"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun."
- M.L. Cook
Get Involved
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"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes and having fun." - M.L. Cook
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Get Involved
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December 1, 2008 | |||||||
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 Katie Christopher February 8, 2001 I looked over the balcony and saw thousands of teenagers huddled together. They had all come together in the name of leadership. I stood there in awe; I couldn't believe my eyes. I felt a tear fall onto my check. As I slowly brushed it away, I realized what an honor it is to be part of Keystone, the Boys & Girls Club teen leadership program. I never thought I would ever see thousands of young people making positive changes in communities around the nation. The 2000 National TEENSupreme Keystone Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, helped me understand how amazing youth can be and how unbelievable it is that I am a part of it all. During the conference, the stories that were told and the people I met, touched me in so many ways, it is indescribable. I met people from all different types of upbringings. I met some boys from Boston who have had really tough lives growing up, but they managed to make the right choices. I met a girl from Austin, Texas, whose best friend had been shot and killed the day before she left for Kansas City, but she went anyway because of what Keystone meant to her. The conference was one of my first experiences with people who came from different backgrounds. I enjoy being exposed to new things. I treasure all the people I met and their stories. Being a part of the Boys & Girls Club has changed my life. It has helped me realize that there is so much more to life than myself and what I want. The Boys & Girls Club has taught me what real life is like, and how wonderful it can be. I am very fortunate to have everything that I've needed. It was not until I became a part of Keystone, where I spent most of my time volunteering with children from low-income housing developments in my area, that I realized how lucky I was. Over the past year, I have grown in ways I never knew possible. I have become more empathetic and I have learned not to prejudge people. I know that there is a story and explanation behind everything and everyone. I feel that my involvement at the Boys & Girls Club has made me more responsible and has taught me how to manage my time more efficiently. Through the community service that I have been able to do through the Club, I now know every little thing helps and that one person can make a difference. Keystone and the Boys & Girls Club have opened my eyes to a new life. The Boys & Girls Club programs such as Keystone, Holiday Helpers, Project Learn, Camp Brotherhood and Smart Girls, the work I do with children, the smiles on their faces and the joy and happiness I receive from all the involvement are some of the most important things in my life. Send your own stories about how the Boys & Girls Club changed your life or that of someone you know. |
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