When I came back as the Program Manager in 2015, I was walking near the high school in my first month. I saw a youth (about 13 years old) and we made eye contact and he said, "hey, I know you!".

We chatted a little and discovered that he had been in HCA programs when he was in primary school and he recognized me from being a volunteer. He was in secondary school at that point and said to me "well, what about us now?". At that time, we didn't have programming for students after the age of 11 until they were old enough to go to our Adult Classes. I answered, "well, that's a good question". So we started Teen Class!

That same youth continued through school and reached a point where he was considering dropping out of school due not having the resources to continue with his studies, as well as not having the classes offered at the local secondary school. So we got this youth started as one of our first scholarship recipients!

He is now in his final year studying to be a mechanic and will graduate in November! And here's the real heart warmer...we found a video of him when he was about 8 years old taken by a previous volunteer in the class where they asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. And do you know what he said? "When I grow up, I want to be a mechanic!"

I would choose to jump right into teaching PEP+ classes!! I love teaching and there is no better way to learn Spanish, practice leadership skills, and have a ton of fun!! Whether you are interested in teaching or youth work as a career or not, there are so many transferable skills that you can learn working with kids! Plus, they are super cute and fun!

There are so many things that I am proud of about HCA! I can say since I have been with the program since close to the beginning that we constantly strive to grow and adapt to meet the needs and wants of the community! I think what makes us unique is that we are a low-cost volunteer opportunity that offers a very organized and clear program.

We also see our program as mutually beneficial for our volunteers and our students and the community. In fact, I feel like volunteers end up learning more from the experience than anyone else! We are very dedicated to being a community-driven program and have a strengths-based and respectful approach to our presence.

As I said above, I feel that we are successful because we are always looking to improve and better serve the community! We seek out regular feedback from students, parents, teachers, and other community stakeholders. We are a collaborative program who supports and accepts all volunteers, students, and interns to create a dynamic of equality and respect.