College Student helps kids in the South Bronx

This past spring break I spent my week in the South Bronx putting together an after school camp for 56 students who cannot go home right after school because the surrounding neighborhood is very dangerous and their parents often work late. During the day I would go to the catholic schools in the area to help substitute in classes that needed a hand, and I also sat in on ESL classes (classes that teach adults to speak english). After the day was over at 2:30, I would work at the camp until 5:30 providing homework help, arts and crafts, games, sports, and snack. It was truely a rewarding experience and the kids were so happy to have someone to hang out with for a whole week that just wanted to be their friend. Many of the kids came from unbearable living situations and it was hard to even fathom how they managed to keep a smile on their face. These children carried in their eyes a brilliant sense of hope. I would sit down with them and they would chatter endlessly about their dreams, dreams that seemed too anticipated to ever not come true. I think that from this experience, I learned and anyone else could learn too that we must hold tight to our dreams, keep looking forward, and always help one another out either by sharing these experiences or just by being a friend to one another.

- Hannah, Assumption College