Good to Know

Student A: (not working at all)

Me: A, why aren't you working?

A: I don't want to. I am being lazy.

Me: What? Why?

A: Because this is boring.

Me: It'd be less boring if you'd try. And time would go faster. I think you know this.

A: Mrghghhhhhh.

Me: You know, you were at the (fancy name of the special meeting at our excursion), so you know the statistics. You know what ill-informed people think of you. You hear that story every day. The racism, the stereotyping. The people who assume you'll be nothing and are nothing. You going to feed into that? Or are you going to prove all those jerks wrong and rise above it? You're smart. Prove them wrong. Rise above! Try!

A: (looks at me like he gets it but still, really, really doesn't wanna)

Me: Look, if you don't try, Ima steal your mustache. I'm gonna steal it and wear it and look better than you do.

A: Naw, Miss. You can't.

Me: Whyever not?

A: Cuz you're not Mexican.

Me: So if I was a Mexican woman, I could rock that?

A: (nods)

Good to know.

P.s. After I walked away.... he started working.

Pretty sure it was the mustache part that did it. :)