Written Reflection 3

By: Jordan McCay

As the final weeks of this semester gradually creep upon us, I find myself thinking more and more about the kids at Step By Step. How are their Christmas's going to be? Will they miss us for the month or so that we won't get to see them? Will they even remember us when we get back? And the questions cycle over and over again.

My home boy Darius

I'm really not exaggerating. These kids have truly touched my heart in the short span that I've gotten to see them and play with them and care for them every other week. In the baby room, we each have "our" child. Mine's name is Darius. Any time the little fella doesn't show up, it's like a piece of my heart is shattering.

But the thing is, it doesn't matter if he doesn't show up, because there's always, always, always another kid looking to be loved on and held and played with to keep them happy and content. And in doing so, it makes all of us happy and content. Except when the kids have nasty smelling formula (which really happens more often than not).

Another precious babe, Lay Lay

I suppose it's kind of silly of me to wonder if a two or three month old child will remember me. At that point in time they don't really know anyone outside of their mother. Nevertheless, as I sit and play with Darius all the live-long day and he smiles up at me and looks with those big, blue eyes, I can't help but wonder if there really is something in those kids that helps them sense a sort of familiarity. Either way, it's hard to just dismiss the idea out of hand.

Furthermore, the more weeks I stay with Step By Step, the more I notice the moms have really opened up and are all so, so kind. Not one fails to put a smile on their face. And it's wonderful to see that they've all formed such strong friendships. It makes me happy when a mom who's already dropped off their child ends up coming back to the room, not to check on her kid, but because she's busy chatting with another one of the mom's or even carrying the other mom's child.

The next Step By Step I go to will be my last for the semester, but that doesn't mean it will be my last ever. I fully plan on going back in the spring, during my sophomore year, and any possible time I'm able to help out with this wonderful program, so deeply have they touched and sparked a fire in me for service.

Sticky Situations - Written Reflection 3

By: Phyllis Elizabeth Holloway 

Getting all the glue she can onto her craft.

My time at Step By Step has flown by. Looking at the calendar, I see there are only two sessions left in this year. This absolutely breaks my heart. I have grown so close to these young children, and I am going to miss them all dearly. Step By Step has provided me a time to drop everything and just take a few hours to myself (and the wonderful kids). This volunteering experience has completely transformed my life. I'm so glad I got to start volunteering as soon as I moved here. I love my time at Step By Step, but sometimes... the kids are a bit of a handful. 

If you've ever spent any time with a child, you know that sometimes children can be quite messy. My time at Step By Step has confirmed this belief time and time again. I absolutely love these children, but how can such small people, make such BIG messes? (Also, it's just not fair that these little people can take up such a big space in my heart.) 

Getting caught in the act.

There are always messes made when the kids eat their dinner or do crafts. One of the children really likes to eat with her hands. This is the precious young girl that just really likes to keep all the volunteers constantly guessing, "What will she do next?!" This young lady is an absolute joy, except last night at Step By Step she fell down after doing something we warned her against. Good news is, she hopefully learned from the experience and knows we are just looking out for her. 

Playing with the toy, HE chose.

My time at Step By Step has also shown me how society influences young children. I think it's great to see these young boys playing with the toys that society has told them they shouldn't play with. Masculinity is something that society has twisted around, and I love seeing how uninfluenced young children are when they are young. 

Playing with the baby dolls,
and having a great time.

Seeing the girls smiling when they believe us when we tell them how beautiful they are is just another thing that I hope never changes in these young children's hearts. Society can be cruel, and I hope the world is changing and these little people will forever be ignorant to what society deems is appropriate. Everyone should do what makes them happy, not what society says will make them happy.

These young children's hearts are so big and willing to learn. They just need awesome volunteers and programs like Step By Step that can show them such an intense loving environment. Their mothers have so much on their plates, they all just need a place they can come to feel safe and at home. 

"My little buddy" wanted to take a picture

with me before leaving. 

