After turning eighteen in May, program participant and junior volunteer Nick L. felt disappointed and nervous about leaving his original group to join the young adult group. While staff assured Nick he would still see his peers and grow into the young adult group, he went out of his way to junior volunteer in his old group and go wherever he knew his old group was going to be in order to stay close to his friends.
However, with time and positive reinforcement, Nick has adapted to his new environment and made great strides. He’s become much more comfortable around his peers and made friends in his new group, all while taking on new leadership responsibilities and participating in exciting activities.
For example, after staff showed Nick how to use the center iPads, he and a peer researched smoothies to make and presented them to the group. He then made sure everyone in the group got to vote on which smoothies they wanted to make. In addition to taking on projects like this, he helps his peers by finding fitness videos for the group and aiding in hand-over-hand writing activities.
Thanks to staff encouragement and his own determination, Nick is thriving in his new group—and better equipped to take on future challenges.