The first time I heard Erin Jones give a talk was about 14 years ago. My son was graduating from Pierce College with a 2-year degree as a 17 year old Running Start student. Erin Jones gave the commencement speech. I remember her telling her own life story and using that story to push on equity issues in schools while also encouraging the graduates and providing them with visions of the future. I was immediately a fan.

We’ve had some frigid weather around Washington State recently and several schools were canceled or had late starts last Friday…the Friday before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Erin Jones was scheduled to speak at a high school that day but the event got canceled so she decided to give a version of her speech online. That speech is embedded below. Maybe you could use this with your students if they missed out on an assembly. Maybe you need to hear it for yourself as an educator. Enjoy.