Tatina and Marina

Every day I meet interesting people and learn a little more about the culture. It is amazing to see people live on so little. Two that stand out in my mind from this past week are Tatina and Marina.

Tatina is 14 years old. She came to Coop last spring and took a placement test, hoping to be admitted. The principal told her that she needed to improve her score and that she could retake the test if she went to summer school so she came back on Friday and retook the test. She tested for about four hours while her mother sat patiently at a picnic table outside. When she finished I reviewed her test while they waited (this took a while because I didn’t realize there wasn’t a key!). Her work had improved but it wasn’t enough. It was heartbreaking to tell this young woman and her mother that she could not be admitted to our high school. I was able to tell her she was welcome if she chose to repeat 8^th grade and that helped some. We’ll see if she comes. I sure hope so, but not only would it cost her a year, but it would cost her parents another year of tuition, money that can come to as much as 25% of their income. I wish the kids at Puyallup High had all of the hope and determination of this girl – oh, the places they would go!

The Marshallese woman who translated the meeting for me is Marina. Marina is a teaching assistant during the school year and right now she is earning extra money by cleaning our apartments and classrooms. I find her shy but friendly and helpful. She comes to Kathy constantly and asks what she can help with. She is probably in her 30’s and has three young children. Her husband came to the Seattle area with their eldest, a boy of about 12. He was supposed to send for her and the others but never did; he left her stranded. Meanwhile she has gone to school to earn her associates degree. She has done all of the work but will not be granted the degree until she pays off her loan to the school of $600. She asked if she could put a note in the teachers’ boxes, offering her services for extra pay. She works for $2/hour. If she pays her loan this year it is huge for her because she will have a contract with the school and will receive a raise. In the meantime, she cannot bring her own children to the school because she can’t afford it. It must be hard to watch others’ children receive a good education while you send your children to a school where often the teachers don’t have training beyond the Marshallese high school system and often don’t show up for work.

I know I can’t save the world but that doesn’t make it any easier, and one reason I am here is so I can help some of these people. I am going to try to work out some sort of fundraiser for Marina. They make beautiful earrings here and maybe she and I can make some and send them over for sale. Stay posted!

Love to you and thanks for reading, Becky