The Devil's Advocate of Washington Middle School: Chimuanya Okoro

Class of 2008 Part 2: The Devil's Advocate

06/05/2008

In middle school, sometimes it's best to blend in with the crowd. But C.C. Okoro doesn't see it that way. She's the youngest of seven. This month she graduates from Washington Middle School. KUOW's Phyllis Fletcher has part two in our series, The Class of 2008.

ONCE UPON A TIME, BEING A NERD AT WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS ENOUGH TO GET YOUR BUTT KICKED. BUT 13–YEAR–OLD C.C. OKORO SAYS NOBODY REALLY MESSES WITH HER.

C.C.: "Um, I'm pretty much a big nerd. I kinda joke with it. I'm like, 'OK, I'm a nerd because I like grades. That's fine. I'll be a nerd, then."

SHE SMILES AND PUSHES UP HER GLASSES. SHE WENT TO T.T. MINOR ELEMENTARY UNTIL HALFWAY THROUGH 2ND GRADE. SHE'S DIPLOMATIC WHEN SHE EXPLAINS WHY SHE LEFT.

FLETCHER: "How did you know in 2nd grade that you weren't fitting in at T.T. Minor?"

C.C.: "Um, I just didn't feel, kinda, challenged. It didn't seem like it was, like, the proper school for me."

SHE LIKED THE KIDS. AND HER SISTER HAD A GREAT TEACHER THERE. BUT, WITHOUT BADMOUTHING ANYONE, C.C. SAYS SHE AND HER PARENTS FELT IT WAS BEST FOR HER TO SWITCH TO MONTLAKE. AND THE DIFFERENCE WAS AMAZING.

C.C.: "Montlake is so much more challenging. There's always people to help you there. The staff is really warm and you can just go and talk to them about anything. They really helped me, and that's why I think I am how I am now. Academic–wise, anyways."

WHEN SHE GOT INTO 6TH GRADE, IT WAS TIME TO MOVE FROM THE NURTURING ARMS OF MONTLAKE, TO THE BOHEMOTH THAT IS WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL.

C.C.: "Oh, it was really ter ... it was really hard for me. I was actually really scared. 'Cause at Montlake, there's like, 300 people. At Washington, there's a thousand. I couldn't find my locker. I forgot my locker combination."

AND DURING PASSING PERIOD, THOSE THOUSAND KIDS ALL SPILL INTO THE HALLWAYS AT ONCE.

C.C. "Um, it's, like, chaotic. Usually, there's like, 20 kids lined up right outside my locker. But today I'm lucky. I don't have that. I try to be as polite as possible, but sometimes you have to push your way through and get it done, and get to your class."

C.C. IS PART OF A CROWD IN HER FAMILY, TOO. WITH A DOCTOR AND TWO LAWYERS AMONG HER SIX BROTHERS AND SISTERS. MAYBE THAT'S WHY HER TEACHER NA'CESHIA HOLMES SAYS SHE'S SUCH A GOOD DEBATER.

HOLMES: "The part of my class which was completely not planned, C.C. turned it into a debate class, debating about things like 'fairies: are they real?'"

C.C.: "Like, the tooth fairy, you know, Easter bunny type stuff. It was, like, that was really funny, 'cause I was saying that fairies were real. Just to be, like, you know, play devil's advocate."

HOLMES: "It was ridiculous, but at the same time, she carried it with a lot of stamina, and a lot of background information on it. It was crazy."

MS. HOLMES TAUGHT C.C.'s READING CLASS WHEN SHE WAS IN 6TH GRADE.

HOLMES: "She's really opinionated, somewhat argumentative, and she's really passionate about what she does, and she's open–minded, and she just likes to play devil's advocate."

THERE'S THAT PHRASE AGAIN. DEVIL'S ADVOCATE. MS. HOLMES SAYS C.C.'S INQUISITIVE MIND WILL TAKE HER FAR IN LIFE. C.C. HAS PLANS FOR HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WANTS TO VISIT HER PARENTS' HOMELAND OF NIGERIA FOR THE FIRST TIME. AND GET GOOD GRADES, AND ENJOY IT. THAT'S HER ADVICE FOR OTHER KIDS HER AGE.

C.C. "Don't be your worst enemy. Do you work, and, you know, have fun. Have fun, 'cause, like, you're not gonna get this back. So why would you waste it?"

C.C.'S FULL NAME IS CHIMUANYA OKORO. SHE PLANS TO GO TO GARFIELD HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FALL. PHYLLIS FLETCHER, KUOW NEWS.

© Copyright 2008, KUOW