In this month’s Open Workshop, we talked about the “heroes” in our lives, from the the ones with lightspeed power and lasers, to the ones who live quietly among us.
A Hero To Him
I feel like a hero to my nephew because he looks up to me in every way. I used to take care of him all the time. Then I got thrown out of my house and onto the streets. Ever since he was born, I told myself I wanted to be someone he could look up to, a hero. I feel like I am. I’ve been through so much and I’m still standing. I graduated from school for myself and to prove to him that he can do anything. I don’t do drugs or drink but I can’t say the same for his parents.
Whenever I see him, he gets this big smile and gives me a big hug and says, “I missed you tia and I’m so happy to see you.” Then right before I leave, he says, “Don’t go, I don’t want you to leave.” As I’m walking out the door, a couple of tears fall down my face. I feel like I’m a hero to him.
-Sandra, 20
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Spiritual Hero
I didn’t understand who or what he was. All I knew was there were songs written about him and many people praised him. We called him our father. Converting to Catholicism completely changed my life.
I’ve always believed in God, but I didn’t understand who he was. I was raised on my dad’s side of traditional Hmong cultural practices, which is shamanism. So after my parents divorced, my mom decided to convert us all to Catholicism. Her family is Catholic.
Learning about the love God has for all his children on Earth changed my view on life. Going to bible school taught me how valuable my body and life is. I used to want tattoos and piercings, but God gave me this holy temple not to flaw it but to love life. So we shouldn’t take life for granted because he sacrificed his one and only son who died for our sins.
-Gabby, 17
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In Love With Music
John Lennon is one of my heroes because of his writings and his determination to do what he loves, despite the public’s hate for his stereo-hippie-type. He believed love could solve anything as long as you are open-minded. He died a tragic death for what he believed in. The time I needed him most was when I first moved to California. All I did was run around being stupid doing nothing with my life. That day when I first heard my friend’s uncle play “I Want To Hold Your Hand” on acoustic guitar, I fell in love with music once again and I knew what I wanted. I wanted music to be every part of my life.
-Danny
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Saved By My Brother
I’ve been in many situations where I was helped or “saved” by one of my heroes. I have three heroes, my dad, my brother, and my ex, Alysha. Out of them, I choose my brother.
He helped me continue my life and showed me there is more out there. I didn’t graduate and I moved out of my parents’ house because of drama with my mom. I have no job and I try my best to keep myself together. My hero, my brother Eusebio has helped me to not give up. He told me to move out and start over. Now I’m happy and soon I will start a new job in the community. Soon I will also start college and become someone I have always wanted to be, because my brother, my hero pushed me to not give up.
-Anna, 18
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She Inspires Me
The little things she says here and there inspire me to be a beautiful person. Her understanding qualities comfort me in the night as I worry about an exam the next day. She is only an arm’s length away during summer vacation and winter break, but miles away during the school year. She applies herself in every aspect of her life. My sister is the hero in my life. Her perseverance and self-motivation encourage me to tackle anything. It’s now or never, she says. One life to live to make it worthwhile.
-Alneli, 16
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A True Hero
I don’t have a specific hero but I admire people who pursue what they love. Determination to get over each hurdle is a key factor that a hero needs. A hero to me is a person who will stick by me and never leave my side. Someone who will show their support and love for me when I need it. This personality cannot be a character they assume, it has to be them and not a lie. If you regret helping a person then you are not a true hero. A hero must be sincere and caring and mean what they say. I admire all people I meet because I have encountered many positive people who have given me wise advice.
-Victoria, 16
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God’s Grasp
A time when my hero saved me was when I was at my lowest point, suffering. I wanted to just let go and be blown through the world like a lone leaf in the wind yet I was grasped by the most merciful and most gracious help. I maintained my lucidness and emerged victorious over my trials and tribulations. I now realized that emptiness is a state of clarity, clarity the essence of emptiness. That there is luminosity in death. Death is merely an awakened state from our normal dream of living a transference from one place to another.
