Full of Positive Energy, Open-mindedness

by Maleah Briggs             

The first day I walked in, I was late. Missing the actual first day of the program was causing me to be extremely nervous the whole time while I was riding in the car to the Youth Media Project, up until walking through the doors. Smiles and warm welcomes met me, erasing my slight feelings of awkwardness and anxiety.

I greeted the adults I saw by the door, and then Ms. Donna pulled me over to the side as she explained to me that she had remembered who I was from two summers ago, before YMP became a separate project from her newspaper. She hadn't realized who I was at the pizza party from two weeks before. By then, I started to be relieved of my overall stress.

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When I walked to where the other students were, everyone was already talking in groups or to themselves. I started to question where I was going to sit. After seeing a few familiar faces and speaking, I felt more at ease and sat right by them. I looked around the room, and it seemed like I was right where I was supposed to be. 
              
From my experience so far, I have no complaints. The  environment is full of positive energy, and with the sessions from Donna, I will be able to learn and absorb more information and knowledge. Being here, I've met and talked with more people outside of my race and gained insight on other peoples' perspectives and what they go through for being themselves. The people I've interacted with have been open-minded and have attitudes that will go well with the collaborations and projects in the future. 

My hopes for Youth Media Project are set, and I know I can attain them with the help of everyone else. The experiences I will have this summer are going to be ones to remember.
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