Monday Motivation 1/28

What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
~~ Jane Goodall

I decided a couple of years ago to become a mentor to an at risk youth.  A youth flagged as potential high school dropout.  It was perhaps one of the best and most humbling experiences of my life.

I was a young girl in the 10th grade who hadn’t been exposed to much, which I found a travesty in itself.  So, I set out to expose her to some of the awesomeness that the DC Metro area has to offer as well as a rockin’ shopping trip (on a budget).  That lesson was how to buy quality clothing and shoes for little of nothing.  Perhaps not such an important lesson, but a fun one nonetheless.

Anyway, we went to museums, did my favorite workout — Krav Maga, played laser tag, did some paintballing (she kicked my arse), horseback riding, camping, hiking, snow tubing, and my personal favorite — the Kennedy Center‘s Millennium Stage.  Who can beat a free show every day of the week.  Her personal favorite — Five Guys.

Even though am not her mentor anymore she still calls me and tells me about her experiences with her new mentor.  One of the things that warmed my heart the most and brought tears to my eyes was her thanking me for showing her that there was so much more out there than what she knew to.

But the crème de la crème of that experience is that she is now looking into colleges for social work and psychology.  Now this is coming from a girl thought she wouldn’t be able to go to college.