As an activity on one of the last days of work, instead of saying our “high” and “low”, staff said our “high” and our “higher”. When the other staff members were speaking, I was thinking about all of the great moments I’ve had with Girls Inc. Beacause I had so many, as a wrap up blog, I thought I’d talk about just a few more of my “highs” that I didn’t say at work.
One of my first amazing moments at Eureka! was when I was walking a girl out to her car. I asked her how she liked camp so far. She responded with “I didn’t want to come at all but now I’ve made friends and I like it.” This particular girl was extremely quiet on the first few days, but later broke out of her shell. It was inspiring to see her come into her own and grow even in such a short amount of time. I felt so warm and proud.
Antother thing I loved were some of the discussions I had with the girls during Week 2. Marley and my classes were talking about women in STEM and our discussions led to talking about sexism. Girls had so many stories of being doubted because of being female. It was saddening, but the girls were optimistic. They saw the wrong in the stories they were telling and wanted to fix it. I was excited to hear their triumphs as girls.
A similar experience happened during the Advocacy curriculum. Girls were so passionate about political and social issues. As a public policy major, it was amazing to see that girls were speaking their minds and trying to make a change in the world.
I would say that my highest high was the last week. Throughout the camp, I bonded with the ninth graders. However, I made a special connection with one camper. We became so close that the last week she felt like my little sister. Every day at lunch and snack she would come to me and want to hang out and hear stories or ask for advice. I am the youngest in my family, so getting to know this girl was like gaining a younger sister. She is so wonderful and funny; I am going to miss her so much.
Although I feel I made a difference in the lives of these girls, these girls made a difference in mine. The number of “highs” during my time at Girls Inc. is inumerable, and I am so thankful for this experience.