I was part of the system that I now work in…

As I sit across one of the youth who I am meeting for the first time, I look at the face of a child who is unsure about meeting me and has the look of distrust. I know that look all too well. I say, “I want to tell you something because I see the way you are looking at me” I see their eyes roll, telling me they already know where I am going. But, they don’t. I say, “When I was your age, I was in Gardner Betts too.” The look on their face changes. Their eye brows raise. They always ask me the same question: What did you do miss? I laugh. I tell them the same thing, “thats not important. What IS important is that I am not someone who is going to judge you or think of you as a trouble maker or label you as bad. I’m here to support you because I know what it feels like to need support, be out of control and not be fully understood” . I remember sitting in those chairs and being asked a million questions and I thought to myself, this person has no clue what I’ve been through. But thankfully, all the roads I’ve taken have led me to this field of work. The youth teach me everyday that it doesn’t matter how old you are, labels are inevitable and there are always systems in place that are designed to destroy and conquer. I am in this field for a reason and I will be forever grateful to the people who supported me and guided me to be the person that I am.