Youthlinc participants are in full service swing at this point in the Service Year. Many participants have already become connected to their service sites and are witnessing firsthand the positive change they can make in the lives of others in their community. Many of these students already seen a shift in their attitude toward service. Service has become the best part of their day! Mackenzie Turner, on the Peru team, is an example of this transformation. In her own words, Mackenzie tells us what makes her service site so special and why visiting there is the best part of her day.
“When I was first accepted into the Youthlinc program, my local service requirement was just that, a requirement – one more thing to do on my list before I went to Peru. Little did I know that it would change my life so much. Every Tuesday and Thursday I spend the best hour and a half of my day with four first and second graders that bring more happiness and joy into my life than I could have ever thought possible before. I tutor and read with them in English and Spanish and watch them progress, learn, and reach far beyond their levels. Seeing this is so humbling knowing that I helped them achieve their goals. They now see me like an older sister and love to tell me all about their friends, families, and home lives. I now know that creating and building upon personal relationships with them is what service is all about. They’ve changed the way I see local service for the good. They tell me that I am helping them, but they are helping me and what they have done in my life is far more than I could ever repay them for.”
– Mackenzie Turner, Team Peru 2014
