By Cecilia Maria Gonzalez
For about 6 months now, our team has been working hard to get Ripple Effect 22 on its feet. After all the legal paperwork, meetings, presentations, lesson-plan building and Subway sandwiches, we are moving with determination towards our goal. We have had the privilege to work with amazing people on our staff and advisory committee. They have been supportive and hardworking as we learn the basics of starting up and running a non-profit.
We at Ripple Effect 22 have also had the honor to talk to kids about who we are and what we fully intend to do for them in order to get them to where they want to be. One group of kids that comes to mind are the students at Our Lady of the Visitacion School. The school counselor there, Miss Rachel, was able to schedule 2 presentations for us a couple months apart. The first presentation went really well. The kids were engaged as Stefan encouraged them to take steps to achieve their goals. They were so sweet and it was amazing to listen to the good ideas and feedback they had.
The second time we came around, the kids remembered who Stefan was. They even remembered specific things he had said and what he had talked about the last time. All of the kids were excited, especially the 5th graders! It was clear that Stefan made a big impact on them with his words and that they are serious about becoming successful and significant people in this world. It is inspiring to hear the creative ideas these kids have and see them be passionate about their future.
The closer we get to having our first mentorship session, the more we are amazed at how far God has taken us from when we first started. It’s amazing to finally have kids signed up and ready to be mentored. We are going to do our very best to help these kids become are they are meant to be. They are going to know their value and their worth. We will be like the bumpers in a bowling alley: we will make sure they don’t fall in the gutter, and we will help them hit at least one pin.