{"id":5753,"date":"2025-12-19T16:23:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:23:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/home.lps.org\/seatbesideyou\/?p=5753"},"modified":"2026-01-20T10:13:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:13:14","slug":"as-you-are","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/home.lps.org\/seatbesideyou\/as-you-are\/","title":{"rendered":"As You Are"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5753\" class=\"elementor elementor-5753\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-4d72974 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4d72974\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-be9bd1a\" data-id=\"be9bd1a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26d2602 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"26d2602\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This Seat Beside You story follows Madison as she reflects on her childhood in foster care, the loss of her mother, and the responsibility she felt to keep her siblings safe. She describes how these experiences shaped her. Adoption eventually brought her and her siblings stability and a sense of belonging. Madison encourages viewers to consider the unseen challenges others face and to remember that life, even when difficult, can get better.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7cf162e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7cf162e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"Container\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%; position:relative; display:block; width: 100%\"><iframe class=\"myvrspot-video\" src=\"https:\/\/live.myvrspot.com\/iframe?v=ZmE3YzU5OTVhMmFiMTAzMTVhZjdhY2M2M2UxYmZkOWI\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"position:absolute; top:0; left: 0\" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen frameborder=\"0\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-683f84f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"683f84f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRuntime: 5:43\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9979a3b elementor-section-content-middle elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9979a3b\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[]}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ff7c12f\" data-id=\"ff7c12f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-53d93fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-creative-button\" data-id=\"53d93fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"eael-creative-button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t        <div class=\"eael-creative-button-wrapper\">\n\n            <a class=\"eael-creative-button eael-creative-button--default\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1cgvqtCTyDkcSwXZVII3TC7PVO6B1er7PcJBVh9z-pkg\/edit?usp=sharing\" data-text=\"Go!\">\n            \t    \n                <div class=\"creative-button-inner\">\n\n                                            <span class=\"eael-creative-button-icon-left\"><i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"fas fa-question\"><\/i><\/span>                    \n                    <span class=\"cretive-button-text\">\"As You Are\" discussion guide<\/span>\n\n                                    <\/div>\n\t                        <\/a>\n        <\/div>\n        \t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6e814e2\" data-id=\"6e814e2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-baabf42 elementor-share-buttons--align-right elementor-share-buttons--view-icon-text elementor-share-buttons--skin-gradient elementor-share-buttons--shape-square elementor-grid-0 elementor-share-buttons--color-official elementor-widget elementor-widget-share-buttons\" data-id=\"baabf42\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"share-buttons.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on facebook\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-facebook\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFacebook\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-grid-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"elementor-share-btn elementor-share-btn_x-twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttabindex=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Share on x-twitter\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"fab fa-x-twitter\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-share-btn__text\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-share-btn__title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tX\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section data-particle_enable=\"false\" data-particle-mobile-disabled=\"false\" class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8bfa4ff elementor-section-stretched elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8bfa4ff\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;jet_parallax_layout_list&quot;:[],&quot;stretch_section&quot;:&quot;section-stretched&quot;,&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1de5290\" data-id=\"1de5290\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38cc413 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"38cc413\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">The Empathy Class<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-79781ab elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"79781ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A former student shares her story with a new generation, showing how powerful it can be to truly listen to the person sitting beside you. The Seat Beside You helps classrooms build compassion by reminding students that everyone carries a story worth understanding.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-99053cf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"99053cf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><div id=\"Container\" style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%; position:relative; display:block; width: 100%\"><iframe class=\"myvrspot-video\" src=\"https:\/\/live.myvrspot.com\/iframe?v=YjFkZDg3MGI4MTE5ODE1MDJjOTUyMTMwMjQzMWRhYmI\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" style=\"position:absolute; top:0; left: 0\" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen frameborder=\"0\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Madison shares her hidden struggles, growing up in foster care with her siblings. Through adoption, she finds belonging and reminds us to think more about what the people around us are going through.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5768,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>As You Are - The Seat Beside You<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Madison shares her hidden struggles, growing up in foster care with her siblings. 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