SUMMER 2021 YOUTH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM – WEEK 6: REFLECTIONS ON COURAGE

It’s hard to believe that Week 6 is complete and we are heading into the final stretch of this summer’s program. Last week, our interns continued to practice grit in the Charleston heat as they continued their work taking care of the gardens and spent more time growing minds and community. Last week’s educational sessions focused on topics such as the demographics of hunger and homelessness; metacognition and the art of possibility; and an exploration of industrial/conventional vs. sustainable/local agriculture food systems, AND we were lucky enough to be led through wellness lessons by two of our very own, courageous interns, Aaron and Mitchell. We were also joined by Greer Gilchrist of The Harbinger Cafe & Bakery for a culinary lesson and capped off the eventful week with a fitness lesson with Quinten Miller and a kayaking field trip led by Youth to Ocean.

Last week, we also spent time reflecting on courage. Throughout the summer, and even outside of this internship, our interns have had to overcome many obstacles—physically, emotionally, and mentally. There were also many moments where they had to step out of their comfort zone to try new things, make new friends, take on leadership roles, and advocate for themselves and others. No matter how big or small these challenges were, our interns learned the importance of being courageous. Read below to see reflections on courage from our intern of the week, Alma, and her fellow interns.

BIO

Alma is currently a rising junior at West Ashley High School. Her interests include swimming and skating. She is currently a part of the National Honor Society and Science Olympiad Club. Alma exclaims she is truly looking forward to working with everyone this summer at Green Heart.

REFLECTING ON COURAGE

“The year 1948 was when Israel invaded Palestinian territory and turned thousands of people into refugees. One of those people being my grandmother. The year 2014 was when my father’s uncle was shot by an Israeli soldier and killed. Those are all real lives that have been affected through the Palestinian and Israeli conflict over the past 72 years. Not only is it important to educate others on this matter so we can spread awareness to this issue, it’s important that we advocate for the Palestinians as well and that is how I have courage. To sit down and have discussions with others who are unaware of what’s going on and to have them understand the circumstances myself, my family and other Palestinians have gone and continue to go through takes confidence and courage. It can be more difficult to have these discussions with an opposing side as it can end with disagreements, but I know I am advocating for myself and what I believe is true through this. Although it may be nerve-racking sometimes, the results are usually worth it as people sympathize for the struggle of the Palestinians and give me positive feedback on my ability to stand up and speak for what I believe is right.

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Courage requires you to know/believe in what you are talking about in most situations and you will not advocate for something you don’t believe in. Your privilege can make you blind to something that another person goes through on a daily basis based on factors they can not control. If one is blind to a situation they will not be courageous and advocate for it as their privilege gives them a different perception/outlook on life.

I demonstrate courage through taking initiative to really build my future into what I want it to look like. Continuously working hard to get good grades for college, working and saving up in order to be financially stable are all things that I have done in order to shape my future. It takes courage to do so much in life and every single person has it within them.”

ADDITIONAL REFLECTIONS & INSIGHTS ON COURAGE

“Courage can help motivate people to do things that they were not expecting or push them to do things they weren’t expecting to do.” – Aaron

“People generally associate courage with great acts of bravery, but courage can be shown in the passing moments of our everyday lives as well. For some, courage is carrying out their responsibilities in the garden despite the array of spiny and spindly insects lurking in their periphery, while for others it’s standing with their opinion regardless of another’s objections.” – Will

“Courage allows us to break free of the limits fears place on us, and realize the possibilities in our lives. Courage is universal. It applies to those in all predicaments, people of all color, and background.” – Mitchell

“I think privilege does alter our lens when choosing courage, especially with gender and race. If you are a woman then you probably won’t have the same courage as a man because of how they have been treated for decades. Women can do the same things as a man but because they have been pushed down by society they hold back on a lot of things. With race, being a white person gets you treated better than a person of color. People of color won’t do things that white people can do because they risk getting hurt.” – Piper