adventure risk challenge a leadership and literacy program 2011 University of California Merced and Berkeley | Yosemite Field Station Writings of the Mighty Marmots Annie Hernandez Bao Huynh Benjamin Meza-Lemus Brenda Cardoza Instructors: Charly Mijares Alyssa Martin Huy Dao Andres Estrada JiaJia Yu Colin Carpenter Marcela Avina Sarah Cupery Ottley Oscar Avina Scott Cushman Xiong Vue www.arcprogram.org Yessenia Holguin annie hernandez I Am An Eagle Flying away from my family I’m an eagle Doesn’t break me Fighting for what I want It makes me stronger The only chance of going to college Leaving mom in the heat of Tijuana Depends on me Two beautiful little sisters Flying from one place to another Saddens me but gives me strength From Mexico to U.S. I know they’ll be okay Moving from green to smoggy The man up there will protect them Moving from light to dark My nest changed I’m an eagle But I’m still the same eagle Intelligent Always learning how to be patient Looking for the best For the people I love Fighting and never afraid Always strong and brave I’m an eagle Younger siblings depend on me One playing video games The other playing Buzz Light Year Missing my mom and my sisters The little ones need a model Trying to get them a better life Someone who teaches them how to fly Trying to make them proud Sacrificing myself My parents can get tired sometimes Because that’s how I have to be Step-mom and Dad always working Strong Dad laboring in a market I’m an eagle Smelling like onions when he comes home Doesn’t have time to protect us all the time Doing what I think is right But we are strong My head, always up I’ve taught the chicks to be eagles Looking at the horizon Searching for my dreams I’m an eagle Always showing the young ones Never forgetting who I am How to be brave, to listen Never forgetting where I’m from To be responsible and to be strong Helpful to my family Caring for the people I love Courageous, Courageous like an eagle Aggressive when I want something Lack of funds and oppressive people Patient to my little siblings Can’t hold me back from reaching my goals Strong in my beliefs Working will be hard but I know I can do it Proud of being Mexican People will be jealous and rude Intelligent, brave, fearless and courageous But I know I can face them I’m an eagle 2 ARC Summer 2011 Knowing Myself Better Before becoming the Ana I am now I was diversity. Backpacking out in the wild took be honest were the most difficult and the the kind of girl who didn’t really know me away from the world where all your sur- most helpful at the same time. I cried when about nature and the beautiful things that roundings are buildings, cars and annoying talking about the challenges that I faced as a exist out there. I didn’t like trying to learn people. Nature gives me tranquility that I child and, instead of feeling ashamed; I felt new things. When there were problems at will never find anywhere else. All these fea- good to know that my group supported me home I would ignore them and be alone in tures made me respect nature, become more and understood my story. Giving feedback my world where the coolest things to do responsible with the things I do to it, and to the leader of the day every night helped were to text and hang out with my friends. think about the beautiful life that it guards. me to not dread telling people how I feel I feared expressing my feelings. Cell phone, I’ve always cared about the environment about them, and to encourage them to make computer, clothes, shoes, make-up and and tried to encourage my community to be a change in their attitude to turn into a bet- friends were the only things that mattered conscientious about what’s happening in the ter leader. I don’t just say “thanks, I love you to me. Everything started changing when world. I saw wildlife with my own eyes. And too” anymore; now I can go to a person and Summer Search accepted me in its program. now, more than before, I will do anything I tell them how important they are in my life They helped me find Adventure Risk Chal- can to maintain and protect it. and how glad I feel to have them with me. lenge (ARC), an amazing course where I’ve grown and become more independent. Rock-climbing was the hardest and most Surviving by myself for twenty-four hours transformational moment for me during in the wilderness solo helped me to get to When I first heard of ARC they told me ARC. I’m scared of heights and whenever know myself better. I thought about all the the program requires backpacking for seven I started climbing I felt my legs shake and things I’ve done in the past and reflected days without taking a shower. I thought, my heart beat faster. My group always sup- about things I could change about myself “Whoa! This program must be really cool ported me, and gave me confidence to be to grow to be a better human. I’ve made a and difficult.”I felt excited and nervous able to trust myself and be stronger. I felt lot of mistakes and there’s no time to fix every time I thought of ARC. Finally the proud and scared at the same time. I still them now but I know I can prevent those time arrived and I was ready to put myself can’t believe I climbed that fifty-foot rock. mistakes from happening again. I care about in a place where I had never been before. Even though I felt petrified I showed my- my family a lot, but I didn’t pay attention I wanted to experience new things and get self I could do anything I wanted to, I just to them in the past. I’ve told them things to know myself better, so I said goodbye to needed determination. That day I became I wish I never had said. I’ve hurt them so my computer, my cell phone and my friends, braver and more positive about myself and much and I think the time has finally come and I turned around and left. I worried the strength I have, physically and mentally. to tell them how much I love them and ap- about getting sick or hurt. I knew only Huy, I learned that everybody can face their fears; preciate all the things they’ve done for me. another Summer Search student, and we we just have to be courageous, strong and We might have some problems sometimes didn’t talk as much as we do now. We met confident in ourselves. and argue, but I will always love them and two other Summer Searchers when we got be there for them whenever they need me. on the train. When we all arrived in Merced Doing my solo in the middle of the Sierra we met Sarah, the Program Director, for the Nevada, lonely and homesick, made me re- first time. Every second I spent out of my alize I had grown and recognize the changes house made me realize that I couldn’t go I had made. back. After meeting Sarah, the time arrived to be face to face with my new group-mates, Ana Hernandez, a girl that can tell someone the ones who became my family over time. how much they mean in her life, the girl that They taught me how to work as a group was afraid of heights but climbed rocks, a and helped me change and develop into the person who appreciated clothes and now person I am now. appreciates family--that’s me. I feel proud of myself, and every challenge I’ve over- Our first backpacking expedition, the first come has made me change. I did things I of many challenges, transformed me. Living Before ARC, I had a hard time showing never thought I could be able to do. I feel outside of the city and hiking in the back- love to people and expressing my feel- thankful to my group and my instructors, country for seven days without showering ings. My best friend would always tell me my second family. I never imagined strang- and brushing my hair everyday made me how much she appreciated me and how ers becoming my brothers and sisters. Now, appreciate the things I have at home. Exist- much she loved me, and most of the time I have a new family and I know I can count ing without electronics for a while didn’t kill I responded, “Thanks, I love you too.” I on them whenever I need help. That’s what me; instead, I had more time to pay atten- never liked to say how I felt or talk about being in ARC IS like. I learned that even if tion to the people around me and the beau- my problems. I reserved my thoughts and I’m scared I can keep going. I will always ty of the mountains. I gave myself a chance feelings to myself and I never thought remember the good times I had with these to not be afraid of interacting with other other people experienced the same prob- people (Mighty Marmots) and I will always people or doing something new.