Letter: Streets finally claim the life of young man

Thursday, July 13, 2000 | 9:02 a.m.

McLemore was a former student, and later a former client, for whom I had developed a caring interest from the time he was 13 years of age.

I was a long-term special education substitute teacher at Chaparral High School, where he attended. He asked me to teach him how to read. We made a commitment to meet three times per week during my lunch hour. He showed up and tried his best most of the time, as if he lacked the attention that he did not get at home. I spent my own money on materials for that class of less than 10 kids. I even baked a cake for those who came to the class on Fridays to encourage the dropouts to stay in school.

Stacy seemed to respond to my mentoring and taught me a lot about how to be street-wise. He always treated me with respect and informed me if someone on campus was planning any harm. He often told me to hide my purse or refrain from getting too close to certain individuals who may be planning a violent act. We developed a strong bond.

Later, I lost contact with him. Stacy succumbed to the peer pressure of gangs, substance abuse and the apparent lack of guidance in his environment. This, coupled with his inability to learn as he matured, caused him to get into trouble with the law.

I met him again when he was an adult and I was a probation officer. Instead of seeing a criminal, I saw the youngster for whom I believed that I had made a difference. He continued to refer to me as his teacher. He was an unwitting messenger who will be missed.

NORMA J. PRICE