Student Spotlight!
Congratulations to Yaretzi Curiel-Perez, South Sioux City Middle School student and the winner of this year's Tolerance Week Essay Contest! Her powerful poem “Throughout the Ashes” was selected from hundreds of entries submitted by students across the Siouxland area. 📝💫
Yaretzi's moving words remind us of the strength that rises from struggle and the enduring power of hope. Her poem was also featured in the Sioux City Journal and shared by Tolerance Alliance on their Facebook page—what an incredible honor! 👏📖
We are so proud of Yaretzi for using her voice to inspire others and promote understanding. ❤️
Read her award-winning poem below:
Throughout the Ashes
By Yaretzi Curiel-Perez
The world was bright, the sky was blue
Before they came and took us too
Mom cried while father prayed
But no one came, no hand was laid
They packed us tight in mental trains,
Faces pale and full of pain
No space to breathe, no room to stand
Holding tight to mom’s hand
The air was cold, the ground was stone
I've never felt so alone,
They cut my hair, they stole my name
To them we all just look the same
The days were long, the nights were worse
Every breath I took, I feared the worse
But I won't break, I won't let go
Through fire and ash my hope still grows
One day soon, this war will end
And I will walk free, I will ascend
The stars will shine, the world still turns
Though homes are lost, though hearts will burn
I'll tell my story, I will stand,
A mark of hope upon this land
#CardinalPride #StudentSuccess #ToleranceWeek #PoetryWithPurpose #VoicesOfHope