Service Learning Reflection: New Hope

Service Learning Reflection

During my time at New Hope, there was one boy, *Kory, that I drawn to from the beginning. I really don’t know how to explain it but I just felt like I was meant to know him and to help him. He had these sad eyes that seemed to be crying for help. One thing I learned about Kory early on, is that you never know which version of him you are going to get. Some days he would be talkative, rambunctious, and completely lacking self-control, causing him to get in trouble for talking or walking around and touching everything. Other days he would be really sweet and would willingly participate in activities with group. Then there were the days when he would be very withdrawn and it was as if his body was there but his …show more content…
This time he was very defiant and argumentative with the lead teacher. He seemed to be feeding into the pressure to behave the same way as this other boy in the class named *Rico. I had tried to build a relationship with Rico but he was hardly ever there and it was really tough trying to get through to him because he seemed to have given up all hope. That is so sad to think about. This boy is about nine years old and he thinks he already has the world figured out and the way to navigate in that world is to be hostile and not care about anything. I can see now, that Rico needs someone to be there for him more than ever. That day that Rico and Kory were sitting together was very disheartening to me because I felt as if I had lost all of the progress I made with Kory. I felt as if I was fighting the inevitable. I would see Kory’s older brother in the cafeteria and the way him and the older kids he hung out with, would talk and behave. I would just think about how this may be Kory in a couple years. I heard Kory and Rico talking about things that no nine-year-old should know about and it hurt me so bad that that was the way their world was. I felt defeated and sad until I looked up and saw Kory looking at me. I think he could sense how I felt in that moment and it was almost as if he was apologizing with his eyes. I feel like I saw this kind, caring young boy that is caught between who he is and who he feels like he has to be to …show more content…
If we can get these children to see when they are young that they are important and they can be somebody, then we can end this cycle of imprisonment. In the future, I think I need to make sure I am giving all of the children attention and not be so obvious that I have a favorite. That being said, there are definitely other children I interacted with, just not as regularly as Kory. These children deserve to have a chance at a happy life and hopefully my contribution to this organization has helped Kory and others realize this