A Very Special Girl!!

Well, the first week of camp flew by, but it was great. I have such a great group of girls this summer...they have so much personality but are cooperative and sweet at the same time. I feel like I've been running non-stop all week though because I want so much to really do a good job and make sure that I am planning quality activities that are engaging, educational, and fun for the girls. But when you are on a limited budget with limited supplies and resources, that can be a lot of hard work! But fortunately, I had the help of one of the best assistants ever this week...Dezeray!!

Dezeray has truly amazed me this week. I think some of you have heard me talk about her in the past. She was my student my first year at Pearl C. Anderson when she was in sixth grade. She was in my book club all three years while at Pearl C. which is where we grew close. Last summer, she came with our Central Dallas group on Wilderness Trek, which she absolutely loved and considered to be a life-changing experience. She just finished her freshman year and is now 15, and has decided to spend the summer volunteering at Circle of Support with me.

I just can't say enough about Dezeray. She has been through quite a bit in her few years, but she has such a good head on her shoulders and remains focused on her goals and being an example for her friends and her siblings. She loves to learn and try new things and she has such a sweet spirit. While many kids her age have absolutely no desire to do anything unless they are going to get "paid", Dezeray jumped at the chance to volunteer with me at the camp. The first day I picked her up, but the rest of the week she insisted on catching the bus and train to get there, although it is about an hour and a half ride from her house to the camp. She said that she has to learn how to be independent and get around on her own because someday she will have a job and she can't always depend on other people to get her where she needs to be. Although she never had used the DART system that extensively, she figured it out and was early every day this week to camp. Dezeray is the assistant for sixth grade and has the job of helping the girls transition from class to class, to lunch, to afternoon activities, etc. and also helping the teachers in each class. She had to corral 30 rambunctious girls all week, which is very tiring, but she worked hard and did it with a smile. She was willing to help me with anything I asked, and believe me, I worked her. In fact, I think she worked harder than many of the paid youthworkers at camp (the camp hires several high school students every year to serve as assistants) and never complained. But more than that, Dezeray is making such an effort to get to know each of her girls and develop a relationship with them. Several times I caught her spending time with some of the more quiet and withdrawn girls, trying to make them feel comfortable and welcome. All week she would come up to me with her observations about different girls and why they might be acting in certain ways and how she planned to work with them on various behaviors. Her maturity and concern and desire to mentor these younger girls was so impressive to me. I am so glad that she is going to be helping me all summer and I am thankful for the opportunity to spend more time with her. She just has so much potential and is just so special to me. I am so proud of her for the way she respects herself and her family, for her willingness to work hard, for her willingness to be different than everyone around her, for her focus on her future, and for her sweet and loving personality. I am confident you will be hearing much more about Miss Dezeray and her accomplishments in the future! :-)