Ozanam
Gemma Rocha
Professor Fallon
Honors University Experience
12 November 2013
Ozanam Reflection
This past Wednesday I had the privilege of visiting the boy and girls of the Ozanam Program. I cherish any moment when I am able to work with children. Especially, when I can help those children realize their full potential. Ozanam (also commonly known as “Future Stars”) is a program whose mission is to help the boy and girls of Western Pennsylvania to develop into young responsible adults. Through positive, developmental training such as educational programming, competition in the athletics, social and cultural activities, and support services, Ozanam assistants in developing Pittsburgh’s future stars. Ozanam originated from a well-known basketball program that ranged from children of the ages 8 to 18. The Ozanam Program itself grew out of the close bonds the children formed with the basketball coaches. The coaches became mentors to the children and assisted them in the pursuit to receive college scholarships. Ozanam is located in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. The Hill District is culturally considered to be the center of African-American life in Pittsburgh. The vast majority of the people residing in the Hill District neighborhood are African-American. It is also the collection of neighborhoods in Pittsburgh where poverty is very prominent within the community.
If I were to choose a story to help explain the idea of being good to your future self, I would use my story, why I wish I would have been good to my future self at an earlier stage in my life. When I went to Africa in the summer of 2012 I had to prepare a snippet of my testimony to share with the girls of the
Rocha 2 orphanage. I never anticipated sharing my entire life’s story with the girls of Jireh Children’s Center. Little did I know that my story was so similar to the story of several of the girls there. I had no idea my story could be so impactful to people I didn’t know. For that
Professor Fallon
Honors University Experience
12 November 2013
Ozanam Reflection
This past Wednesday I had the privilege of visiting the boy and girls of the Ozanam Program. I cherish any moment when I am able to work with children. Especially, when I can help those children realize their full potential. Ozanam (also commonly known as “Future Stars”) is a program whose mission is to help the boy and girls of Western Pennsylvania to develop into young responsible adults. Through positive, developmental training such as educational programming, competition in the athletics, social and cultural activities, and support services, Ozanam assistants in developing Pittsburgh’s future stars. Ozanam originated from a well-known basketball program that ranged from children of the ages 8 to 18. The Ozanam Program itself grew out of the close bonds the children formed with the basketball coaches. The coaches became mentors to the children and assisted them in the pursuit to receive college scholarships. Ozanam is located in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. The Hill District is culturally considered to be the center of African-American life in Pittsburgh. The vast majority of the people residing in the Hill District neighborhood are African-American. It is also the collection of neighborhoods in Pittsburgh where poverty is very prominent within the community.
If I were to choose a story to help explain the idea of being good to your future self, I would use my story, why I wish I would have been good to my future self at an earlier stage in my life. When I went to Africa in the summer of 2012 I had to prepare a snippet of my testimony to share with the girls of the
Rocha 2 orphanage. I never anticipated sharing my entire life’s story with the girls of Jireh Children’s Center. Little did I know that my story was so similar to the story of several of the girls there. I had no idea my story could be so impactful to people I didn’t know. For that