Moments in Time

"When was a time you exceeded expectations?" Recently, I was asked this question during a job interview. As a patient care assistant at Wexner Medical Center, I do jobs many people don't quite have the stomach for. To spare your imagination from wandering, let's round it out to lots of cleaning and bodily functions. Many would not choose my job. However, I can fondly recall one of my first patients when asked when I exceeded expectations in my role at the hospital.

He had called me into his room to talk, so I did. 25 minutes, maybe even 40, passed. My coworkers often popped into the room to see if I was doing alright. I nodded and kept holding his hand. When I finally emerged from his room, my coworkers asked what we were talking about, and I shrugged my shoulders, "I was mostly just listening." They looked at me like I was crazy for sitting there listening to him babble, and yet, in my heart, I knew that he had felt lonely. I can't recall the specifics of the conversation other than there was a renewed peace in his demeanor when he was done talking. To many, these interactions can easily be disregarded or considered inconsequential. However, we cannot begin to fathom how our moments with others can impact their lives and futures.

This is especially true of Uplift. This past semester, I have enjoyed volunteering at the GEMS after-school program. According to one student, my name is jokingly Meg, and to another, it's "Miss Ma'am" with a fake southern accent. I have played chess, pushed swings, ran around cosplaying, and raced in the parking lot. Shout out to my dad for always racing me to the car because I am now well-equipped to smoke some middle schoolers in a foot race. I see the eagerness with which students at GEMS greet volunteers or ask us to play with them. I know many of us have fond memories of our childhood, and I hope that is what Uplift gives these students. It may be another hour in a day, but to some students, it could mean more. As volunteers, we spend quality time learning about and encouraging student interests. Some students may be thrust into early adulthood or have enough bad experiences to outweigh these small, good ones. I hope that as students grow, they can reflect on the times when things weren't so difficult and allow these happy memories to bolster them as they face new challenges. Even greater, I hope our work is substantial enough in their lives that as they mature, they spread kindness, joy, and compassion as eagerly as members of Uplift.

Recently, Uplift held a career fair for 6th through 8th grade students. I cold-emailed over 30 career-based student organizations when we first began recruiting for this event. I want to thank everyone who responded to my emails and showed up for these kids. Armed with a scavenger hunt and a promise of chips after the fair, students eagerly explored the different posters. To the astronomy club who brought a telescope, the meteorologists who displayed videos of broadcasts, firefighters with all of their equipment, the girls from Sigma Alpha who taught inner city kids about agriculture, and so many more. Thank you. This fair allowed students to learn about professions they might not have ever heard about. I recall preschool graduation and how we were supposed to walk up to the microphone and state what we wanted to be when we grew up. My little brother, without hesitation, shouted into the microphone, "Ironman." I can't promise that Uplift will make anyone into a superhero, but I hope this event enabled students to dream bigger. Students had the opportunity to learn about nurses, dietetics, biomedical researchers, and barbers. This career fair was intended to allow students to explore fields that might've felt implausible. Next year, we want to showcase an even broader range of career paths as we continue to support students in finding careers that fulfill them.

Finally, and most importantly, our bags. We continue to pack bags containing food, books, and activities for children in need at GEMS. Whether these bags bring a reprieve to parents, food to those in need, books for students learning to read, or entertainment in the form of games, I hope these bags are changing lives for the better. The act of bag-packing may not be a feat in itself, but for the good that these bags bring to those who need it most, it may be everything.

I can only guess how Uplift will impact the lives of students, teachers, and families, but as I reflect on our work, I am reminded of how the smallest actions can make a difference. These interactions could be stories that someone tells for years to come, they could change life outlooks, they can inspire others, or they could be moments of happiness that they cling to when times are dark. So, I encourage you today, tomorrow, or next week to think about a time you made a difference with a moment of your time. I encourage you to listen empathetically to those around you, support a coworker or a friend, or brighten someone's day. Take a few minutes or an hour and make your moment mean something to someone.

Eva Shearer

Uplift Youth Volunteers Co-President