Kiara (18)
W D Tyree Ministries gave me my first opportunity to lead. My team was participating in a beautification project. It seemed like busy work at first until others started to notice what a difference we were making and commented, “good job.” It would have been easy to walk away from doing this outside project. The weather was extremely hot and humid. The work was challenging and the adult who assigned us the job had very low expectations of us. Hearing people say, “it looks good” or “good job” made me realize that you don’t have to be an adult to make a difference. You don’t need much education or skill to make a difference. All you need to make a positive contribution is a heart of compassion and an understanding of community. I learned to put the needs of others ahead of my own and that by working together even unpleasant tasks can be accomplished in a relatively short time. I also learned that sometimes you have to help others see the significance of their contribution.