also, there were MANY times they tried to speak too intellectual at times, making them difficult to understand at times. Overall, I did enjoy the festival, and I am happy to have had the opportunity to do that with them

Alexis Tisby – iUrban Teen
Crosscut Festival was a life changing experience for me. What stood out to me was Macklemore and Doug Baldwin and how they talked about social justice and how we as a community need to stand up for ourselves. Also, what stood out to me was the musicians and how they explained sexism and how to fight against it. I got a brief opportunity to speak to Bob Ferguson and I told him what a wonderful job he was doing for our state. I enjoyed the S.T.E.M session and how certain companies are in need of more people of color. Overall, I would definitely attend the Crosscut Festival again, and many more festivals like this again. Thank you, Ms. Deena, and iUrban Teen for giving me this opportunity to be a part of this experience. I will never forget it.

Leo Ramirez – iUrban Teen
I had a great time at the Crosscut Festival last Saturday, thank you very much for the invitation and lunch. Three things that resonated and I shared with my family and friends were: One was I had the chance to meet a wide diversity of people working for companies that came to present on panels at the festival. Two: The education system is a “failing system,” for people of color. Three: “Inequity.”
For me Deena, seeing people of color that look like me and those people being successful; that makes me feel I can also become one day successful as well. This event taught me that I can also reach to have success. Thank you, Deena, and all the iUrban Teen team for making this event happen. Without your support, mentoring, and above all always opening the doors where I never dream I would be walking inside…man…thank you. Thank you for always make things possible and simple for minorities like me. Thank you, again.

 

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