Andrea Mason - Personal Reflections as Rotary Eighth Grade Leadership (REGL) mentor
When I joined Rotary last year, I knew I wanted to somehow be involved with kids again, so when the opportunity to serve as a mentor at REGL popped up, I gladly jumped at it. The weekend started out a bit rocky though because my RYLA cabin counselor had to withdraw last minute, and I was told it would just be me in the cabin with the girls. My first thought was absolute panic. "I know nothing about this program! It's my first time here! How am I supposed to make sure these girls have a great weekend with no guidance about what to do with them?"
ALL my insecurities kicked in.
- I don't have all the information.
- I've never done this before.
- What if I suck at leading these girls?
- A 45-year-old with gray hair everywhere is WAY LESS COOL and fun to hang out with than a HS senior.
- What if the girls think I'm super lame?
Eventually, we got it sorted that one of the camp directors would bunk with me, and I gained some clarity about not having a cabin RYLA student, but assurance that I'd have a RYLA leader for our working groups during the day. Cool, okay, so long as someone knows what they're doing, all good.
And it wasn't just "good". It was pretty freaking epic. I'm not a particularly emotionally effusive person, but this weekend tugged at my heartstrings for sure. I watched a group of 90 8th graders arrive all nervous, sticking to their friends like GLUE, uncomfortable, uncertain, and generally insecure and then watched, literally before my eyes, as they opened up, gained confidence, learned trust, practiced courage, stepped out of their comfort zones, made new friends, and left the grounds as teenagers who didn't feel quite so alone and felt empowered to be agents of change.The curriculum focused a lot on shared experiences to create a sense of unity. It focused on courage and why that feels scary. It focused on what it means to be a leader and how that may push them to speak up more, be more authentic, stand up for others, be a voice of compassion and understanding amongst their age group.
As they started to unwind and trust that they were in a safe space of non-judgement... y'all... some of their stories broke my heart. Some of what they've had to deal with at such a young age is truly staggering. I had a couple of moments of genuine connection with students from Nevada County whom I fully intend to keep in contact with.
But my overall takeaway from this weekend was this: HOW WE SHOW UP IN OUR OWN LIVES AFFECTS EVERYONE AROUND US.
Do we stand up for the downtrodden? Do we advocate for those who are bullied or overlooked? Do we present our authentic selves to the world? Do we wear a mask to hide the insecurities and shame and embarrassment? Do we dare risk judgement when we take courage and go out of our comfort zones?
I know a lot of adults who could reap the lessons and benefits of the weekend I just experienced.
What an INVALUABLE gift these kids have been given to start learning these life lessons and tools at such a young age. I cannot wait to attend again next year.
And FWIW, I was not lame, apparently. After "fearlessly" grabbing a hunk of hair to unclog a bathroom shower drain making jokes about fungus, one of the girls came up to me in the bathroom last night and said, "You're like, hella chill. I can tell you're one of the cool moms."
I died. My heart is full.
Andrea, thank you for sharing! You are a REALLY CHILL ROTARIAN TOO! Congratulations and thank you for your incredible service to REGL!
About REGL
Rotary Eighth Grade Leadership (REGL) is hosted by Rotary District 5190 to build leadership skills in 8th grade students who are selected by their schools and principals. During the three-day residential program students build leadership skills focusing on personal ethics and interpersonal relationships. A challenging extensive ropes course provides the opportunity for students to break through fears and experience transformational successes.
For more information and photos, visit RotaryEGL.