am blonde. I have heard every joke in the book. And I am bubbly. Oh, and I am a woman. Class, do you know what that equals? A stereotype. I can't find any history of its origin, but I am guessing it comes from Marilyn Monroe's era. People talk about prejudice against race, ethnicity, gender, religion. Some prejudices stem from other sources. Some lie in wait amongst the big ones. And I didn't even cheerlead.
My high school, a private boarding school in southern California, is where it all began. Upon entering as a freshman, the students are immediately put into a small box that determines who they are for the next four years. No changing, growing, or moving outside your box allowed. So when I showed up, a blonde, bubbly, friendly girl, I was immediately put into the unintelligent, invaluable, stupid blonde box. And I spent four years proving them wrong.
When my sophomore year rolled around, after "B" after "B" after "B" (you know, because dumb blondes don't get good grades), a new teacher arrived. Dr. Sarah DelVecchio was her name. She was a Ph.D. history teacher who ran marathons, had a Vizla named Clyde, coached the track and cross country teams, and was brilliant. She was about to turn the school and its tiny boxes on its ear.
My freshman year I studied history with another professor. My sophomore year I was in Dr. DelVecchio's classroom. History came alive through original texts, skits, maps, movies, speeches. Dr. D was an invaluable asset in the classroom.
When I had a paper, for any class, Dr. Delvecchio would help me. I would bring her papers with "B" on it from other classes. She would agree that I deserved a better grade, and never let me fall into the box my other teachers had put me in.
It was out of the classroom where she really made an impression on me. I decided to run cross-country that fall. Being a girl who has always loved independent sports I thought it would be a good match. But how can someone make running fun? Through games, letting Clyde run with us, tricking us into sprints with contests. It was the best season on record for the school. Dr. D supported me the whole way through - when I wanted to quit and when I thought I wasn't good enough. When it came time for the Southern California State Championships, Dr. DelVecchio sent me as part of the team. I was not the fastest, the strongest, or the best. She knew that the repercussions of her actions would give me confidence far beyond that race. I came in towards the end of my heat, but she was there with a smile and a kind, encouraging word.
The lessons that Dr. DelVecchio taught me have stayed with me for the past seven years. Through my time at college, at work, and in the future, I know that I was given a little taste of confidence from this woman. A little piece of everything that she carries around. And the best part is she can never know how much she influenced one person. One little blonde girl with a bubbly personality.
-- Elizabeth Coventry Ayres Burke, American University