| Meghan was one of six interns to receive the
Jeremy Basset Visionary Award. Award recipients are
nominated by their fellow interns because of their
dedication to the mission of Project Transformation
and their outstanding leadership as AmeriCorps members.
Meghan has served two summers as an intern at Quayle UMC
in Oklahoma City. Gary* is one of our more “difficult” children.
One day he was talking to our Associate Director, Teranne,
and she asked him what he did that day.
He replied,
“Nothin.’ I’m a bad kid.” I heard him from across the
room and called him over to me. I asked him to tell me
what he said and he repeated it. I sat him down and
explained to him that he was in no way a “bad kid.”
I told
him how smart he was, how thoughtful and helpful he could
be (when he wants to be), and how funny he was. I told him
that just because he makes silly decisions sometimes doesn’t
mean he is a “bad kid.” I made him repeat the following
phrase to me: “I’m not a bad kid. I’m a great kid.”
Then I
asked him if he believed it. He said yes. As my eyes filled
up with tears, he hugged me. This was the first moment this
summer when I really felt like I had made a difference.
Maybe Gary will remember what I said. Maybe this is the
beginning of a new outlook on life for Gary. I would love to
believe that I had helped him feel better about himself.
|
Meet Meghan Rowenkamp:
Second-year intern Meghan Rowekamp (pictured on the right) with
Executive Director Ashleigh Sorrell Rose at the 2008
Celebration Dinner in Oklahoma City.
