Classroom Conversations: Ms. Shakhan & Julio
The first face to greet visitors at United’s flagship campus, United Middle Main Street, is Office Coordinator Zora Shakhan. Always ready to meet parent questions, staff requests, or student needs with a smile, Ms. Shakhan is uniquely positioned to form lasting relationships with countless members of our community.
One such connection has been made with 8th-grade student Julio. Starting his educational journey in kindergarten at United Elementary 17th Street, Julio has been a United student since 2018. As this new school year begins, the rapport with Ms. Shakhan has picked up right where it left off before summer.
The Huddle joins the pair in the front office at Main St. between classes for a discussion of musical passion, joyful activities in and out of school, and gratitude for one another and our community.
The Huddle: Can you two introduce yourselves?
Ms. Shakhan: I'm Ms. Shakhan. I am the office coordinator and the MASE (Manager of After-School Engagement) here. This will be my second year. I chose to speak with Julio today because I love his personality. I feel like we have a really good bond. I don't know if you would agree, Julio, but in my time as office coordinator, you’ve been so helpful to me in the front office, helping me out with lots of boxes and stuff up here. But then also having just a great conversation — it's always memorable!
Julio: I’m Julio, and I'm in eighth grade right now, and for elementary school, I went to 17th St.
Ms. Shakhan: Do you have a favorite memory from middle school so far?
Julio: Probably when I first came here in sixth grade.
Ms. Shakhan: What about that specifically?
Julio: I learned new stuff. I made like a lot of new friends, and yeah, I liked it.
Ms. Shakhan: Did you have your friends from elementary school who came here with you, too?
Julio: Yes, my friend Jayce!
Julio: What is your favorite thing about this school?
Ms. Shakhan: My favorite thing about this school is definitely the students and the mix of personalities. Honestly, I think I also love being able to attend sports events and stuff. Last year, being my first year, I got a glimpse of basketball and soccer, and I coached track, but I just saw how passionate the students are about the clubs, the sports, and everything.
But even outside of that, like talking to students like you who talk to me about how passionate you are about everything outside of school, too. I do want to talk about that, too, because you talk about singing and you play instruments at your church. Do you want to talk about that?
Julio: Well, my church, it doesn't have a lot of people. It was once a big group, but a lot of people left. So, now, I'm kind of a leader. I need to take accountability for the whole group. If somebody's missing, I need to see who’s going. When the church singer can't come, I need to take the singer's spot and sing. When the pastor can’t, I give a warm welcome to everybody.
The instruments… well, I first learned the bass, and I have played that for four years.
The Huddle: How did you learn?
Julio: With a guy who taught me for 4 months. When I was ready, he told a pastor about my talent, and the pastor told me he wanted to form a group with me. That's how I started learning more instruments, like the piano and the drums. Right now, I'm going for the saxophone and the guitar!
Ms. Shakhan: He's so talented! He's so shy about it, too. And I'm like, “You play so many instruments! You're so cool.”
Julio: When you were my age or in high school, did you play any instruments?
Ms. Shakhan: Yes, I grew up playing the piano. I was trained to play the piano, but then over time, I forgot how to read the notes. So, like, you know how you're supposed to read notes and everything? When I was in class, I actually used to pretend like I could read notes, even though everybody around me knew how to read notes, and I didn't. So, I eventually picked it up by ear, and I can play any song like that I hear. If I can listen to a song over and over and over, I can eventually catch it on the piano.
Ms. Shakhan: What’s your favorite activity you’ve done?
Julio: My favorite activity in school is our gym class! I feel it's fun because there's a lot of moving around, we can kind of hang out with our friends, and we can challenge ourselves and others in sports like dodgeball and basketball.
Ms. Shakhan: What about outside school?
Julio: Going to the park and hanging out with friends! I don't like being at home for long because my parents tell me it’s important to enjoy my time right now as a kid, since when I'm older I won't have the same opportunities to do the things I can as a kid!
Ms. Shakhan: It's very true! I miss being a kid, being able to go outside and just hang out. Do you hang out with your sisters when you go to the park? You take them to the park?
