Our House e-newsletter May 2012 | Page 30

hometown Monticello, Illinois previous job 2011 Summer VISTA at Our House Our House staff since June 2011 I am responsible for recruitment, orientation, training, & ongoing support for all full-year VISTAs, Summer VISTAs, & AmeriCorps members. The sense of family & community that I feel on a daily basis. I work with such wonderful & caring people it makes it really easy to come to work every day & feel really great about my year of service. Be who you are happy being. Youth are always faced with the challenge of peer pressure & the idea that they need to conform to what is popular, & I think it is really important for everyone to know that they are perfect just being themselves! My mother. She has so much love for her family & other people & she never gives up. She taught me how to be strong when things are difficult, to keep your chin up when you’re facing hardships, & always to encourage others with kind words. When I am having a difficult time I know I can count on my mom to help me see the bright side of things & figure out how to make the situation better. My mom has taught me that nothing is too difficult to overcome & the most important thing in life is to be happy. I love really awful television. The Bachelor, Glee, Dance Moms, America’s Next Top Model. I love it all!