"Tuck in your shirt!" A booming voice sounded off in my ear, and my hands moved frantically to tuck the ends of my shirt into my khaki shorts. Keep your eyes straight and whatever you do, do not drop it, I thought.
My arms were sore and heavy: they were full of the fifty pound footlocker I had to carry without setting down. I could feel the lactic acid building up as I struggled to keep my arms flexed, to prevent the locker from dropping. I was marching in one of four rows with other kids my age. They were all strangers to me. I kept my eyes forward and I could hear the State Troopers berating anyone who dropped their box, or looked anywhere but forward at the head in front of them. I just kept on marching, refusing to let myself drop my box, until we were brought to a halt. I saw all of the Troopers walking up and down the rows, sizing us up. I will never forget my experience at the Trooper Youth Program in Seagert, New Jersey. I …show more content…
But now I can see that the experience I got from the Trooper Youth Program has helped me grow. I am more confident than I have ever been; I see my self as a leader and not just someone who follows the crowd. I now stand up for my self. I have a voice and have thoughts to offer from my own unique perspective. Also I learned to communicate once again with my peers without the uses of technology. Even though at first I was reluctant to give up my phone and the Internet I think it was for the best. Without a phone to hide behind for comfort I was forced to engage with people I did not know. As the days went on I got closer with my classmates and even forgot about my phone. It was a pretty significant moment considering teenagers are typically glued to their phones and the media twenty four-seven. That aspect of the camp has allowed me to become more social, to converse with people, and not be afraid if I am saying the right
My arms were sore and heavy: they were full of the fifty pound footlocker I had to carry without setting down. I could feel the lactic acid building up as I struggled to keep my arms flexed, to prevent the locker from dropping. I was marching in one of four rows with other kids my age. They were all strangers to me. I kept my eyes forward and I could hear the State Troopers berating anyone who dropped their box, or looked anywhere but forward at the head in front of them. I just kept on marching, refusing to let myself drop my box, until we were brought to a halt. I saw all of the Troopers walking up and down the rows, sizing us up. I will never forget my experience at the Trooper Youth Program in Seagert, New Jersey. I …show more content…
But now I can see that the experience I got from the Trooper Youth Program has helped me grow. I am more confident than I have ever been; I see my self as a leader and not just someone who follows the crowd. I now stand up for my self. I have a voice and have thoughts to offer from my own unique perspective. Also I learned to communicate once again with my peers without the uses of technology. Even though at first I was reluctant to give up my phone and the Internet I think it was for the best. Without a phone to hide behind for comfort I was forced to engage with people I did not know. As the days went on I got closer with my classmates and even forgot about my phone. It was a pretty significant moment considering teenagers are typically glued to their phones and the media twenty four-seven. That aspect of the camp has allowed me to become more social, to converse with people, and not be afraid if I am saying the right