While I never told this story to my former students who founded the Sadie Collective, I have told it a few times in recent months, and I will probably tell it a few more. But I think this is the last time I will admit there exists photographic evidence of myself at a middle school academic fair.
We all know from a large empirical literature that there is plenty of evidence showing this is life's most awkward period! Dr. Alexander showed up again in college when I went to Spelman and became a Delta. Looking back, I see the "Sadie parallel" not just in the academic path I took, but in the community I joined.