CFS Experiences, CFS Student Experience

Building Skills as a Youth Worker

Posted by cfs424 on

Name: Angel Ayon

Year: Senior

Majors: Latinx Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies

CFS Program: Field Studies in Social Justice

Employer:  Youth and Opportunity United

Working with Youth and Opportunity United (Y.O.U.) has been one of my most fulfilling experiences as a Northwestern student. Being able to engage with and learn from middle school age youth while at the university allows for another mode of learning and analysis that is necessary to building alternative education systems and life ways. It is difficult to develop the skills to build trust with students only to have to leave them at the end of the internship, but the opportunities these students give me are shaping me into a better youth worker.

Ironically, one of the best moments I have had was then my students decided they could joke about the sound of my laugh. We all engaged in a moment of joy and laughter, where the students felt safe and comfortable enough to laugh at me. Although it seems like a lack of respect, I felt that I had done my job to have my students trust me and we could build on their authentic selves. I look back to this moment when working with youth gets difficult. Luckily, in those moments, I can look to staff to show me new methods and techniques to best uplift students. I am very grateful of this learning experience. This opportunity has allowed me to engage with Y.O.U. staff at all levels of the organization and has provided insight into how I will situate myself in the work force and academia after Northwestern.

My work with Y.O.U. is supported significantly with the Social Justice CFS course. Professor Andrea Ritchie gives such a foundation to understanding what social justice is and a new lens to understanding Chicago. Professor Ritchie pushes us to think and requires that we put our minds into the work being done. The class is a space of imagination where real action can be designed and implemented. This class is not an easy A, it is for making steps to be a real change maker. This class is rich in history and energy for the future.