Proud Parent

Well... I'm not really a parent yet, but remember how I feel like a mom to the teens at the Boys & Girls Club sometimes?  That means I get to be a proud parent sometimes. :)  My favorite teen girl recently got accepted to attend the "SOAR" program for a week at BYU this summer.  She applied for it all by herself and even got the scholarship she'd been hoping for.  I didn't really do much to help, other than check up on her in the computer lab and ask if she needed anything.  So when she showed me her "congratulations" e-mail today, I was soooo happy!  And excited.  And proud.  And even a little emotional inside.  This is my girl.  This is my challenge-- to get her out there and doing awesome things.  Her goal is to go to BYU and be a Cougarette.  I believe in her. :)    She is amazing and is far beyond where I ever was when I was her age.  Shoot, I don't know how I even managed to make it into BYU.  But I did, and that's all that matters.

I love feeling like a proud parent.

I love that she was super excited to show me the e-mail.

I love my job.

I love making a difference every single day.

I love my new ORANGE office!

Pictures to come soon...

p.s.  Does anyone else love "Parenthood"?  I'm only in the 2nd season as I watch the episodes on DVD.  Anyway... I love watching the relationship between Amber and her mom, Sarah develop and blossom.  Amber started out as such a hard-headed moody teen but she has her moments of softness and sensitivity.  I love those moments.  I love when teens like her let down their walls and allow me to be there with them for a minute.  Sometimes the walls go back up... some times they stay down.  Either way, I love the challenge.  And more importantly, I love the success!