Connecting with Young People.

I am passionate about connecting with others. As quite an introverted individual it seems a funny thing to say, but I think that the past three years in particular have been guided by self-exploration, influenced greatly by my relationships with the people around me. I can’t stress how meaningful and valuable it is to involve yourself in your community, and with different kinds of people.

For me, working with young people is the most important and rewarding part of my life. Even though I’m working towards becoming a teacher, at the moment I work as an aide at a high school. I get to work alongside autists and students with behavioural troubles every day, and those six hours of school are honestly the best parts of my day. Working with these kids has taught me the power of relationships; you need just one safe place in your life to recognise your self-worth. I thrive on the fact that I have the ability to create a safe environment for students to come to where they feel valued and have unconditional support for a large part of their day. Young people are the most brilliant-minded, honest and vulnerable group, and if I can make some kind of a difference to their life, I will do whatever it takes.

Working with these young people has also taught me that behaviours are always a by-product of something bigger; adolescents are already going through a lot, and when they’re faced with additional challenges – whatever they may be – it can impact on their wellbeing. You should always take the ‘innocent until proven guilty’ approach to your relationships, because people are a lot more complex than what they present at face value. Something as simple as smiling at someone can have the most monumental of effects on their day. Working towards being that ‘safe place’ for another person takes trust and perseverance on both peoples’ parts, but once created gives purpose and meaning to your life. Never underestimate the value that you have in others’ lives, and never overlook the positive relationships that you have in your own life. 

The YMCA is such a brilliant organisation. I had always heard about their camps and programs, but did not involve myself with them until this year, where I was a leader at one of their Connect Camps. It was such an emotionally and physically tiring week, but the leaders’ and kids’ enthusiasm and the people I met made it so, so gratifying. At Connect Camp you are paired up with a young ‘buddy’ who you spend five days with, and your aim is to make their week the most positive, exciting and enjoyable week possible. You part-take in activities with them and just act as a role model the whole time. In addition to this, you get to meet some of the most lovely people who also want to make a change to young people’s lives – I met a lot of social workers and teachers on camp, and they were the most selfless, happy bunch of people ever. Honestly, if you want to challenge yourself and volunteer your time to better someone else’s life, I couldn’t recommend YMCA camps more.

I believe it’s so important to find something that you really care about in your life. Find something that allows you to connect with others, and constantly challenge yourself. You have the power to change your own life and others’ lives, so constantly work on shaping yourself into the person you want to be, and travel this journey with others.

“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” - Tuesdays with Morrie

- Nicole