“We do our best because that’s what we do.”
Posted January 25, 2017
“What I’ve learned mostly is patience. Patience to get frustrated but keep pushing forward.”
17-year-old Zion, an 11th grader in Operation Shoestring’s Youth Civic Engagement and Leadership program, was asked to put her leadership skills to the test when her teacher tasked her with leading a group of her classmates in a national app-design contest.
The Verizon Innovative Learning app challenge is a nationwide contest in which middle and high school students are challenged to develop concepts for mobile apps that solve a problem in their community.
They came up with Be Da Plug, an app that gives students who need volunteer hours a way to find service work they’d enjoy, based on their personal interests.
“It wasn’t easy. We sat down to come up with ideas – and we went through so many – and we would be like – come on, we’re from Jackson. We’re not winning this. We’re up against Raymond, and other places. I mean, we just knew.”
But Zion says she remembers having a clear shift if her thoughts, that she knows came straight from her training in our leadership program.
“I said, you know what, we may not win, but let’s push forward, and do what we can do. It may not be for profit or awards, but we do it for ourselves. We do our best because that’s what we do.”
We do our best because that’s what we do.
That’s powerful thinking.
Honestly, that’s life-changing thinking. And we call that a win for Zion – and her teammates, her family, and everyone her life, and her new, profound approach to life, will ever touch – regardless of any app contest win.
Thank you for making moments, experiences, and shifts like these possible for the young people we serve.
But WAIT – before you close out this email!
Please show Zion and her classmates your support. Text the word PLUG to 22333 to help them win $15,000 for their school; training from MIT experts to develop their concept into a working app; and an all-expenses-paid trip to the TSA Conference in June.
Can you imagine what a fitting, amazing end to this growing experience those prizes would be to Zion and her friends?
Let’s make it happen: text PLUG to 22333 right now!
Voting ends February 14, 2017.