My last full day at EMPOWER Porter County was a beautiful summer day. The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze, and beautiful cotton candy clouds littered the blue sky. My supervisors, Heather and Kaye, decided to take me and my coworker, Faith, to lunch in order to celebrate our last day together as a staff. Panera in hand, we sat outside to enjoy our meal. It was at this time that Heather asked us the question:

“So what do you two think you learned most from your time with us?”

I mulled the question over in my mind as I chewed my flat-bread. I looked out at the businesses across the street from us. Parking lots filled with nice cars and people with full wallets, ready to spend their paychecks on haircuts, electronics, mac n’ cheese, or some craft supplies. If my time at EMPOWER had taught me anything, it’s that not everyone has those opportunities, and as I finished my lunch and felt my stomach filling, I remembered the stories I had heard of kids going to school hungry, or being made fun of for only having one T-shirt. EMPOWER made me aware of my own privilege and blessings in my life. I had a great education, great parents, and great mentors. But not everyone has those gifts. Some people have to work hard everyday in order to learn, care, and survive. And some of them have to start learning these difficult lessons when they’re no older than six. When I was six, I worried about which episode of “Rugrats” would be on when I got home from school.

My point is, it’s easy to forget that people struggling to succeed actually exist. In the Valpo campus bubble we get caught up in getting a good grade on a paper, or getting that one really cute girl to notice us, when down the street there is a seven year old kid who has to take care of his/her younger siblings because mom is at work. My time at EMPOWER made those struggles tangible for me. I learned not every character is the same. Not every story has the same starting chapter.

I also learned that people can be more interesting than any character I could ever come up with. In the many meetings we had as a staff, we met with CEOs, program directors, professors, doctors, pastors, and parents. It was easy to assume what each meeting would be like, how everyone would behave, the pleasantries, the facades. But what made the meetings exciting to me was how every person was such a character. They told jokes and stories that made me understand why they do the work they do. They made funny facial expressions and asked questions. They were real people. It’s always so easy from the outside looking in to identify somebody from their title. “I’m the CEO of the local YMCA.” But his name is Bob, he likes to wear polos, and tell a lot of jokes and talk about sports. He’s not just a CEO, he’s a person with feelings and motivations just like anyone else. The superintendent isn’t just in charge of the school district. She cares about each and every kid. She is a Green Bay Packers fan and when she couldn’t find her flyswatter, she chased a fly around the office with a toy baseball bat. It’s these unique stories and quirks that made my experience at EMPOWER so rewarding. I think it’s so easy for us to forget that people are people, and not just the positions they hold or the profession they follow.

So as I swallowed my last bite of flat-bread and cleared my throat, I looked at Heather and Kaye and said:

“Ooof…where do I begin?”