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The letter, published by Education Weekly, was written by Nelba Marquez-Greene, who describes the promise of courage, faith and love that she and her husband made to themselves on Dec. 14 after finding out that they had lost their daughter Ana Grace and that their son had survived the shooting in the Newtown elementary school.
Marquez-Greene is a marriage and family therapist and is the mental-health and relational-wellness director for Sandy Hook Promise, an organization that supports those affected by the Newtown shooting. She and her husband, Jimmy Greene, a professor at Western Connecticut State University, have been vocal about finding an end to gun violence.
In her message to teachers, she said, “Your courage will support students like my son, who have lived through traumas no child should have to.”
“Your courage will support students who are left out and overlooked, like the isolated young man who killed my daughter,” Marquez-Greene wrote. “At some point, he was a young, impressionable student, often sitting all alone at school. You will have kids facing long odds for whom your smile, your encouraging word, and your willingness to go the extra mile will provide the comfort and security they need to try again tomorrow.”
To read the full letter, click here.
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