When I think of Peer Mentoring, I think of the countless benefits it provides for not only youth, but many involved in a community. The Sacramento Youth Center really warms my heart because for a while I never knew my place in my community.
For most of my adult life I have worked with teenagers and young adults. Almost 9 of those years I have been working with refugees. Both overseas and here in Sacramento. A question I get asked a lot is “How can you relate to refugee and immigrant youth?”. The answer to this question is surprising to a lot, not because of the complexity but because of the simplicity.
So my first job was with the city Davis in the parks and rec department. I had volunteered with them for two years prior to going in for the actual position. I remember it was my sophomore year in high school around January and I was talking to the camp coordinator for all main city camps when the hiring interviews for camp counselor position would start.
I remember believing in myself whole heartedly in grade school. I remember believing that becoming a doctor was exactly what I would do when I “Grew-up”. Becoming doctor was my dream.
In 1989 the Berlin wall fell and the reunification of East and West Germany began. However, 31 years later you can still see a scar across the city, in fact it is so noticeable you can see it from space. When looking at Berlin from space at night you can see the clear divide between East and West Berlin.
Why? Because the color of the streetlights. On the east side, the streetlights have a yellow tint, on the west they are whiter.
