I found myself talking about them to my friends and my family, thinking about them when I was not in class. This to me is the true value in a collaboration like this.
College students become more well-rounded, more compassionate, less absorbed in themselves.
I cannot stress enough how important our work has been. Seeing real relationships develop and grow between the kids and ourselves was satisfying enough, but the excitement that came as the kids began to grow to be stronger, more confident writers made our efforts even more gratifying. Sure, we encountered problems, difficulties, and frustrations. But the lasting impressions is one of hope and satisfaction. To me, the most valuable lessons there are to learn are hard to teach in schools, at least in the traditional curriculum.