Thank you, Chicago
Alyssa Petersel, Northwestern University Public Interest Fellow, Program Assistant
When is the last time you took a moment to reflect on the past 10 months of your life? What have you learned? How have you changed?
As my time wraps up with SCY, I find myself faced with the daunting task of summarizing my experience in a comprehensible and concise blog post for any and all to read. Upon beginning this one-year Public Interest Program through Northwestern University, I was graduating Northwestern University with dual BA degrees in psychology and international studies. You might ask, “what do you do with that?” That is a fabulous question.
While I knew I was interested in violence prevention, I could not have predicted the wealth of passion, commitment, and inspiration this realm of work is brewing and eager to share.
While these types of discussions usually end with thank yous, I am compelled to extend my thank yous at the beginning, for what I have learned and how I have grown would not have been possible without the continuous guidance and support of those around me.
Throughout my time as a Program Assistant with SCY, I have learned about:
restorative justice (thank you Nancy Michaels, Mansfield Institute for Social Justice and Transformation, Embrace Restorative Practices, and Edwin Johnson)
school push out and disproportionate minority contact (thank you Project NIA, Illinois Safe Schools Alliance, and Chicago Freedom School)
mental health needs and relevance in violence prevention (thank you Mental Health America Illinois and Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership)
youth empowerment (thank you Mikva Challenge, Free Spirit Media, and The Peace Exchange)
journalistic means to draw attention to issues and their solutions (thank you Jack Doppelt and Miles Harvey)
the power of a public health approach to prevention (thank you Cure Violence, CLOCC and Prevention Institute)
the impact of genuine mentorship (thank you Jody Kretzmann, Caryn Curry, and Youth Guidance - Becoming A Man)
the plague of homicide facing Chicago and how pivotal gun safety is in the solution (thank you Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence)
the importance of strong communities and safe surroundings (thank you Dr. Vessel, I Am Able)
the challenges surrounding the juvenile justice system and mechanisms to encourage positive change (thank you Juvenile Justice Initiative and Illinois Collaboration on Youth)
the positive effects healthy relationships, especially compared to harmful relationships, dating violence, or bullying (thank you Between Friends)
My fellow SCY staff, Becky Levin, Director of SCY, and Kelli Day, Operations Manager at SCY, are role models, leaders and mentors who have spent the last 10 months entertaining my questions, passions, and first experience as a full-time paid employee for more than 3 months. I am proud to have been given the opportunity to be part of a team that works so diligently to strengthen this city. I specifically want to thank Karen Sheehan, a pediatrician with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital (though she wears many hats), for her bottomless encouragement, support, and endless inspiration. While SCY is a relatively new collaborative, I look forward to the immensely positive impact to result from its ability to connect the various organizations above (and more) in order to achieve its mission to Strengthen Chicago’s Youth.
To mirror SCY’s Focus on Five and to keep my insights concise, I would like to sign off with Five Lessons Learned from the past 10 months.
Unity. A united agenda and a united mission are significantly more impactful than a variety of segmented missions. As a united city, I believe we have the capacity to hack away at the plague of violence in Chicago. Divided, we will hardly make a dent.
Persistence. Prior to this experience, I underestimated the amount of time and determination it takes to truly create change. I admire the organizations and individuals striving for change in light of this understanding.
The Golden Rule. This one many of us learned when we were children. Contrary to lesson 2, while immense change takes time, resources, and tireless effort, change can be free, and can happen every day. Small acts of kindness go a long way.
Say yes. If a co-worker asks you for a favor, say yes. If a fellow organization is hosting a fundraiser and sends you an invitation, say yes. If you are given the opportunity to explore Pilsen, but you have never been there and new neighborhoods intimidate you, say yes. The more you “yes,” the more you learn, and the more you are able to do and be.
We all have something to learn, and we all have something to give. Earlier in my life, I imagined that at some point I would have it all figured out. I also, along the same lines, figured that the “adults” around me already had it all figured out. The truth, which has been begging to shatter my simplistic and idealistic thinking for some time, is that none of us have it figured out, and it is not guaranteed that we ever will. The beauty of this is that we can learn from every experience, every interaction, and every other person we ride the elevator with, and others can learn from us, too.
As I embark on the next chapter of my life, I bid this community a “farewell for now,” because I know I will carry Chicago with me every step of the way, and the violence prevention forces in Chicago have not seen the last of me yet.
