Why was Carla so upset with the boy’s initial decorating plan for the bulletin board?

The boys' initial plan was to depict themselves as if their time in the program was like being in prison.... Carla's feelings were VERY hurt.

Each year, students tried to be creative in expressing their views of the program. When the ten of us met to discuss the project, we decided to depict ourselves as mental prisoners. We would draw pictures of students dressed in prison garb, standing behind prison bars under the name of the program.

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“So, you think you’re in prison, huh?” she asked rhetorically. We were busted. “This is nothing like prison,” she continued. “Your future is going to be brighter than bright. You just don’t see it now. Because of this program, you’re going to be able to make it through college with no problems. I know it’s hard, but realize that you have an opportunity to make a difference in your lives.” She was looking at our faces as she spoke, but I had trouble holding my head up to make eye contact with her. It had never occurred to me that what we’d done would hurt her so much. She was angry, yes, but she was even more deeply hurt.