Making the decision to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest was a fairly easy decision for me, and I thought JVC Northwest was going to be a breeze. 

However, life threw some curve balls at me, and while I loved my placement dearly, I found myself terribly homesick and wanting nothing more than to go home and experience the world I had always known. In many ways, I was not prepared for living the life of a JV like I thought, and this was not the experience I signed up for back in March of 2012.  

My placement is at the Yakima Family YMCA, I could not have found a more perfect placement. In the mornings I help plan events for a youth mentoring program. There are over 130 youth in the program matched with an adult in the community. When I first started reading about the success stories of mentors and their mentees, I was usually brought to tears by the bonds that had been created. They are these bonds that have kept these kids off the streets, out of gangs, and in school. The second half of my day is spent in a drop in youth center for youth ages 7-15. Each day is new, and the kids continue to amaze me with their strength and courage to persevere through their dismantled home lives. Many youth struggle with peer pressure to join gangs (as early as the age of 10), have low self-esteem, and are still learning how to express feelings in a healthy manner. My favorite days are when the older kids teach the younger kids how to throw a football, the girls patiently work on a craft, and there are few arguments. 

Despite all the homesickness, I have come to understand that this is where I am supposed to be. When I am packing up for the day, and a child excitedly asks, "Julia! Can you stay with us longer today? I don't want you to leave!" I know I am here for a reason. No matter my own personal challenges, I know these youth have it far worse than I do. Throughout the year, we will continue to find our inner strength together.  

I know I will continue to be challenged throughout the year, but I know better now than ever that while I am more than 1,500 miles from home, I am part of a community here. The support I receive from the staff at the Y, the Yakima community, my friends, and my family bring so much comfort to me. I know if I need this much support, these kids need even more, and this the reason I continue to serve.