Written Reflection 3

Each time I volunteer for Step By Step I like it more and more.  The last time I volunteered I watched the little children that were starting to walk around and be more active.  This was a big change from the little newborns that I usually watch.  They were so cute and it was fun to be able to actually play with the children rather than just hold them.  Most of them were able to talk and tell you what they wanted rather than you just having to guess what they wanted.  For almost the entire time the children were running around and playing with each other, and there was a toy house that was a big hit.  They would knock on the door to enter and when they were going into the house they would wave and say good bye to us, the volunteers. 

One of the little boys I played with when I was at Step By Step

In the little amount of time that they have had they have learned common habits and behaviors that they had seen older people demonstrate.  This shows how much these children are influenced at a young age.  Because of this, these children need to grow up in a good environment, so they are able to develop good behaviors and grow up to have satisfactory life.  Step By Step helps achieve this.  It helps the mothers provide a good environment for their children and it gives them tips and skills needed to keep giving their children the good environment they need to grow up to have a successful life and have well developed behaviors.  Without going to these meetings, some of the mothers might not be able to have as good of a support system and guidance for raising their children and taking care of themselves at the same time. 

At this meeting I also had to try and get the children to eat their food that was given out at the beginning.  This is harder than one might think.  There were a couple children who were able to eat the food fine, but others who kept dumping it onto the floor and did not know what to do with it.  This little challenge showed me how hard it would have to be on the mothers to have to take care of their child and deal with having to teach them everything they do not know how to do, while going to school themselves or having to work.  I think school is hard enough as it is now, having a child and going to school has to be twice as hard and I admire the mothers who are able to do this.  These mothers are amazing and going to Step By Step helps them on their journey through their life with their child they may not have planned to have had this early in their life.

Me with one of the girls I watched

This time when I volunteered at Step By Step I have been able to see the effect that parenting has on children and how much the children learn from just interacting with their environment.  I have also realized how difficult it is on the mother to take care of their child and still work towards improving their lives and learning how to take care of themselves and their children.  

Written Reflection #3

On November 5^th I attended my fifth night at Step by Step. Through each night I attended, I had increasingly felt more and more familiar with the experience of it. I knew the kinds of activities we would be doing, the personalities of the children, and what to expect from the evening.

The night of the 5^th, however, was the first time in which I truly felt at home, at ease. I felt comfortable, as though I had been there hundreds of times. All of the activities felt normal, and each child felt like a friend.

Seeing children consistently over the weeks has undoubtedly been one of the best parts of the volunteer experience. Even though the volunteer nights are two weeks apart, the children still have an amazing capacity for remembering the various volunteers, and always express excitement when they walk in.

Somara is the very first child I met at Step by Step, the young girl who so enthusiastically braided my hair in my video post. She has a large and vibrant personality, and has been such a joy to see each night. She never fails to conjure up uproariously hilarious games, and to energetically boss around the volunteers in playing them. On the night of the 5^th, a new girl, Alissa, attended, who was clearly frightened at first. Somara quickly won her over, though, and I was amazed to see the way that fearful Alissa opened up so swiftly to her.

Somara and Alissa play and laugh together.

 In my first written post I also mentioned Eva, the young girl who gave into her human nature by deciding to trust. She has attended nearly every week, and each time has been increasingly outgoing and playful. She laughs often now, not merely giggles but mirthful laughs that tumble easily from her. Eva has blossomed swiftly over the past few weeks, and that has been beautiful to see.

Somara and Eva are just two of the children who attend, but their personalities display wide varieties of human ability and potential. Somara’s vibrant energy contrasts to Eva’s careful ways, but they each still have the playful heart of a child. Every single child that attends has such a unique personality that becomes swiftly evident in the way that they play and talk.

Feeling so at home made me realize how well I had come to know the children, even over only a few hours every two weeks. They have grown on me so quickly, and I have loved seeing both the wide differences and undeniable similarities in their personalities.

I love having a place with these children, and building relationships with them, the individual human beings that they are, has been a true gift.

Eva colors intently.

Somara and Eva are just two of the children who attend, but their personalities display wide varieties of human ability and potential. Somara’s vibrant energy contrasts to Eva’s careful ways, but they each still have the playful heart of a child. Every single child that attends has such a unique personality that becomes swiftly evident in the way that they play and talk.

 Feeling so at home made me realize how well I had come to know the children, even over only a few hours every two weeks. They have grown on me so quickly, and I have loved seeing both the wide differences and undeniable similarities in their personalities.

