We Are Enough to Keep Belonging Alive

Last month, I became a published author for the first time. My story stands beside those of ten others in the anthology Rising Above: Our Transformational Journey to Wholeness After Breast Cancer.  Had I not spent the last six years at AmazeWorks, I am not sure I would've made it this far on my healing journey, nor would I have had the courage to share my breast cancer story so honestly. 

For me, AmazeWorks has been so much more than a career move. When I was fighting cancer amidst a global pandemic, I was also fighting grief and teetering on the edge of feeling powerless. My work with AmazeWorks gave me purpose. Through treatment and recovery, I worked diligently to create resources for educators to use stories as invitations for intentional conversations around identity, differences, and bias. I applied the skills I'd developed in my 15 years as a middle school teacher in new ways alongside a passionate team. Since then, I continue to unpack and celebrate aspects of my own identity that I often minimized or ignored. Our work has given me the language and confidence to see that my story matters. 

For this giving season, I’m fundraising for AmazeWorks because I believe everyone deserves to know what it feels like to have their stories matter - that they belong.

That they’re safe to show up as their full selves. That someone sees them and celebrates who they are.

AmazeWorks has been doing this work for nearly 30 years—through some of the most challenging moments in education and our country. We will continue bridging toward belonging despite our divided landscape, because we stay rooted in mission and purpose. We help educators lead with courage and compassion, no matter the climate. 

This work is about more than curriculum. It’s about connection. It’s about protecting the spaces where kids, families, and educators can thrive, especially when the world tells them to shrink. 

I’m raising funds because I want to be part of that protection. Because I’ve seen what happens when belonging is present—and when it’s missing. I believe in communities where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued. I believe in the dignity that belongs to us all. 

If you believe that, too, I’d be honored to have your support.

Together, we can bring belonging to life—one classroom, one story, one student at a time.

With deep gratitude,

Mel Andersen

#WeAreEnough #BringBelongingToLife