There is power in listening to one another.  Not the superficial listening that takes place when individuals have listless conversations, but the intentional pursuit of understanding.  These first couple weeks I have sought to emulate this listening paradigm.  The purpose is to listen in order to identify ways to support the Boys and Girls Club, learn from my fellow community members, and learn about the functions of non-profit work.

In my role at BGCC, I am not working directly with students; however, I have been working with individuals who seek to positively influence youth (as summer instructors).  During the summer trainings, I have been able to have conversations about why they decided to work with BGCC this summer.  I listened and had a livened curiosity about their experiences.  The commonality across these various conversations was that every single person was hopeful for the future.

Listening to these stories bolstered my mission and passion to support in maximizing the voices of people who are on the front lines of the fight for equity.  One of the individuals I spoke with told me that they took time off from their career to spend the summer supporting students in her community.  Another instructor told me that has been teaching in Columbus City Schools for 20 years and spend the summer continuing to support students in Columbus.  A third person told me that she is a recent college graduate and wants to give back to her community.  As I continue throughout the summer I plan to continue to listen to the people I am working beside.  We have the chance to create a collective voice that is full of hope and may lead to transformational change.