Leaders Weekend: Leaving a Lasting Impact
By Rachel Ethridge, High School Programs Assistant
“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.” —Miriam Adeney
As a staff member in the Chicago Office of CCI Greenheart it is sometimes easy to forget why I come into work every day, sit at a desk, and go about my business in the confines of these beautiful brick walls. I was reminded why I wanted to be part of Greenheart when I was lucky enough to co-lead this year’s Leaders Weekend trip in Chicago. In the matter of one weekend I fully understood why the work that we do, facilitating thousands of students’ exchanges every year, is so important.
Imke (from Germany), Diana (from Ukraine), Sumit (from India), and João (from Brazil) were chosen as our 2016 Leaders Weekend winners because of the exemplary volunteerism they have shown within their host communities throughout the past year. Those four 16 and 17 year olds reminded me of how easy it is to give back to the cities, organizations, and ideas that we love; how easy, and how important.
We spent the weekend being tourists in Chicago, stopping at Starbucks along the way for Diana, stumbling upon a music store for Sumit to show off his new guitar skills, finding the coolest street art for João to upload as his next Instagram post, and realizing that Imke’s career goals included all of the skills we learned while volunteering at Bright Endeavors.
And those activities weren’t even on our perfectly planned out agenda. What was planned was getting to know each other, while roasting marshmallows, and watching the sunset, on a rooftop that showcased the city we were about to explore for 48 hours straight. We took a lovely boat tour around the river that turned into a speed race as we entered Lake Michigan and pulled back into Navy Pier, we visited the Art Institute, took selfies with the Bean, and jumping pictures off of random railings in Millennium Park. We took many train rides that were full of conversations about every topic you can imagine, ate cracker jack popcorn and cheered on the Cubbies as they continued their winning streak, danced with the Blue Man Group, and stayed up a little past curfew (don’t tell!) signing blankets for each other and writing notes that weren’t to be read until they got back on a plane to their host cities.
I had no expectations for that weekend. I was nervous and excited and anxious to meet the students and see how every part of the weekend would play out.
It was a HUGE success, for both me and Peter, as chaperones, and our four winners.
I feel honored to have gotten the chance to get to know these four students. They have reminded me why I love the work that we do at Greenheart, and also of simple, yet essential, life ideas that get lost on most of us during our day-to-day routines.
Step outside your comfort zones. Create those lasting connections. Engage in important conversations.
Imke, João, Diana, and Sumit: I am so proud of each of you and all that you have accomplished this year!
See you four in 2021, in India! Let the planning of our 5 year reunion commence!
