“Halima was absolutely a class clown. She also had trouble focusing, keeping quiet, doing her schoolwork, etc. the whole class was frequently late to their recess period because they had to wait for her to finish her assignment. And she was SASSY about it. But she always had a smile on her face. I’d been wanting to give the kids an art lesson for a long time and finally I was given permission. I was teaching them to draw different farm animals. When I went around the room to check everyone’s work I noticed the classroom was oddly quiet. I looked at Halima and she had her head down really close to her journal, her pencil held close to the tip for maximum precision. When she was finally done drawing and handed me her journal I found the page filled with beautiful detailed drawings that had gone far beyond the examples I had created on the chalkboard. After that she’d beg me to stay in from recess so she could keep drawing or coloring. As an artist myself it made me so happy.”