We are thrilled to share reflections from two outstanding students, Destiny Ah Tau and Destiny 'Elesi' Pese, who took part in our summer program. Both Destiny and Elesi are talented and ambitious individuals with promising futures. Their stories showcase the personal development, cultural connections, and lifelong lessons acquired during their time with the Navigating Education Summer Program. We hope their words inspire and resonate with you as much as they have with us.
Destiny A.
Hello, my name is Destiny, and this is my experience with VOPIN.
When I first joined the VOPIN summer program, our group started with just five girls. The first thought that came to mind was, "Oh, we're just going to learn dances and dance, then it's going to be the same routine every day." But as time went on, we began having our morning discussions. These discussions really helped me become more open, speak up, and improve my communication with others. The most important lesson I took from this program was about "Communication." It was hard for me to communicate with others because of the way I grew up. I was never the type of person to open up to people or to even speak up for myself. However, learning about the importance of communication changed my perspective on how I interact with others now.
More students started to join, and at first, we were all very shy and quiet around each other. But these morning discussions significantly improved our communication skills and helped us get to know each other better. I not only learned a lot from these discussions, but I also refreshed my knowledge in different subjects like math, English, civics, etc. I realized that the VOPIN summer program is not just about dancing—it helped me in so many other ways. Things I didn’t know before I joined VOPIN, I have now learned and understood. I’ve also gained a deeper understanding of my own culture and other cultures as well.
Our leaders were very welcoming. They treated me like one of their own and pushed me to do my best. The words of advice they gave me, I will forever cherish in my heart and mind. Our group has improved a lot over the past few weeks. We grew together into the people we are now. We shared laughs, tears, and arguments along the way (and also GOOD food!), and as it came to an end, we became closer than ever before. We are a family. We are ONE.
I thank the leaders for giving me such an amazing experience during my time with Vopin, and a big thank you to the friends I’ve made along the way as well.
Elesi
Hi, my name is Destiny Elesi Pese. As of this summer, I have been a member of VOPIN, an organization I thought would be mainly about dancing and cultural stuff, but it has been so much more. I am happy to share my experience through my nine weeks with VOPIN.
I had no idea what to predict from VOPIN and wasn't sure if I wanted to be a part of it. To be honest, my first week was rather boring because there were only about five of us and we were all girls. However, as the days passed, a few more students joined, and we began our lessons and circle talks. Working with the others was first challenging for me because I don't feel comfortable around new people and I'm a shy person. However, the conversation we had in our circle made me feel much more at ease and encouraged me to talk to others. Every day, we discuss a different topic in our circle. It taught us a lot of things. Among other topics, we discussed teamwork, leadership, communication, and success. Our circle was very beneficial to us; it taught us a lot. Not only do we work as a team during our dance practices; we help each other become better and we grow together every day.
Some of us found our assignments difficult, but we also supported one another. We discovered this during one of our discussions about teamwork. Everybody had the opportunity to take charge of our circle, lead it, and suggest a topic for discussion. Another leadership-related conversation we had taught us how to lead.
Along with taking classes and completing assignments, we also learned various life lessons. We completed civics, math, and English. My summer is now unforgettable thanks to VOPIN. We experienced highs and lows together. We laughed and smiled together at times, but we also shared tears and problems at other times. We work not just as a team but also as a family. Because our leaders showed us love and care when we arrived, we shared our personal lives with each other. This is why we are so close to one another and because we all have "TRUST."
I'd like to express my gratitude to the leaders for all of the enjoyable things we did together and the words of wisdom they offered. I would also like to express my gratitude to my friends for their love and support as well as for all of our amusing jokes. I genuinely appreciate each and every one of you.