God carried me when I couldn’t walk nor crawl. He lifted my burdens, my sorrows to be as adaptive as water in a tidal wave, only the surface is disturbed. Beneath remains untouched just as the obstacles of life are stepped over as easily as I draw air. To remain untainted by poisonous emotions such as anger, delusions, jealousy, among what brings forth pain and suffering. To surrender my life over to a higher power was heroic.
-Marcus, 19
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Thinking It Over
Music has been an outlet for me in a lot of different ways. When I was going through a hard time figuring out whether I really wanted to end my relationship with my parents, I listened to a lot of Kanye West’s Late Registration album. It really helped me realize that it’s important to have the people who raised you in your life.
-Caprice, 17
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A Courageous Sister
The first time I saw my sister go through a sickle cell crisis, it changed my views on life. She’s about three and a half years older than me and successful in so many ways. I followed her footsteps all the way to the same middle school. Once we reached high school, we went our separate ways.
While I was still performing in sports, my sister, Sydney, was performing and may I add, excelling in musical/stage performance. Growing up watching my sister deal with occasional sickle cell episodes and seeing how far she’s made it, all the way to the UCLA Theatre Department, shows that I too have the power and strength to do whatever I can do.
-Paige, 16
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Music Is My Out
I believe I get a lot of my inspiration from music. Not just any kind of music because not all music is good. My favorite is Neyo because he always knows my mood and he knows just what to say to make it better. I can be feeling really gloomy one night and I’ll play his CD and I just start cleaning. The next thing I know I’m back to normal, feeling good and ready to face my problem.
-Patrice, 18
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Thank You, Dad
My hero is my dad. Living in a family that didn’t earn much, my dad looked like he could care less. But for as long as I could remember, he was the one who I feared most. He always called for family meetings, which my sisters and I all hated. Up until now, and still, my dad always calls for family meetings once a year and if we seemed to misbehave, then the meetings were around five times a year.
However, as much as I hated these meetings, I loved them because my dad doesn’t just lecture us but he gives us advice on school, love and life. Because of him I am the person I am today, and without his encouragement and inspiration, I’m sure I would have ended up like many other Hmong teens, married.
-Suzanna, 17
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My Superhero
Flash Gordon would be my hero because he’s tight. He was granted the power to tap into the extra-dimensional energy field called speed force. But his weakness is if he runs too fast, his body will disintegrate.
-Kevis, 18
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Words That Save
I have many heroes in my life, but I think my writing often serves as a hero to me. Through writing, I can express myself easier and just let everything out. Writing helps me when I’m upset, stressed or depressed. Writing is my escape. Without being able to express myself through writing, I think I would have too much bottled up inside. I would also have trouble dealing with my problems and pain.
-Arena, 17
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A Hero To Others
I have lots of heroes in my life, people who make a difference. Like Travis Andrews, my grandmother, Tate Hill, and my pastor. These are my true heroes because while they are making a difference in the lives of others, they make a major difference in my life. I have watched them work. They have flexed continuously their powers of compassion, trust, loyalty, and truthfulness. These are the traits that make every hero a hero.
They might not have lasers coming out of their eyes or fly at light speed. They are average people with a passion to serve the common good of the people. That’s the hardest task in the world because not everyone has a common good. I hope to be like them and better when I make it. So far I’m on the right path and it’s challenging but it’s making me someone else’s hero.
-Jesse, 18
In 2006, over 25 youth began participating in weekly after-school writing workshops where they congregated in the hallway of a two-story building in West Fresno and learned the essentials of creating media and telling their stories. The group evolved over the next five years and is now proudly recognized as The kNOw Youth Media.
Through our program, we create opportunities for our youth participants, who in turn create long-term positive change in their communities. Our approach weaves youth development and youth media innovation to produce our biannual youth publication, multimedia projects, and community forums.
The kNOw began as a project of New America Media, which was the country’s first and largest national collaboration and advocate of 2000 ethnic news organizations. In 2018 The kNOw became a project of Youth Leadership Institute.