I love having a place with these children, and building relationships with them, the individual human beings that they are, has been a true gift.

Written Reflection 3

As the end of the semester draws near, I have to decide whether or not to continue volunteering with the organization. I have now completed all ten hours, so any more volunteering I do is superfluous, or perhaps done out of a sense of obligation because I agreed to keep helping through December. I have given my time to the organization, and I could walk away in December without having wronged them in any way.

A woman, who is not me, walking away
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Yet volunteering at Step-by-Step has taught me to be more patient, to be more understanding of people’s backgrounds, and to accept children, and by extension people, as they are, with no questions asked. Volunteering there has helped me realize how important it is to trust people even when they aren’t in good situations.

I have benefited greatly from Step by Step, even if in non-tangible ways.

Working with Step by Step also showed me the importance of having someone who cares. The children I work with know that I’m volunteering because of a class right now, and they want to know if I’ll come back even when I have all the hours I’m required to have. “Will you still help us?” They want me to care about them for who they are, not just because I need to get a good grade so I won’t lose my scholarship.

The children want me to care about them more than getting an 'A'.
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Faced with what I’ve already learned from volunteering and the children’s response, I don’t think I can in good conscience stop volunteering, any more than I could refuse to share my food with a starving man. They are in need of someone who will play games and listen patiently, and I need to be taught patience and to be reminded how to play. If I stop simply because I am no longer required to go, then I truly haven’t learned anything at all, and I will have wasted all of my time there. Yet if I keep going, I will be enriching children’s lives. When I return to Step by Step two weeks from tomorrow, I will be able to stop prevaricating when asked if I’ll come back, and wholeheartedly respond, “Yes.” 

TED Talk Analysis

TED Talk Analysis

Jordan McCay

For my analysis of a TED talk, I chose Mia Birdsong's "The Story We Tell About Poverty Isn't True" that was given in May 2015. Mia's talk relates very much to the Step By Step organization in that many of the single mothers and their children are currently experiencing poverty. However, as Mia describes in her talk, this situation does not make them weak. In fact, it only fully displays their strong will and strength of character. They are "broke, but not broken."

Out of all of the TED talks I've watched, I can honestly say that this one struck me as the most genuine in both her feelings for the topic and her quality of conversation. Mia's passion for her topic and her closeness with it was highly evident in her presentation. This was a true showcase of the master within. Her stories, not only about herself, but of people living in the poverty she once was in too, struck deep. It was hard not to become emotional upon hearing of the resilience of these people. As Mia mentioned in her presentation, society has a very nasty habit of trying to demonize poor people. By sharing these stories with the audience, Mia was able to break through some of that and have them be seen as the equivalent human beings they should be. Along with these stories, Mia showed pictures of the people she was discussing, thus providing a multi sensory experience for the audience.

One of Mia's main points in her presentation

Another cool thing about this TED talk was that I learned of a place called Silicon Valley. It's been a starting point for many companies and doesn't judge based on a person's wealth or lack thereof it. I just though it was neat that somewhere like that exists. It gives one hope that in the near future there will be many places like this, where ideas are valued for their merit rather than the monetary value of their creator.

In a way, I think Mia's presentation was low-key jaw-dropping throughout the entire presentation, but especially as she firmly established the value of poor people in society and gently berated the rest of society for treating them so harshly. I suppose it was so jaw-dropping because she talks in such a way that's both light-hearted (so you don't expect such passion and ferocity to come from her) and intense all at once. Mia's light-heartedness also shown through the humor she incorporated into the presentation, which worked as she was joking with a sense of familiarity and created a sense of companionship with the audience, as well as adding to her genuine nature.

In the end, I was surprised that the speech was a little over 15 minutes long (under that 18 minute rule, of course), because it had felt so short in such a good way. I was absolutely enraptured with her and was with her the entire time. Her ability to stay in her lane and connect everything back to her main point was impressive. I think Mia's TED talk was highly effective and served her purpose: getting the populace to consider poor people in a new light and looking to them as useful resources. I feel like I, too, gained a new perspective by watching this, and I encourage anyone reading this post to also take a look into it. It's well worth those 15 minutes.

