Desert Dialogues: Cathedral City High sophomore grateful to teacher for fostering love of reading

Last week's question sought to honor our educators in the Coachella Valley by prompting high school students to reflect on the teachers who have profoundly influenced their lives. Students certainly rose to the occasion, with many expressing appreciation to their educators for their guidance and for enriching their lives at school with dedication and compassion.

Congratulations to Jaylyn Meza from Cathedral City High School, the first Lion to be selected by our readers for the Desert Dialogues spotlight. First identified as Student G , the sophomore paid tribute to her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Biggert, who instilled in her a love and passion for reading.

"She simply let us read what we enjoyed, and she shared books that highly interested us," Meza wrote. "She taught me that reading isn't just to educate yourself and that reading holds more value than just knowledge."

As one of our readers shared in an email, Meza's response also felt like an ode to reading. "It sounds like the student already had a candle burning and the teacher from seven years ago fanned the flame," Blessing wrote. "The student has learned to trust her own taste and read for pleasure — a lifelong activity."

Learn more about this week's spotlighted student below:

Q&A with Jaylyn Meza from Cathedral City High School

What's your go-to bubble tea drink order?

I've been craving bubble tea recently, and right now, I would like an iced matcha bubble tea.

What's a book recommendation you have?

I read "If You Lived Here" by Dana Sachs a couple of years ago, and it's still a book I think about. The book presents different perspectives on a historical event, and it's something I think everyone should read.

If you had the power of teleportation, where would you go right now?

If I had the power of teleportation, I would go somewhere on the other side of the world, like Italy or Japan.

We would be remiss to not mention that last week's poll was a super tight race, so we'd like to acknowledge the runner-up, Jackie Magana-Torres, a junior from Desert Mirage High School in Thermal.

We extend our gratitude to the high school students whose responses we also published last week:

• Jenny Bravo, Desert Mirage High School
• Alyson Encino, Cathedral City High School
• Danielle Lamp, Cathedral City High School
• Arely Lara, Desert Mirage High School
• Adela Munoz-Hernandez, Desert Mirage High School

More: Desert Dialogues spotlight: Indio High junior finds joy and empowerment in color guard

This week's prompt was inspired by Andy Abeyta and Ani Gasparyan's reporting of the narratives of six local Holocaust survivors , all now in their 80s or 90s, to help preserve their stories : What impact do you think it has on younger generations to hear these firsthand accounts of survival and resilience? How can we honor their experiences and ensure that their stories are remembered and passed on to future generations?

More: 'The world came to an end’: Six local Holocaust survivors share their harrowing stories

Readers can vote in a poll (found at the bottom of this story) for the response that resonated with them the most. To maintain an even playing field, we will initially keep the identities of the participating students anonymous. The student who receives the most votes will be "revealed" in a story the following Monday — our last Desert Dialogues spotlight of the school year.

Read on for this week's responses, which have been edited for clarity, and vote for the entry that resonated with you the most by noon on Thursday:

Student A

Firsthand accounts of historical events are crucial in understanding the impact that such events had on not just individual people, but also societies and countries as a whole. Historical perspective is extremely important to be educated about because being knowledgeable about events ensures that they are not only remembered as atrocities against society but are also very unlikely to be dismissed if a similar situation were to arise. Understanding the truths of what the survivors of the Holocaust went through allows us as humans to fully comprehend the severity of the torture and abuse they endured.

When sharing their stories, we can empathize and grasp that these are fellow humans who were at the hands of other human beings. Hearing their stories allows them to continue living and breathing for years to come, preventing the distortion and dilution of the brutal conditions they fell victim to and allowing their experiences to be shared globally. When experiences are shared, it is hard to deny the validity of the truth. As a Jewish woman, hearing reiterations of the treatment my ancestors were exposed to helps me keep the flame of their fight against anti-Semitism lit and allows me to keep their stories alive for future generations.

Student B

Personal accounts could be shifted in order to fit someone’s biases, but when it comes to mistreatment and tragedies, first-person accounts are the most reliable source. Specifically, when speaking on the survivors of the Holocaust, the number of people affected is larger than any other tragedy that has occurred. In turn, the survivors are of the utmost value to inform us of what exactly happened when no one was watching. These people are the ones who are able to keep memories of loved ones alive and truly speak on events others when others couldn't be there to tell it themselves.

For the younger generations, these stories are life lessons on perseverance and vulnerability. They help them understand that real people were being affected and to not view them as statistics. Instead of being a number, they become a person with a story and a representation of resilience. Therefore, it is important that these stories are not lost, but instead shared and passed down for generations to come, because not only do they provide true insight into what was happening, they also allow us to preserve lost memories. Finally, people can prevent someone from becoming a Jane Doe and put their real name out there.

Student C

Firsthand accounts of historical events play a significant role in shaping a global understanding of the Holocaust and preventing the distortion or denial of atrocities, as a person’s experience of an event can bring their own authentic perspective. The word "distorted" can be used to describe something that has been twisted, with details altered to comfort the narrator. If I had experienced an event, I would want someone to recall every detail regardless of the narrative, whether good or bad, that follows. I believe the impact on younger generations of hearing these firsthand accounts of survival and resilience allows for a more realistic view of the world. It brings them perspective and inspires them to grow up wanting to be the change they wish to see. If these firsthand accounts go unheard, then history will repeat itself, bringing more injustice and pain to others. We are humans; somewhere in between, we must come together as humanity and join hands with one another.

We can honor their experiences and ensure their stories are remembered and passed on to future generations by creating a book from a firsthand perspective, including details tailored to the age of the readers. Different age-appropriate books can be distributed to public schools and libraries. Perhaps there could even be a project or scholarship dedicated to the Holocaust and its survivors. This could all be a great way to publicize their stories and ensure their experiences are not forgotten.

Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com .

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert Dialogues: Cathedral City High sophomore grateful to teacher for fostering love of reading