Bright Minds, Big Dreams: Dover Elementary’s Career Day with Mrs. Giaz and Her Class

Dover Elementary is a small school nestled on Nelson Avenue in Tampa, Florida, where the children of migrant field workers harbor magnificent dreams for themselves.

I would never have known of its existence had it not been for my dear friend, Aliza Giazitzoglou, or as her fourth-grade class affectionately calls her, Mrs. Giaz. 

Aliza and I are both transplants from New York, and we immediately hit it off. I may have yearned for someone who could understand the nostalgia I missed from the North, and yet we both healed by giving what we missed: support, encouragement, and love to others. 

She asked me to speak at her school for Career Day. 

“What else can you do!” 

“I want to wear your tutu!” 

“Wow, you were a cop and a ballerina!” 

“Oh my goodness, you also wrote a book?!” 

“What's the name of the book? We want to read it!”

The children not only refueled my youth tank but also reminded me of the importance of curiosity, the collective contribution to creativity in this world, and the boundless possibilities ahead. 

It was a lovely, humbling experience, and I will cherish Mrs. Giaz, Dover Elementary, and her little dumplings forever.