Tomorrow: TED Talk Analysis

By: Phyllis Elizabeth Holloway

“None of us can change our yesterdays but all of us can change our tomorrow.” 

-Colin Powell 

Powell's official portrait as the Secretary of State
Here's the link!

For my TED Talk Analysis, I chose to analyze Colin Powell’s TED Talk “Kids Need Structure”. The speech was delivered in 2012 at TEDxMidAtlantic. This TED Talk ties in very well to my service-learning organization, Step By Step, because it is a speech about how the world as we know it can change to provide a better future for the upcoming generations. Colin Powell speaks about how we can help children get a good start on life.

General Colin Powell is the former United States Secretary of State, and was the first African American to serve in this position. As you see in the picture below of Powell in uniform, you see that he is a very decorated veteran. There are many different opinions on Powell’s credibility, especially on the subject of education. Since Powell never served as an educator outside of the military, many believe he was not fit to deliver this TED Talk. Some comments brought up things that happened while he was in office. Some had a more open-minded approach to the talk.

General Colin Powell waving in a
New York City Welcome Home Parade
Here's the link!

Like many others, I agree that Powell delivered a powerful message. Powell made a strong point to encourage the community to become a part of young people’s education. As Powell points out, a child begins learning just after the child is born. One of his big points is saying that, “A child who has not been read to is in danger when that child gets to school.” This is something that I whole-heartedly believe in. I was read to as a child and I believe it has made me a stronger student and a better person. Although I agree with his point, I would have liked some research that backed up the statement. 

Powell relied heavily on his past in the military. This is something that anyone who knew Powell would expect. You can see the passion he had for his participation in the ROTC. I appreciate his passion for the topic as it made it a lot more enjoyable and easier for me to tune in to what he was saying. Powell shared stories throughout the speech, which also kept the audience very engaged into the message he was trying to share with them. He kept eye contact and great organization throughout his speech. Powell stayed very true to himself during this speech. 

Colin Powell delivering his TED Talk with the picture he
used to kick off his speech.
Here's the link! 

At the beginning of his speech, Powell shared a photo that he then told a story about. He did not have a powerpoint filled with words, so that made his presentation engaging. I think the audience expected more engaging images, though. Powell once took a stab at his younger self, to make the audience see that he doesn’t take himself too seriously, and to keep them engaged with laughter. Also, near the beginning of the speech he was telling a story, and it seemed like he was losing the audience. Powell yelled “AT EASE!” and I believe he caught the audience’s attention again. 

I think the audience knows that kids need the basic necessities to survive. I believe that the things such as attention, love, and structure are very often overlooked. All in all, I believe that Powell made a strong message (that was under the 18 minute limit!) that has the possibility of changing lives for generations to come. I agree with Colin Powell when he says, “Every child ought to have a good start in life.” 

I encourage you to watch this TED Talk for yourself!

Analyzing a TED Talk

The speech I chose to analyze was by Jennifer Senior titled ‘For parents, happiness is a very high bar.’  Senior gave this talk at TED2014.  I enjoyed listening to this talk, and I learned new facts about parenting I had never heard of before. 

Jennifer Senior presenting her TED Talk

Jennifer Senior did a very good job at getting her point across and relating her speech to the audience.  She told a story about the different books that are being sold on how to raise children and how much parenting has changed since she was a child.  She told another story about holding her first child in her arms and promising to never hurt him, made her speech more personal, and also related to how happiness is very hard to give to someone.  With this story she got her point across that her promise she made is an easier and more attainable goal than trying to make your child happy.  Throughout the whole presentation, Senior made it feel like she was having a conversation with her audience.  She used PowerPoint slides, which had only pictures or had very few words.  This helped to emphasize her points and was not too overwhelming for her audience.

Listening to this presentation, I learned many new facts about modern parenting.  One fact that surprised me was the shocking statistic that the United States was one of eight countries that do not have paid maternity leave; this makes it so much harder on mothers to be able to support their family and give their children the best life they can have.  She also presented the fact that mothers now spend more time with their children then they did decades of years earlier when not many of them had jobs.  So much has changed in the past few years, and so much will change in the years to come.  She pointed out that happiness is not something you are able to give to your children.  You just have to teach them and help them get to a point that makes them happy.  To make her speech livelier Senior put some humor into it.  She started her speech with a joke which pulled people in and helped them to focus on what she was saying.  Also throughout her speech she would put little pieces of humor, which helped her audience focus again and it helped defuse some of the seriousness of the talk.

