Pre-Trip Service Event Reflection

Hi all!

Hope this week hasn't been too rough, but if it has, no worries because spring break is here! I'm so excited for this trip, as I'm sure many of you all are as well. Before we depart to South Carolina, I just wanted to reflect on our pre-trip service. I was part of the group that volunteered at KEEN in Vienna, and I'm sure I'm speaking for the group when I say this, but working with the athletes was an experience I will never forget. We were all paired with an athlete, all of whom have a disability, and were by their side, learning and engaging in some type of planned physical activity. That day, the organization had decided to teach Taekwondo for the first hour, and then wrap the day up with a classic game of kick-ball. Because the volunteer turn-out significantly trumped the number of athletes that were present, some of us were grouped together with one athlete instead of being one-on-one. Tanvee, Yannan, and I were assigned to Mark, a 26 year old with autism. Before this, I had never had any experience volunteering for KEEN, let alone working with someone that had a disability, so I was a little worried and intimidated. However, many of the preconceived notions I contained were debunked from those few hours I spent with Mark. I had never met someone so friendly, enthusiastic, and determined as him. Despite being partially vocal, he was insistent on getting to know everyone, as he continuously went around and shook hands with other athletes and volunteers. His chirpiness and charm brought a smile to my face and truly warmed my heart. Mark loved to give high fives (and also really liked Amee's hipster glasses), and as we began to meet the other athletes, I started picking up on certain quirks each of them had. Will, another athlete, was known for his flirty nature, as he went around giving hugs to anyone in his vicinity. Allan, the athlete assigned to Kristen and Amee, was nonvocal, but smiled at the end of the day when asked if he had enjoyed himself, which I thought was incredibly sweet. Overall, the experience I gained from volunteering at KEEN was something I would never have gained anywhere else, and I thank Amee and Linda for having made this our pre-service event. I'm sure everyone that volunteered is in agreement. For anyone that was unable to attend, volunteer for KEEN sometime! It's a great learning experience!
See you all in T-minus 2 days!

Sincerely,
Sharvani :)