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Dear Judge,
We encourage you to seek personal support if you become troubled by the content of this category. If you experience an emotional crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (available 24/7) or the California Warm Line at (833) 845-7415 .
The entries you are judging are submissions in the Hope and Justice category. Entries in this category deal with a variety of topics including mental health, suicide prevention, social justice and other complex topics that need to be addressed with compassion and knowledge.
For this category we asked youth to communicate about what they are feeling, increase knowledge about an issue or take a stand against injustice, or share their perspective in a way that gives others a glimpse into their lives. While some youth submit entries share ideas for solutions to the issues of concern, others used this as an opportunity to process their feelings in a therapeutic way.
We welcome all types of submissions. In our submission criteria, we remind youth that whatever message they choose, their submissions need to be thoughtful and respectful. We asked youth to be honest about their feelings, but to be sure their entries convey that they are coming from a place of cultural humility and have the intent to further understanding and constructive dialogue about social justice and change. So, as a judge please score each of these entries based on how well they conveyed their messages and followed these guidelines.
At any point if you are experiencing technical difficulties with the website, or have questions regarding the category, please email shanti@youthcreatingchange.org or call (619) 786-5622.
In advance, we appreciate your time.
My past gave me a story. My choices give it an ending. It means just that my story is my past. And that I don’t have to stay stuck in this world. Making mistakes and getting involved with a gang. I am someone learning from my mistakes. I will be a high school graduate, a barber, and a better citizen. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I am choosing a better direction for my life, one step at a time. I am kid from Brawley who made some bad choices and got involved with a gang. At the time, I thought being in a gang would make me feel like I belonged and that people would respect me. I was around people and situations that have taken me down the wrong path. I did things that I am not proud of, but those experiences became part of my story. I cannot go back and change what happened but now I decide what happens next. I am trying to become a better person and a better citizen. The clock and hourglass on my project represent time because time keeps moving, and I cannot waste it. I have learned that the choices I make today can affect my future. I am learning to stay focused, respect other people, and think before I make decisions. I know changing is not always easy, but I want to prove that a person can learn from their mistakes and become better. The graduation cap represents me completing school. Something I thought I would never do. I have worked hard and learned so many new things. I have opened myself to new world I never knew about in my studies. That there is so much more out there in the world that my time could waste away. I want to become a barber. The barber tools in my project represent that dream. I want to learn how to cut hair, become good at what I do, and one day have my own barber shop called Garcia’s Cuts. I want my shop to be a place where people can come in, get a haircut, talk, and feel welcome. I also want to be a good example for younger kids who might be going through some of the same things I went through. The roses on my project represent growth and a new beginning. Just like a rose grows even when life is not perfect, I want to grow from my past and become a better person. My past will always be part of me, but it does not have to control my future. My past gave me a story. My choices give it an ending. It means just that my story is my past. And that I don’t have to stay stuck in this world. Making mistakes and getting involved with a gang. I am someone learning from those mistakes. I will be a high school graduate, a barber, and a better citizen. I know I still have a lot to learn, but I am choosing a better direction for my life, one step at a time.
