Opening Day!

Opening Day was awesome!

It was a day where we were able to introduce ourselves to the community, be inspired, inspire others, and truly get a jump start for the year. Though we've been in schools for a month now, this "kick-off" event actually happened at the perfect time. I love what I'm doing, but I think we all share moments of  thinking, "Why am I doing this again?" Opening Day reminded us of why we're doing what we're doing. 

Why we're waking up before the sun... Why we're putting in over 50 hours a week .... Why we're there longer than any staff member and receiving a stipend amounting to a small fraction of what they make...Why we put up with attitudes...Why we plea with students to just turn in their work... Why we don't just go back to where we came from and do something else...

...because they need us

 these students, these schools, and this city 

...because statistics from last year showed that having CY there made a difference ...because for every bad attitude there are at least three good ones that are glad you asked them about their day ...because by the end of the year our students will learn that it pays to do your work... because there are people who could have used City Year while they were growing up, and now have trouble finding their way ...because we want to be advocates, cheerleaders,  and champions for these kids. ...because we want them to feel empowered ...because we know these kids and want to see them succeed ...because we know if we keeping "bugging" them and reminding them to do their work, eventually they will ...because when one of our students is having a rough day, we want to be there to talk to them ...because we want to be there to see the clicking light bulb later this year when our students finally begin to understand ...because we see in them an abundance of potential just waiting to be unlocked and we're hoping to help them turn the key. 

...because we truly aspire to #MakeBetterHappen