From “Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking the Chains of Educational Injustice” By Terrence Lester, PhD
My first encounter with the term adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) occurred when I was in my midtwenties during my second year in a graduate school counseling program. At the time, I was working with at-risk middle schoolers coming out of poverty. My introduction to the ACEs Quiz, a critical test that measures emotional abuse, neglect, and other difficult childhood indicators, offered me a framework to understand and quantify the deep-seated effects of poverty and trauma that I and these students had experienced.
My professor, who was teaching a course on group therapy/counseling focused on group dynamics, introduced us to an intensive method of learning. This required not only engaging with the coursework but also participating in a group designed to cultivate a healthy dynamic among these future clinical and school counselors through dyads, triads, and whole-group interactions. I was paired with people from across the country, a few of whom I remain close to today. Our task was to become vulnerable and create a safe space to explore past traumas while taking turns facilitating the group. Before we began, our professor addressed the class, stating, “Many of you have had a number of adverse childhood experiences, and confronting these experiences may help you decide if counseling is the right path for you.” His words made me reflect on my own challenging upbringing. I felt a mix of fear and curiosity about what these adverse childhood experiences would reveal.
As we got deeper into our group work, which included spending extensive hours each day exploring our pasts, many of us encountered memories that allowed us to process deeply. This was the moment I recognized how navigating poverty, trauma, and challenging social conditions had nearly prevented me from finishing high school, pursuing graduate studies, or even acquiring essential counseling skills to serve those who, like me, were enduring similar paths. The ACEs test opened my eyes to the extent of what I had overcome, informing me that poverty encompasses more than just economic struggles: it is littered with both systemic and personal trauma. When I took the ACEs Quiz, each of the ten questions brought back vivid memories of verbal abuse, and mental health challenges. It revealed a picture of my formative years and the toll systematic and personal trauma, as a result of poverty, had had on me. During my childhood and all through school, I had carried fear, anger, and resentment deep within me, and I couldn’t even articulate why. This realization was eye-opening for me.