Ever Had a Kid Like Me?

Christine Z. ’24 reflects on her Nueva summer internship

BY CHRISTINE Z. ’24

This summer, I embarked on an internship at REEL. It’s difficult to encapsulate this experience in words… I learned so much about twice-exceptionality and filmmaking, more than I ever will in a traditional classroom setting. More importantly, I felt the real impact of REEL’s work on 2e (twice-exceptional) families around the Bay Area.

The term “twice-exceptional” (2e) is used to describe students who experience learning differences (neurodivergence) such as dyslexia, ADHD, or autism and significant academic, creative, or leadership strengths. 2e children’s unique brain wiring makes them appear wildly asynchronous—they’re exceptional at some aspects of learning and living, and confounded by others.

As a part of this internship, I produced a series of short videos on individual students’ 2e journeys, under the “Ever Had a Kid Like Me?” project. This project came naturally to me, as I am deeply passionate about neurodiversity and storytelling. I collaborated with another intern, Aaron H., to come up with interview questions, film interviews with our subjects, and edit the videos. The task seemed daunting at first, but it was also a healthy amount of challenge outside my comfort zone. With the support of Callie, Abby, and Yael from REEL, we successfully carried out the project. The final video I produced is a great source of pride and joy (I’ve watched it at least 30 times now, and it never gets old).

Watch Christine’s video here: www.reel2e. org/post/ ever-had-akid-like-me

I learned about REEL through Nueva’s internship program. After reading the mission statement, I was drawn to the term twice-exceptionality. Prior to learning about the organization, I had never heard of the term before. I realized that many teachers and parents still lack awareness and understanding of this unique challenge. The goal of the “Ever Had a Kid Like Me?” project was to showcase the “humans” behind the label of twice-exceptional and bridge understanding between parents and educators.

Through this project, I essentially received a crash course on video production. I learned, for example, to never shine a ring light directly at someone’s face…and to always check the cameras to ensure they aren’t covered by a leaf…but I also learned many intangible things.

Through my interview with Serena, I got a glimpse into her experience with navigating twice-exceptionality, as well as intersections with her identity. She discussed the Asian stigma around learning differences and labels. When she was finally diagnosed, however, she “felt a huge change from being demonized as a child to being like, ‘oh, I wasn’t the terrible person I was made to be or thought I was.’” It was a deeply vulnerable interview, and I’m grateful that she was willing to share that with me. It didn’t occur to me how impactful her story would be until I finished adding the rolling credits to the video and watched it from beginning to end.

As a closing farewell to my summer internship experience at REEL, I attended the “REEL IS REAL” party to celebrate the organization’s nonprofit status. At the celebration, I met many 2e parents. They all shared one common concern—their child’s learning. One parent shared a particularly moving story about overcoming difficulties during remote learning, which almost brought me to tears.

It hit me then that REEL is making a real difference. It’s not measurable by any numbers, but rather through the mutual understanding of challenges and triumphs among the parents standing there. I hope my video inspires a similar feeling of solidarity and shines a brighter light on twice-exceptionality in the broader community.

Christine Z. ’24 is curious about brain sciences and hopes to pursue a career in neuroscience or psychology in the future. In her spare time, she loves to watch and critique movies, play music, and spend time with her dog.

REEL strives to ensure that Silicon Valley twice-exceptional students thrive in school by raising parent and educator awareness and understanding of practical, research-based strategies to address their needs successfully. For educators, REEL creates and curates resources, workshops, and programs to help them make school a place that 2e learners can be successful. For parents, REEL organizes and disseminates events and tools to help parents learn to advocate for and support their 2e kids. Learn more at www.reel2e.org.

Cultural History Made Visible

As part of their study of the Silk Road, eighth graders visited San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, exploring the syncretic art and iconography that resulted from the interactions between Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam along the Silk Road. Read more about this middle school milestone on page 28.