Jennifer Senior was able to paint a picture through her words about her speech on happiness.  She used her own experiences and she was knowledgeable about her subject.  She used stories and images that her audience was able to relate to, and therefore they are about to visualize the story in their mind.  She did all of this is in 18 minutes, and having this time limit gave her enough time to cover her topic well and did not give her time to deviate from her track.  

These are some of the words that describe parenting

‘For parents, happiness is a very high bar’ by Jennifer Senior was a great TED talk.  It related to my service organization Step By Step, which helps single mothers and their children.  This talk made me realize how stressful it can be to be a parent, and how much harder it would have to be if you were young and on your own.  Parents want their child to be happy, but that is an unrealistic goal for the parents to give themselves.  There is no guidebook for the parents to follow they just have to do the best they can and hope that the child’s happiness will follow.

Analyzing a Ted Talk: Our Century's Greatest Injustice

                Sheryl WuDunn wrote a book, Half the Sky, about women around the world, and the oppression they face. Her Ted Talk given on July 10, 2010, “Our Century’s Greatest Injustice” was given to a smart audience, an audience of potential investors who likely had good intentions but were not necessarily informed on the issue.  Her goal was to persuade them to reach out and help women who live in desperate poverty. Speaking to an audience like the one she addressed must be done with the greatest care. If she spoke too bluntly about the need for change and the patheticness of current help, she could offend the sensitive intellects of a crowd that likely considered itself humane; however, if she watered down her message she risked boring her audience into inaction. Instead, she carefully walked a tightrope, drawing her audience along with her using humor and stories, yet never shocking or scolding enough to push them off the edge.

Sheryl WuDunn gestures in the power sphere during her speech

Sheryl WuDunn’s Ted Talk was about women in poverty, just like many of the women Step-by-Step seeks to aid.  She began by showing a picture of herself in China, looking happy and safe. Then she showed a very different picture: the picture of a thirteen year old girl who could not afford to go to school and who lived in squalor because of this. Yet the story did not end in dismay, but in hope. Generous donations allowed the school to provide scholarships, and she not only finished school but brought prosperity to her family and village. This developed Mrs. WuDunn’s main point: women, when empowered, “move out of a vicious cycle and into a virtuous one”.

She gave more examples. She asked her audience whether they believed more men or women were alive on earth. The audience, being fairly well-educated, guessed that more women were alive, perhaps because women tend to live longer. Sheryl shocked them by explaining that far more men than women are actually alive, then went on to explain why: girls are often fed less or given less care, “discriminated to death”. Then she described some of the worst challenges facing girls. Many of them are sold into sex trafficking – others die in childbirth. Sheryl wove stories of individual women and girls into her talk, showing pictures and explaining how they had risen from vicious cycles to virtuous ones. She concluded by highlighting a few of the practical benefits of aiding women, and by inspiring others to act by saying that we “provide for wild birds so they don’t go hungry”. If we can provide such care for the birds, can we not care for each other?  

If we care for the birds, can we not care for women?

The speech was incredibly effective. When I finished watching it I wanted to rush out and give all my money to help impoverished women! By incorporating mild humor, interesting pictures, and vivid stories, Sheryl captured my attention for a full 18 minutes. She made eye contact frequently with the audience and used gestures to emphasize her points. To make the speech even more effective, she could have made it a bit more memorable. Although the speech was well-organized, there were too many chunks of information for me to remember all of the “main points”. By simplifying the speech even more into even broader areas, then elaborating on those, Mrs. WuDunn could have imprinted her ideas into my mind more firmly. Her speech tied beautifully in to the main goal of Step-by-Step: to empower women by breaking bad cycles and connecting them to the resources that create good cycles instead. Just as women in third-world countries can do incredible things if given the opportunity, women in America, given the right resources, can work miniature miracles.