We sat in her modest living room and talked about a few things. As the hours went by, I got to know so much more about Autumn’s childhood than I ever expected. If the stellar grades I had seen in the files were not enough, the physical proof of her achievements sparked even more respect in me.
The older woman, whose name I learned was Gloria, began bringing out boxes from a back room. She set them down in front of me and started pulling out items for me to use.
"These were her achievements—trophies, medals, certificates. All proof of her intelligence," Gloria said, her voice full of a quiet pride.
I looked through the boxes. There were academic awards for mathematics, certificates for leadership, and trophies from debate competitions. As I looked through her old notebooks and goals, I e
