On Track Academy
Jacqui McPeck
Since kindergarten, all the schools I’ve attended have
focused on community, so I thought I had a pretty good grasp on what community
service meant. You find an institution with a need and you work to resolve or
lessen their issues – simple as that. It may be fun, you may connect with the
people you serve, but it’s always hard work meant to help others. However,
after my experience at On Track Academy, I realized that community service and
community building mean two very different things.
I entered
On Track uncertain of what our service would accomplish, and left feeling refreshed
instead of exhausted after a long day of service. As my group and I moved
through each of the stations it became more and more clear that we were there
to help build the student’s confidence and make their future, whether in
college or not, seem more attainable. Each of the stations contained an
activity that left the Whitworth students puzzled and the On Track students
ready to go and happy to teach. I got to watch the student I was paired with
overcome the initial shock and uncertainty of being outnumbered 3:1 by college
students and carefully open up and even boast about his success at the academy.
At the end of the Franken-Doll activity,
he asked us what we thought of him, what our preconceived notions were. We were
all a little confused on how to answer and didn’t want to say outright that we
were a little nervous to come to an “alternative” school, so after a while of
stammering on our part he rephrased and asked us if we thought he was an
artist. To our surprise, he then proudly opened a folder full of impressive drawings,
with some of the most notable ones being DC superheroes like The Flash. From
that point on he seemed more at ease, and it became clearer to see the
relationships that he had built with other student, teachers, and now us at the
academy.
By putting ourselves into a
situation we had no knowledge in – like playing the piano on bananas - we were
able to show the On Track students that we don’t know much more than they do
and that there’s always going to be more room to improve, no matter how “successful”
you are. It was an eye-opening experience that I would happily repeat.
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| Frederick - Our Franken-Doll |
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