Global Youth Service Day 2014.

Today was Global Youth Service Day—“Youth Serving Youth”. Bayou 6 along with Southern Region Campus FEMA Corps Teams Summit 3, Ocean 4, and Bayou 5 also served at an event put on by City Year (another AmeriCorps program) at Langley Elementary and McKinley Education Campus. Across the campuses, we cleared flower beds to make room for classroom projects, pulled weeds, built benches and trash can holders, painted murals, and interacted with students of all ages. We had a blast and were extremely successful in all the tasks assigned to the 150+ volunteers that showed up today.

The reason for this post, however, isn’t to talk about all the work we completed…but rather to talk about the young boys I worked alongside today. I had the pleasure of working with two boys, ages 10 and 11, on a weeding and mulching project. This assignment required us to be on our hands and knees in the blaring heat getting our hands dirty and our backs a bit sore (though I only speak for myself on that one…I guess I am twice their age afterall). While they may not have been working at 100% capacity the entire time, they got excited about every single worm we found, talked about how much they love sports and school, which colleges they wanted to go to (Harvard, Yale, and Oregon State), and what they aspired to be when they grew up. They have wishes to be paleontologists, doctors, lawyers, scientists…and the list goes on.

At one point no one was talking and De’Nico said, out of nowhere, “Life is so good. It comes with a lot of really great things.” After reflecting on that short, simple, hopeful, and true statement… I realized for about the millionth time in my life how much I love children and young hopefuls in general.

Between volunteering with the Week of Welcome Program at Cal Poly and this AmeriCorps year of service, my eyes have been opened to the endless possibilities of the future and the people who will be a part of it. As a part of FEMA Corps Class 20, I am one of over 900 young adults that want to selflessly serve people…just because. This year has taught me a lot of things…but De’Nico definitely reminded me of the big one I shouldn’t brush over so often: “Life is good. It comes with a lot of really great things.”