This is an excerpt from an ongoing blog about 21-year-old Lam Vo, a former student of Oakland Voices correspondent Debora Gordon.
As a teacher in Oakland, I often face the sense of unease as each new shooting or homicide is reported. I seem to read every few days the news of another shooting, and I always fear that I will encounter the name of a former or even a current student as the victim or the perpetrator.
In December of 2010, I was saddened to read the name of Lam Vo -- a student I had for two and a half years. He's now serving time in a California prison for a shooting in East Oakland. He has given me permission to share his story.
My blog will explore Lam's trajectory from good student to felon. I'll also document my effort to understand our criminal justice system as I consider my role as a teacher in the life of a young person.
Fall 2007: Lam writes about his crime
When school resumed in September 2007, English teachers across the district invited their students to participate in an essay contest sponsored by famed author Alice Walker. The theme was "How I Changed My Life," and my