Intermission

I was still in Honduras when I first inquired about returning. At the time I was unsure how I was going to spend the rest of my year; I only knew it would not be at school. During my week long service trip I began to think my time would be well spent if I returned to the mountain, and I was already brainstorming how I could work with the kids.

My initial idea centered around a peer-mentor style reading program for the children at Montaña de Luz. Through discussions with the director and former volunteers, I discovered this format would not be familiar to the students and therefore may not be successful. Since then I have considered many renditions of a possible reading program to structure and implement during my time at Montaña de Luz. Regardless of how they are achieved, my goals are to provide the kids with access to more literary materials and educational resources and encourage them to use these both for school and personal curiosity. As much as I love to plan, I know whatever I do will adapt and evolve as I learn more about the kids and what works to motivate them.

Eventually it was decided I would fly back down in January, and volunteer at Montaña de Luz until May. In mid-August I still had plenty of time left in Columbus, and it was becoming painfully clear I had chosen a path unlike that of my peers. I watched from my bedroom on social media as my friends moved out of Worthington and into dorms. It was hard to see them starting a new chapter of their lives, but harder to recognize I was too. I chose not to go to school, so it was time to figure out what I was going to do instead.

This fall I worked and volunteered in various positions and locations around Columbus. My goal: stay busy, and learn as much as possible to prepare for my trip in January. Every day I found opportunities to meet new people and discover more about the city I have grown up in. Two of my volunteer opportunities took place in elementary schools. At Worthington Hills I worked with an intervention specialist two mornings a week. In the beginning I helped where it was needed: observing behavior patterns, collecting data, and sometimes assisting with math homework. I began to work with one student in particular on literacy skills. Our time was spent reading together. Most of the time I read out loud to him, and later he would read passages to me. We practiced appropriate pausing, inflection, and pronunciation. This student speaks Spanish at home and was also involved in the ESL program. Eventually we read bilingual books, and he would correct my Spanish while I helped him with English. His progress throughout the semester was incredible, and I cannot wait to return in May to see how much more he has learned.

I was fortunate to also make a connection at the Columbus Spanish Immersion Academy. I worked as a classroom aide in kindergarten, where most instruction was given in Spanish. Through this I was able to both observe a teacher in a Spanish-speaking classroom and practice teaching in Spanish. The children were patient and forgiving, always quick to correct me if I misspoke. This provided one of the most meaningful language experiences prior to my trip.

Twice a week I volunteered downtown with the group Moms2B. The state of Ohio ranks second to last in the country for infant mortality or the death of a living baby before his/her first birthday. Moms2B educates and supports women at high risk for infant mortality with weekly sessions at eight locations around Columbus. I worked in childcare and played with babies and siblings while the moms attended the lesson. At the end of the session we all came together for a healthy meal and birthday celebration if any babies were turning one. I hope to continue volunteering with Moms2B in the future.

To cover transportation costs and going out to eat with friends I had two part time jobs. First, I was a Social Media Specialist Intern for the Baldrige Foundation. I collected data for the foundation’s various social media accounts and spent time doing social listening and trendspotting. I was able to do this remotely which allowed me great flexibility of schedule and the ability to participate in all my volunteer positions. I also had my first job in the food industry as a hostess at Vittoria in Powell where I lasted a whole twelve weeks.

Since I still had some free time, I took two classes at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington. First a photography class that I enrolled in with my Grandpa. This year I was not in any of the pictures from Christmas because I spent the day behind my camera. In my Intro to Filmmaking class I was one of two students. The class was not what I expected, but I enjoyed putting each lesson to use in the last few weeks of the class. After learning about lighting, sound, and casting we drafted a screenplay and filmed a movie. Unfortunately we have not yet finished the post-production and editing, but I am looking forward to the final product.

In the last few months I have stayed busy in and around Columbus. I made the most of my time away from school and did more than I imagined I could by staying home. In five days I will fly to Honduras where I will spend the next few months working and living at Montaña de Luz and I am eager to begin the next chapter of the gap year.