Women history month

Clara Barton

Clara Barton was the founder of the American Red Cross. She was born on Christmas Day 1821 in my hometown of Oxford, Massachusetts. At a young age she nursed her little brother to health and that started her interested in nursing during the civil war. 

She started off as a teacher and open up the first free public school in 1854 before moving to Washington D.C to work for the U.S Pattin office a year later. She was one of the first women in the U.S government. During the Civil War, Barton started aiding the wounded soldiers then flooding into the capital.  Then she changed her focus to the front lines.  She saw there was a need in the front for supplies and she founded her own money to get them. She was nicknamed the angel of the battlefield. 

After the civil war Barton travelled to Europe on her doctor's orders to rest. While there she met members of the international Red Cross. Barton returned to the United States shortly thereafter and brought this idea home with her. She felt like America needed a similar organization in 1881. Devoting her life helping others, Clara Barton never married. Age 83, Barton retired from running the American Red Cross. 

Clara Barton continued to pursue her humanitarian interest. She worked for women suffrage, she worked with religious minorities, and prison reformed. Clara Barton built the American Red Cross from the ground up. She made that organization what it is today. 

Now that I live in Oxford, I have a connection with her. My mom lived in Oxford all her life growing up. She married her first husband and lived in Webster then they divorced. My mom married my dad and they lived in Worcester and had me, so I had always lived in Worcester all my life. I have been wanting to be a teacher since 6th grade and because I was in Special Education, that was where I wanted to teach. Of course, at this point I loved little house on the prairie.  I still do and at that time I wanted to be like Laura Ingalls Wilder. She was a teacher, and then married, had a daughter, and became an author. I wanted all of that. I might do a chapter on Laura Ingalls Wilder too before this month ends. 

I went to college at Salem State University and major in Education. I had also thought about Social Work, so I took a few classes in Social Work so I can learn more about that field. I have always had a passion to help people. My third year in college for spring break I went to Louisiana for Habitat with humanity and then my fourth year I went to Missouri for Habitat with Humanity. I would like to do something like that again.  I have also done a lot of volunteering during college with MASSPIRG on their campaigns like Hunger and Homeless. I graduated and had a hard time finding a job for my degree, so I ended up registering for Quinciqummon Community College to get a certificate in Early Childhood Education. I currently work at Market Basket until I get a job I want to do. I also done classes for MyVillage and that got me into thinking opening up my own daycare. 

Last year, my mom had sign up for these seminars that was happening at the Clara Barton's birthplace. It was virtually and then we had a tour at the museum. I felt drawn to her because she was a teacher. I knew she founded the American Red Cross, but I didn't know that before the Civil War she was a teacher and, in the sense, she looked better than Laura Ingalls Wilder.  She loved what she was doing, and she opened the first free public school. She was never married. 

A few weeks ago, I had a psychic reading and she had reassured me that I will work with kids. She could tell right away that I love children. She sees that I'll need more education to get to where I need to be. Maybe in Social Work? She wasn't sure. She sees the number 6 but wasn't sure what those 6 means. Either 6 years or the year 2026 or something else. She saw a little black girl on a playground with breads. She doesn't see me running a daycare but working with older kids and they will be special. They could have different disabilities, or they could have behavior problems or difficulties at home. She could sense I love to help people. She mentioned that I could be an administrator who led me to believe that I might open my own free public school and therefore I could be the next Clara Barton.

Right now, I am working on an application to volunteer at the Clara Barton summer school this summer. It's a summer school for kids with diabetes. Part of the application I need to be certified in First Aid and CPR, so I signed up for a class at the American Red Cross for April 3rd. I also want to be CPR certified as part of my resource connection for my CDA. The Child Development Association. I feel like I am on the right path, and I like the idea of opening my own public school just like Clara Barton did.