During the semester, I did a lot of listening, reading, thinking, and also talking a lot. I realized early on in this class that in order to look to the future, I had to delve into the past. I began by examining myself and the history of the independent school movement. I examined my own feelings about race and privilege, the founding of Rocky Mount Academy (RMA), and spoke with Tony Shanks, RMA's first black student. I have come to the conclusion that to shape the future of RMA, I must accept who I am, examine the history of the school, and proactively transform who we were into who we can become. I believe we should continue to strive to be the best school in Rocky Mount by providing the best education to students, regardless of race, religion, class or economic status. Although I still have much to learn and do as an educator, I feel like I have begun an important journey to help me participate in the transformation of my school. Thinking back to the first night of class, I vividly remember being in tears. I was alone, in front of the room, I let go of my friends' hands and got ahead of my classmates with each statement describing an advantage or an opportunity. It was a game meant to demonstrate our diverse backgrounds, but I was embarrassed and ashamed when I “won” the race. I felt out of place, isolated and ignored. How was I going to convince my black teacher and my six black classmates that I wasn't racist? More importantly, could I convince myself? Here I am, a privileged white woman who left the public school environment to teach at an affluent private school where my students are about ninety percent white. Do I have prejudices? Am I a race...... middle of paper ......ps of Change with VISTA:Tarheel Junior Historian 44:1, (Fall 2004). Raleigh, North Carolina: Jones, Alice Eley. Kane, PR and Orsini, AJ (2003). The colors of excellence. New York, NY: TeachersCollege, Columbia University. McIntosh, P. (1990). White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (Working Paper189, Wellesley College, 1990). Independent School, (Winter 1990).Shanks, T. (Personal interview, April 16, 2010)Tatum, BD (1997). Why are all the black kids sitting together in the cafeteria? and other conversations about race. New York, NY: Basic Books. Walker, M. (2009). Happy 40th RMA! Retrieved from http://www.rmacademy.com/15751011794622773/cwp/view.asp?A=3&Q=283342&C=54343Raper, SW (2010) RM Welcomes Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Retrieved from http:// ci.rocky-mount.nc.us/pbs/cmthread.asp?ForumID=1&TopicID=139