Yesterday I helped chaperon about 30 middle schoolers (and one brave elementary student) to a Mariners' game. Within about five minutes after getting on the road I had a new-found respect for my AmeriCorps teammates who have worked with these kids this past year. I have always had respect for all my teammates and the work they do, and it's not like these kids were the devil's spawn or Bebe's Kids (which was what my 7th grade math teacher referred to some of my classmates as). However, it takes a special kind of person to work effectively with middle schoolers and gain their trust and "affection," especially kids who have already spent some time in juvie, had siblings, parents, and friends die, and had drugs and alcohol intertwine themselves into their lives. The fact that multiple AmeriCorps members are going to serve a second term in order to work with these students says a lot about my teammates, but I also believe it speaks volumes about the kids they work with. Even from just being around them for part of one day I could tell they are smart, curious, and sponges to what the world can offer them. They're excited to have those AmeriCorps coming back to work with them, and I bet they know how lucky they are to have those AmeriCorps dedicated to them, their well-being, and future.
Yesterday also reminded me of the tumultuous nature that comes with being a middle schooler, or early high school student. There is so much going on around you: sometimes you're expected to be an adult, sometimes you're expected to be young and innocent (ha!), sometimes you want to act one way but your peers around you make you feel like that's the entirely wrong thing to be doing, sometimes you feel so at peace and connected to your peers you think your family are people that take up space and you don't really need them, sometimes all you want to do is curl up in your Mom's arms and if you're lucky like I was you had that option. There is no denying that early childhood molds a child in deep, lasting ways. But I would argue that all of childhood and adolescence has that same lasting effect, especially for those who might not have had the ideal support and nurturing of a stable, loving home. As I watched the interactions between the students and the AmeriCorps members they knew and have grown to love I was reminded how vitally important it is for all of us to not only not turn our backs on struggling children and teens who may have not always made the best choices, but also to embrace them in as many ways as we are able (and they will allow), show support for them (even when they are screaming about how they're going to pee on someone's head or seemingly casually bragging about the last fight they were in), and find ways to include them in experiences like going to a big(ger) city a few hours away and going to cultural events that their everyday life might not allow.
I may very well not see any of the kids from yesterday ever again. Although I will not have made a difference to them or even registered on their sometimes scrutinizing radar, they have made a difference in my life. Thanks to them I was reminded and reinvigorated to pursue my quest to continue to try and figure out actions to take in order to have every child (to use the term loosely) feel valued and cared for, as well as create opportunities for them to see parts of the world, locally and globally, that they have not seen before.
Big high fives to Julia (yep, there's another one on the AmeriCorps team!), Lola, Jack, Ahmad, and Jo for their work with these kids this year. And a super big high five to Sam for making yesterday's trip happen! You guys are amazing!
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