In Hartford, Connecticut in the 80s and 90s, not all children had access to a good education. Elizabeth Horton Sheff attended a meeting about the state of Hartford schools in the late 1980s as a favor for a friend, and she learned that 74% of 8th graders in her city had trouble with reading. On Niche.com, Hartford public schools are currently ranked badly, and on a list from that same website, they didn’t make it to the top 25. Most of the top schools are in wealthier towns like Greenwich, Fairfield, and Westport. Ms. Sheff and her son, Milo, along with 18 other kids, took action and became involved in the case that was eventually called Sheff v. O’Neill. Even though they lost the case in 1995, they pushed on and won soon after when the case was brought to the Connecticut Supreme Court. Almost thirty years later, the Open Choice program has improved students' access to good schools, and there are more magnet schools in Hartford. Ms. Sheff faced threats and criticism during the case, but she pushed through. Now, students in Hartford have access to a better education when they might not otherwise, and a better education leads to a better future.

Elizabeth Horton Sheff has perseverance, selflessness, and compassion. She was brave through all of the obstacles that she faced, and had compassion for all the kids in the Hartford school system. In addition to Sheff v. O’Neill, she is an activist for HIV/AIDS and families under hard circumstances as well as literacy causes. These all show selflessness and generosity. Elizabeth Horton Sheff is inspiring because she is not afraid to speak out about what matters to her, which makes her a role model for aspiring activists. Even though she went through so many obstacles during the case, her effect on Connecticut’s school system is still alive thirty years after Sheff v. O’Neill.

For my project, I made a stack of cardboard books to show how Elizabeth Horton Sheff paved the way for education in Connecticut. I glued printed versions of the original complaint for the case along with the eventual agreement onto my books. I also included a map of Hartford and a cut-up map of Connecticut. The different counties are separated and scattered around the sculpture to represent the differences in funding for education in parts of Connecticut, but also to show that, ultimately, the differences in one part of a state can affect the rest of Connecticut. Finally, I put inspiring quotes by Elizabeth Horton Sheff onto the covers and spines of the books.

From the Unsung Heroes project, I learned that if you persevere, you can help future generations. When researching for this project, I had the opportunity to interview Ms. Sheff via email, and I want to thank her for taking the time to write me a thoughtful email with lots of information that helped me with this project. I also hope that people can learn about Ms. Sheff's impact from this sculpture. What Elizabeth Horton Sheff did three decades ago could change the lives of kids now. Her inspiring advice for young activists, as she said in her email, is as follows: “Find your passion and do not shy away from using your voice. Never relinquish power over your life to the status quo. Question everything."