This was the ninth week of our fellowship, and it has certainly flown by, this week more than ever. Looking back, I have gotten to learn so many new things and get involved on various projects. One of those projects was Youth Summit, which took place yesterday, August 4^th at Ohio Dominican University.

Earlier this week, we had a walk-through tour of the space to finalize which rooms we would be using and for what purpose. Having to go to ODU earlier than the day of was really helpful, especially because there was a lot of construction happening around the campus. We also calculated the number of tables, chairs, computers, projectors, and easels that we would need. It was also nice to meet the team in-person, as I was finally meeting some co-workers face-to-face after interacting with them only online.

On Thursday, my team and I got to ODU around 8:00 to finish setting up before the kids arrived. We had to assign seats in the auditorium to each camp site, set up signs directing the kids where to go, and welcome in everyone who was presenting at our workshops. Once the kids arrived at 9:00, we clapped them in as they walked into the auditorium, congratulating them on completing their summer camp. It was so heartwarming to see the kids smile and wave. A few even gave me a hug!

Throughout the day, there were multiple cultural dances performed by the kids from each site, and it was amazing! I loved listening to the music and seeing the choreography, but most of all, I loved seeing the kids have fun up on stage. At the end of the day, there were soccer and lacrosse tournaments happening outside.

The only bump in the road was during lunchtime. We had three designated times, the first from 11:40-12:00, the second from 12:05-12:25, and the last from 12:30-12:50, so that some kids could be in their workshop session while others were eating. However, the food didn’t arrive until 12:10, which caused a bit of chaos. During that time, it was a bit crazier than normal, but ultimately, we got everyone fed and outside for our closing ceremonies.

Overall, the day was great! Staff said it went well, and the kids had fun! It was really nice to be involved with this process, and it gave me a better glance into the event planning process, which I really liked.