I was born and raised in Brunswick and left our little town in August 2011 to begin my undergraduate studies in Rochester, N.Y. A week after completing my sophomore year finals, I began a 10-week community engagement program with a few of my peers that focuses on the most pressing issues within the city. The program requires that we work 40 hours a week in an unpaid internship at a local nonprofit organization with which we are paired based on our passions and career interests.

On Wednesdays, we participate in seminars that focus closely on one topic — such as crime and justice, access to health care, poverty or race — through discussion in the morning and direct immersion in the afternoon. Together, we are the 12 Urban Fellows.

My internship placement is with the youth department at the Community Place of Greater Rochester, a program that provides extended school-day and extended school-year enrichment for children entering city schools in kindergarten through eighth grade. My project is to plan, present and teach the literacy component for the six-week summer enrichment program.

The United Way, a key funder, mandates that each child participate in at least one hour of structured literacy activity per day, but does not give specifics beyond that.

With the task of inspiring 121 children entering nine different grades to love to read and write, I’m actively trying to learn absolutely everything about being a successful teacher.

As a daughter of two public school teachers, I know that one of the most important aspects of teaching is forming relationships with students; it’s almost impossible to create inspirational and effective lessons without understanding where the children come from, both physically and mentally.

As I’ve begun to form these bonds, my experiences tug at my heartstrings: The majority of my students live in public housing units in the so-called “crescent of poverty,” have abusive or drug-addicted parents, and read and write at a level far below their grade average. The graduation rate for African-American students is 23 percent — and only 9 percent for males.

I’ve attended several community discussions about the state of the school district led by students, parents, teachers and administrators. One in particular involved looking at the results of a survey of youth across city schools, conducted by Rochester AmeriCorps.

Students and staff say that the buildings are “dingy” and “jaillike” (my experience working in a kindergarten classroom this past year confirms this). They don’t feel safe on campus because of fights that erupt in the halls. Parents find it difficult to communicate with teachers and teachers with parents, and the administration is more focused on politics than student welfare.

However, nearly every high schooler reported they had at least one teacher who truly encouraged and supported his or her endeavors.

This was one the first mentions of positivity I’d witnessed during these discussions, and it really hit home for me: The problems the school district faces are truly intricate and multifaceted. It will take more than powerful words and government funded programs to pull them out.

In the few weeks I get to spend at home, I volunteer at Harriet Beecher Stowe Elementary School. The building is absolutely magnificent: It’s filled with bright colors, open spaces, and student artwork. The school has a small but devoted parent group, and the teachers are truly exceptional.

The children who go to school here will go on to become critical thinkers, inspired learners and valued members of society. I know this because I was one of those children not that long ago. I can still tell you the names of every one of my teachers, and I can assert that they each played a vital role in who I am today.

Brunswick is not a perfect school district and not every child will be able to reap its rewards. But after nearly two decades of watching it thrive firsthand, I have to say it’s doing a pretty great job.

Despite Brunswick’s relative successes, there are still so many who point out its flaws. I’m not saying that there aren’t things that could and should be fixed — there certainly are — or that these problems don’t exist, because they do.

All I’m asking is that you take a moment to reflect on your own experience. Are you where you are today because of endless encouragement from your parents and the pride they took in your successes?

Did you have teachers that pushed you to think outside of the box and who sparked your love of learning through critical thinking?

Did you grow up in a caring community that valued education and civic involvement?

I’m proud to say that all of these aspects were consistent throughout my childhood, and I owe a thank you to the individuals and community that made it possible.

ALESA YUODSNUKIS is a 2011 Brunswick High School graduate studying psychology at the University of Rochester in Rochester, N.Y.