Jamie is a junior at UVM, majoring in Psychology and Chinese. They have continuously been a Mentor Coordinator and Summer Enrichment Coordinator with DREAM since June of 2022! Jamie loves to play guitar and listen to music, hang out with friends, and spend time outdoors.
Summer 2023 Wrapped:
Jamie has served several communities during their time with DREAM, including Franklin Square, Winchester Place, and Elm Street. They served about 40 youth in the Elm Street community during Summer 2023 with a team of 7 Summer Enrichment Coordinators and their site manager.
What was the highlight of your service?
Getting to know all the kids was such a highlight. I have served at lots of different sites and it is always so fun to get to know a particular group, understand their community dynamic, and learn about each of the youth’s unique personalities. It is a privilege to be a part of their community and have the chance to hang out with them. I got trained as a lifeguard in preparation for this summer as well, which was awesome because we were able to take the kids swimming anywhere they wanted in the local area!
What were the challenges you experienced?
Behavioral challenges were something we worked through a lot as a team, our group of mentees tend to be very high energy and there are safety concerns that sometimes come along with that, particularly in a large group. This summer’s weather also wasn’t great - we experienced lots of heat, some smoke from the fires in Canada, and more rain than usual. Often we had to be flexible and figure out logistics to make sure there were backup plans for any activities we planned for the outdoors.
Are there any notable or special moments you want to share?
The youth at Elm Street bring such a strong sense of community to how they show up for one another. They were so helpful and supportive to each other, groups of older and younger kids and kids who sometimes spent time apart would help each other out when they were having a difficult day. The kids are so nice to one another, there is such a sense of harmony and care among the group of youth. They often engage together as if everyone is like an older sibling, in the kindest way possible and it’s so beautiful to see that unfold on a daily basis.
How would you describe your DREAM experience in a phrase or a few words?
Embrace the chaos! Things aren’t always going to go to plan, but embracing the chaos and being flexible by having fun with it will make the experience amazing.