Julio: Sometimes!
The Huddle: How many sisters do you have?
Julio: Two. Jade, she is in sixth grade. [Gesturing to the sixth-grade hallway at Main St., where his sister also attends.]
Ms. Shakhan: Then your other sister, what grade is she in?
Julio: Fifth. She is at the elementary school.
Ms. Shakhan: 17th St., right?
Julio: Yeah! She's coming here next year.
Ms. Shakhan: Yes! She was really excited during orientation.
Julio: What did you do over the summer?
Ms. Shakhan: I worked all summer, but even then, I still tried to find some time to have fun, so I hung out with my friends on the weekends. I went to a few concerts. I went to Michigan — to Detroit — and also went down to Atlanta to hang out with some of my friends, so a little bit of traveling while still working every day. Got to throw in the fun every now and then!
Ms. Shakhan: What are you looking forward to this school year? Any subjects that you're looking forward to?
Julio: Mostly getting my grades up and trying to learn new stuff! I want to learn more and look ahead so I can get into a great high school.
Ms. Shakhan: Okay! Are there any high schools you're thinking about going to next year, or is that too far ahead?
Julio: Well, there is one high school my mom was talking about: Fort Hayes.
Ms. Shakhan: Oh, yeah! Isn’t that because they told her they have a good band there, right?
Julio: They do!
Ms. Shakhan: And you play so many instruments.
Julio: And I think they said they have an ROTC-like class and all that.
Ms. Shakhan: So you want to do ROTC, kind of? Is that something that you have thought about for your future? You want to go into the army?
Julio: When I was a little kid, yeah, but I still don't know what I want to be. I’m just trying to discover what I like and what I want to be. When I was a little kid, I used to say, “Yeah, I want to be a doctor, and I want to be all this,” but now my mind has changed because I want to be sure of what I want to be.
Ms. Shakhan: And you're allowed to change your mind as many times as you want. I've thought about 30 different careers, even at my age now. So yeah, this is the time to figure out your interests and what you want to do.
Julio: Last question, what advice do you have for me?
Ms. Shakhan: That's a great question. I would say: stay focused and be true to who you are because you have such a bubbly and amazing personality! You show that in class, outside of class, and by being so helpful to us here in the front office. There will be things that will test you and times when you’ll be frustrated during this school year, but you just have to stay true to who you know you are and to everything you know you can do. I know you can do it!
Ms. Shakhan: How can I best support you this year?
Julio: Complicated answer, because I think I'm good right now. And I don't know if I'll need help in the future, but since I don't know, you can best support me by supporting my sister here if she needs something.
Ms. Shakhan, smiling: Yeah.
Julio: I tell her that she can come to you because I trust you. And if I trust you, she can trust you, too. So, if you can, just help her, too.
Ms. Shakhan: Yes. Definitely.
The Huddle: What do you appreciate most about one another?
Ms. Shakhan: I feel like Julio always tells me the honest truth, even when I don't want to hear it, and he's always so helpful. There are some times when he will remind me of dollars or deductions that he got and explain to me why he feels like he didn't deserve it or why he did deserve it, and I'm just like, “Yeah, you know what? You had a valid point there. You got me.”
Julio: And I most appreciate that Ms. Shakhan lets me help her with stuff in the front office! I laugh more than I do during the whole school day.
The Huddle: If you were to thank the community supporting your school, what would you say?
Julio: I appreciate them from the bottom of my heart!
Ms. Shakhan: I would just say thank you for all the support and for helping us support the students here, because we have so many students who come through. Everything that they've done to just help keep our school afloat and running is more than we could ever ask for. So, thanks for all of the support!
During the setup, conduct, and wrap-up of the duo’s interview with The Huddle, ever-busy Ms. Shakhan would occasionally be called via walkie-talkie by other staff throughout the building, and she would spring into action. Julio, for his part, remained patient and talkative while she gracefully addressed any needs that arose. The two perfectly reflect the calm in the bustle of school life — and the joy that can be found in the conversations had in between.
Connection is a hallmark of United culture, and this is a glimpse into the dialogues that define our campuses.
