Wednesday, September 14, 2022
I took Mr. Cameron’s OAC English class in 2002. One night, I was unable to finish an essay on King Lear simply because I was too hungry to think. I had been living in destitution for some time and had been diagnosed with starvation. I needed to keep my grades up in order to apply to university, so I was desperate to finish the assignment. But the pain from chronic hunger proved too much that night, so I wrote Mr. Cameron a letter, asking for an extension.
I went to school the next day expecting him to dismiss my problem like many other people who refused to believe that a student in Canada could be experiencing starvation. I was blown away when he not only gave me the extension but worked with my drama teacher to make arrangements for me to receive a free meal from the school cafeteria once a day, which I believe they paid for. I'm not sure because he never told me those details or asked for any thanks in return.
I might not be here today if it hadn’t been for Mr. Cameron’s compassion and generosity, which I often reflect on now as an educator when I meet with students in need. I just hope I can live up to such an excellent role model.
