MADISON'S STORY
I grew up in a small town outside of Atlanta, Georgia, and living there, it was interesting and fun. It was a small town, so everyone knew each other, and I had a really big sense of community and what community meant to me. When I was 15, I started working and ever since then I've had a job and I'm 21 now, and I always really enjoyed helping or serving people. Every job I had included having to work with customers or people in the community and I like that. I was super involved in different clubs and organizations that allowed me to continue doing those types of things in high school and now into college.
When I first started working at REACH, I knew it was a match made in heaven because of the ideals and different opportunities that REACH had to offer. When I first came for summer camp, and worked in the role of summer camp counselor, my goal was to have the perfect marshmallow, and I knew it was going be hard to obtain. Throughout the summer every Thursday night, after our "conclusion-ARY” program we had s'mores. So, every week I tried to make the perfect marshmallow and week one, it was too burnt, week two, it wasn't toasted enough, and week three, it was too gooey, and so on and so on. And finally, what I learned from me trying to make the perfect marshmallow was that the second that I stopped worrying about making the perfect marshmallow, it happened.
So, the last week of camp, I wasn't worried about making the perfect marshmallow, I wasn't worried about keeping it even on either side. I was just having a good time with the campers and my counselor staff, and the staff at REACH that when I put my marshmallow together into the s'more, I had made the perfect marshmallow.
Knowing that you can strive for perfection, but sometimes when you strive too hard it won't work out, the second that you let go and allow things to happen in their own natural way, it'll come to you and it will be awesome.
When I first started working at REACH, I knew it was a match made in heaven because of the ideals and different opportunities that REACH had to offer. When I first came for summer camp, and worked in the role of summer camp counselor, my goal was to have the perfect marshmallow, and I knew it was going be hard to obtain. Throughout the summer every Thursday night, after our "conclusion-ARY” program we had s'mores. So, every week I tried to make the perfect marshmallow and week one, it was too burnt, week two, it wasn't toasted enough, and week three, it was too gooey, and so on and so on. And finally, what I learned from me trying to make the perfect marshmallow was that the second that I stopped worrying about making the perfect marshmallow, it happened.
So, the last week of camp, I wasn't worried about making the perfect marshmallow, I wasn't worried about keeping it even on either side. I was just having a good time with the campers and my counselor staff, and the staff at REACH that when I put my marshmallow together into the s'more, I had made the perfect marshmallow.
Knowing that you can strive for perfection, but sometimes when you strive too hard it won't work out, the second that you let go and allow things to happen in their own natural way, it'll come to you and it will be awesome.
|
HAVE A STORY TO SHARE?
Use the hashtag(s) #REACHinRoanoke #whatsyourstory to be featured on our page and to share your story with us!