Well, this is my story:
During my sophomore year in college I couldn't help but feel like I was missing out on so many opportunities that were available to me and felt that I was running out on my only chance to be a part of some life-changing experience while in college. So with that in mind I made it a mission for me to do something incredible with my 2014 summer. Like Miles "Pudge" Halter from one of my favorite books, “Looking for Alaska," by John Green (Who also happens to be my favorite author), I wanted to Seek a Great Perhaps. Staying at home and doing nothing with myself or being volun-told to babysit for another summer was no longer an option, I wouldn't take it anymore, and it was time to do something. With that in mind I mustered up all my courage and attended the first meeting through the religious department at the University of La Verne to apply to be a member of their Summer Service Program in which they sponsored students to go volunteer at different sites for 10 weeks. Once I knew my goal was actually attainable I would stop at nothing to make it into a reality. After completing a huge application, an interview with our University's chaplin, Zandra Wagoner (Who is an amazing and majestic individual), finding the site that was best suited for me, filling out another application, getting letters of recommendation, and doing my first Skype interview, I was finally accepted! I was so ecstatic! Looking back now it has been an amazing 10 weeks and a summer I'll never forget. Back to the present: So dear reader within this blog you will find excerpts from our assigned readings over the summer which were, "How Can I Help?: Stories and Reflections on Service" by Ram Dass & Paul Gorman and "Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice" by Curtiss Paul DeYoung. Each entry contains quotes taken from my readings that I found inspiring, worth sharing with the rest of the world, or that I just wanted to expand my own thoughts on. I hope to also include entries from my own personal experiences while living and working at camp for ten weeks along with pictures. I'm so grateful to have been a part of this amazing experience, grown as a person, and have met so many wonderful people. I hope you enjoy and happy reading! :)
Love,
Val <3
(Camp Name: Mystery Machine)
