I Wonder
What strikes me about Ellie is how prominently being kind and generous towards others factors into her sense of self. In her personal reflection, Ellie shared that she was “raised to give back,” a value modeled by parents involved in service professions, and practiced at home. Still, being in the driver’s seat of her own service project felt unfamiliar and hard.
The American Academy of Pediatrics cites “contribution” as one of the 7 C’s essential for fostering resilience in youth. “It is powerful when youth realize that the world is a better place because they are in it. Young people who understand the importance of personal contribution gain a sense of purpose that can motivate them (Adapted from Ginsburg KR).
Given unlimited choice regarding personal project topics, Ellie quickly decided on something service-oriented, selecting residents at a local Memory Care center as the recipients of her efforts. With her grandmother’s guidance, Ellie learned the basics of operating a sewing machine and used it to make 22 lap-blankets of various colors and shapes, each one ultimately presented to someone she had never met before.
We can all learn about the spirit of giving from Ellie’s excellent example. First, she spent time connecting with her values before committing to a project. She found herself motivated to reach out to people marginalized from the larger community, those who want for connection and belonging. Second, she identified ahead of time what she was able to give. For Ellie, this included fabric remnants collected by her grandmother, and available for her use. Third, she enjoyed the journey as much as the destination. As it turned out, sewing blankets allowed Ellie to spend solo time with her grandmother, hearing stories of her childhood and listening to her favorite music. As the pile of blankets grew, so did the hours spent together talking and laughing. When it came time to deliver the blankets, the two of them went together as a team, connected in friendship and purpose.
Ellie came to discover a sense of personal satisfaction in the quiet act of giving from the heart. Her efforts did not receive public attention, nor did she profit financially from her efforts. Instead, her far more intrinsic reward came from investing in important relationships and recognizing her own strength, resilience and ability to make a positive difference in the world.Well done, Ellie!
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The more Taylor learns about the impacts of climate change, the more unsettled she feels about her own well-being, and that of the planet. After reading of immediate action needed to prevent irreversible environmental damage from happening, she stepped forward as an advocate for change.
Inspired by worldwide efforts by teenage activists like Greta Thunburg, Taylor looked for local ways to get involved. Convinced that climate change threatens the mental and physical health of people around the world, Taylor weighed her initial sense of insecurity about leadership against her hope of making a positive difference. In the fall of 2019, Taylor energized high school classmates to join her in walking out of classes, marching together to City Hall and peacefully protesting for climate change reform. Today she continues her work as a student leader advising local school board members on district wide actions that promote environmental sustainability.
After nearly thirty years in public education, I cannot explain why some rare individuals face unspeakable odds and shine all the brighter in spite of them. I met Christian first as a student volunteer on a school-sponsored service project. Self-confident and direct, he soon stood out as a natural leader among a wild group of 7th grade boys tasked with repainting a wall full of graffiti.
Shaped, but not defined by years of hardship, Christian’s story is one of grit and determination. It includes remaining resilient under the stress of living in temporary housing and homeless shelters as his single mother worked to keep their family financially stable. It involves resolve in the face of domestic abuse and courage in rising above challenges to create his own bright future. Christian’s four-years of high school are decorated with awards in athletics, academics, service and leadership. His transcript shows achievement in our hardest classes, and his reputation is one of unshakable integrity. Public schools have no metric for measuring this kind of grit, or for highlighting stories like his of strength and resilience. Yet, don’t we owe ourselves the gift of seeing the remarkable in those around us, and identifying our shared values as we come to know one another better? Isn’t that human exchange integral to our own journeys of self-discovery?
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