10.5 Youth Work

"....It is the quality of engagement and extent to which young people can shape encounters that are more important" (Ord 2007).

As youth workers, we purposely intervene in their lives to create opportunities and conversations to allow the youth to feel, act, or behave differently towards their environment.

In order to be a better youth worker, I must have a better understanding of my own self. My own identity impacts how I work and engage with others.

holistically- in a way that deals with or treats the whole of something or someone and not just a part

welfare practice- promotes the welfare and safety of young people

professional practitioner- having the integrity and willingness to act as a role model and a critical friend

Identity Map

 

9.28 Belonging

 In my personal experience, I've struggled with finding a sense of belonging. So I actually resonate heavily with the lyrics of the song. Although I was in plenty of after school programs, such as the YMCA, Boys and Girls Club, Kids Klub, it was always hard for me to connect with other kids. It wasn’t until recently, two years ago actually, when I lived with my friends/roommates. It was there when I was actually able to be myself and not feel judged. After living with three young adults who share the same interests and problems, we became a sort of mini family.  

I related a lot to the lyrics of the song. As the oldest sister of four, I felt like I had to be a good role model for my siblings. As I got older, I began to feel more pressured to do good, despite the internal struggles I had. “Hey guys, it's me! The biggest disappointment you know” That perfectly displays how I have felt, feeling like I’ve disappointment my family. After graduating high school, I was on track to completing college within four years and do things the “right way” (although I now know that there is no set time to finish your degree).

9.21 Values

 

Adaptability:

This is one of my most important values, and something I battle with. It is essential in life to be able to adapt to change. One thing I struggle with is adapting to change. I get too comfortable with current situations, that when a slight shift happens it’s like my whole world falls apart. Recently, I’ve been learning to come to terms with things, especially when they’re beyond my control. In order for me to grow, and people in general, we have to accept things and manage to work around it. There are situations that happen in life where we wish we could change, but we just have to push through it. Without these experiences, we wouldn’t have the knowledge to improve.

Making a difference:

I'm a natural trainer. I lack patience when it comes to every other situation except when it comes to wanting to help learn/train. I have a great enjoyment in seeing other people successfully grasp what I'm trying to teach them.  

Adventure:

I love being outdoors. I feel really connected with nature and the outdoors, as I feel so free and open and not so confined to an indoor environment. I like being able to try new things, as there's a whole world of opportunities.

Understanding:

When interacting with others, I always try to understand where people are coming from (their point of view). People go through their own problems, whether it’s mentally or externally, so I strive to be mindful of that. How I look as it as: if I'm feeling this way mentally, there are so many other people who feel the same yet aren't open about it. Because of this, I interact and care for people the same way I would want it to be given to me.

Self-discipline:

This ties hand in hand with accountability, and another value I do hold strong yet struggle with. I tend to react based on how I'm currently feeling, rather than looking at the whole picture. This has caused me to get into tough situations. Holding myself accountable for my actions and taking responsibility would greatly benefit me to know how to improve and react in future encounters. 

About Me

 Hey! My name is Alyssa and it feels good to be back in school. I'm 24 years old, and I'm returning from a few gap years. I attended RIC from 2016-2020 originally for elementary education. After covid, I realize that I couldn't do online schooling myself, so how could I student teach children? Because of that, I originally took a gap semester, which turned to three years later. After that time off, I realize that I didn't want to continue on the education path, yet I still want to work in the children field. I'm big on wanting to help children/people grow and succeed, but without teaching them only school material.

 During that time frame, I've been working nonstopppp. I'm currently an assistant manager at a McDonald's, but I did try out the general manager position for two months (realized that I wasn't properly trained nor ready 😅). I'm working on the journey to finding out who I am exactly and what I enjoy to do, so that's still a work in progress. 

This last summer has been quite the rollercoaster, but some highlights would be that I got a new car, got a kitten, seen Sleepy Hallow live, and went to Rolling Loud Miami!

 

This Book is Anti-Racist

 

This Book Is Anti-Racist

I felt like this was something I needed when I was younger. Because it is tailored to the younger crowd, it is great for them to see representation in a book. Growing up, I struggled heavily on identity and self-acceptance. During my elementary years, I was ashamed to be colored. My ideal image at the time of what a person should look like was white. In my area, that was all I was used to, and it was rare for me to encounter another black person in elementary school. It wasn’t until middle school where I was introduced to a more diverse schooling, in which I still struggled a bit with my identity. My hair played a part in that too, as it was constantly either braided or straightened, never let out in its natural state. And to be honest, it wasn’t until my first year of college in 2016 that I finally gotten comfortable with my hair. Personally, I think this is something I’m going to have to show my younger sister. She just turned 13 and is facing some insecurities as well when it comes to her hair.

This text related to a show on Netflix called “Dear White People.” It follows a group of black college students at a fictional ivy league school as they face different challenges, such as racism and discrimination. Each episode would focus on a different character and their experience, showing the different challenges on college campuses. The main character, Sam White, has this podcast Dear White People, which is the focal point of the show. In this, she discusses topics such as the racial issues at the school, where she’d show her thoughts and experiences, which has spiked a lot of controversy. She also faces self-identity, like coming to terms of her biracial heritage or being in an interracial relationship. Although I can’t post a link to the show, here is a summary of it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/b9dScJxWVhQ