In high school, I was a shy kid with low self-worth. The one thing I was good at was basketball, but I fumbled any time I played in front of people.
One day, our team was in a dead heat, with the chance to win our first game in four years. With two minutes to go, I planned to stay on the bench so the better players could win. To my surprise – and protest – Coach MacFarland put me in.
We won by one point. And I scored the winning basket. Coach Mac believed in me, and for the first time I believed in myself.
There are so many “at-risk” kids who have little reason to believe in themselves, kids who get passed by. Ethan Strimling has dedicated his life to believing in those kids, recognizing the critical importance of literacy and education in transitioning people from generational poverty into lives of economic stability.
I believe in Ethan Strimling and I hope you will join me in voting for him for mayor!
Diane Russell
Democratic state representative
Portland
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.