Courage

She was the one with the free time necessary to actually do the national average of 4% that make Eagle, 24% of the boys in the
job. troop achieved Eagle during her term, with even more scouts
getting to Eagle afterwards, raising that percentage even more.

This is a portion of the trek Julie has made through her life.

The job of scoutmaster was extremely different from others
and also much more difficult. In this job, she had to teach
others what to do in different outings. While she did have the
skills, she didn’t know how to teach them. New parents joined
the troop with more knowledge of how scouting works. These
parents recommended that Julie should go to Wood Badge, a
training designed to help scoutmasters. After the training, she
learned how to lead the troop and how to delegate some
responsibilities to other people.

This training helped her not only ease the difficulty of leading
the troop, but it also helped her run the troop to not only be an
effective troop but by the end of her time as scoutmaster, she
had improved the troop to a point that was nearly
unprecedented for a troop as young as hers. Compared to the

45

The Hardships of Cancer
By Camille Darland

“The illness that I had changed my life by making me appreciate the life that I have and everyone in it with me.”

Imagine finding a random bump on your neck. What would the cancer cells were destroyed, which lasted 6 months long for
you do? Would you pretend that it wasn’t there and just ignore Richard Darland.
it or would you go to the doctors to find out what it is? This is His second son was a month away from being born. Thus, the
what Richard Darland was contemplating when he found a family needed a lot of help from friends and family to keep
random lump on his neck. Luckily, his wife Brenda made him going on with day-to-day life. Friends from church brought the
go to the doctors to find out what it was. family meals at least three times a week. Their neighbors
watched his firstborn son a lot of the time because Rich and
In the year of 1997, Richard Darland, a 28-year-old man, was Brenda were both not in the condition to take care of a
diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. He found a big lump on his two-year-old boy.
neck and his wife Brenda encouraged him to go get it checked
out by the doctors. He went and had annual check-ups with the I was finally here. The doctor’s office. I would finally know
doctors. He had to do all these different tests and eventually
found out that it was Hodgkin's disease, which makes your
lymph nodes swell, hence the bump on his neck. He
immediately started chemotherapy. Richard’s chemotherapy
destroyed rapidly dividing cancer cells, but it also affects
normal cells, which caused nausea, hair loss, tiredness. During
the first week after his first chemotherapy, he was always
terribly sick, nauseous, and very tired; all he could do was
sleep. He was given drugs to help with the side effects
throughout the process, but they just made him feel even
sicker. The next week he was still tired, but not nauseous
anymore and started to feel better. Then the process repeats
itself. Every two weeks he would have chemotherapy until all

46

what was wrong with me. I would now know what was on
my neck and what was happening to me. I tried inhaling
and exhaling to keep my nerves in check, telling myself that
something couldn’t be wrong, I’m in perfect shape, I have
my second son coming to this world in one month, I don’t
have time to be sick. As the doctor started walking toward
me, I stood up and hastily made my way toward him, one
step in the other. As I reached him I heard the doctor say
“Should I give you the good news or bad news first?” My
mind was whirling. What could the bad news possibly be?
My mind immediately jumped to the worst conclusion, that
I was going to die. Then I answered that I wanted the bad
news first because it was literally killing me not knowing
what he was going to say. He then said that I had stage 2B
of Hodgkin’s disease. As this sunk into my brain, I slowly
sank into a chair wondering what on Earth I was going to
do...

His mom died when he was eight years old from a type of
Lymphoma Sarcoma cancer; he always had a feeling that he
would get cancer too. Since his mom died from cancer and that
was the only experience he had with cancer growing up,
therefore he just assumed that he would die too from cancer.
He found the courage he needed from his friends from church
that continued to pray for him to heal and be able to make a full
recovery. With the continued prayers and help from friends,
Richard was able to see that he would survive this hectic roller
coaster, called life.

Now he is happily 20 years cancer free, continuing to use the
courage throughout his life and has four healthy children.

47

How Can a Decision Change Your Life Forever?
By Angelica de la Fuente

“We stayed without being needed to be here.”

Sandra is from Mexico City, Mexico. When she was growing have her life. She wanted her to go out and have fun and make
up, she didn’t have an easy-going childhood. Her parents friends.
separated when she was just six years old. During the time that
her father wasn’t with them, it was difficult because their mom Sandra started working in a company named Aurrera, where
had to start working. She started working at the supermarket, she didn't feel satisfied with her salary. Because she got so
where she had her own little stand. She was the only child that used to handling her own money, she couldn’t adjust to getting
her mom would take to go to work with. paid every two weeks. It was hard for her to adjust to this new
way of payment and she would even go to the bathroom and
When she worked with her mom, she learned how to manage cry about it. She was also not used to someone giving her
the job. Two years later her dad returned home. Her dad started orders. Sandra couldn't adjust to the job.
working with her mom at the supermarket. Sandra is
considered the second mom of her family, said by her siblings, Then, she went back to selling at the supermarket. With the
because when she was growing up her mom ran the small little money that her mom gave her, she was able to buy goods
family business while she started taking care of her younger to start selling again. In this company where she worked at, she
siblings. But for this, she dropped out of school when she was met her husband. Sandra had her first child at age thirty. When
twelve years old. her husband lost his job he began to sell with her at the
supermarket. Her oldest son was two years old, and her
She decided to leave school because she felt like her siblings daughter was newly born.
needed her more. She took care of her siblings during the week
until she was fifteen years old, and on the weekends she would Her husband then came to the United States to try to find more
work at the supermarket with her mom. Later on, her mom opportunities. He left her with her children in Mexico. She
decided to put her in charge of their family business until she continued to sell in the supermarket. When her husband had
was twenty-five. While she was in charge of the job she had to been in the United States for three years, he called her and told
pay all the bills around the house. You could say she was like a her that they’ve offered him residence. However, during that
second father almost. When she turned twenty-seven, her mom time they wouldn’t be able to leave the United States.
sold the family business and told her that she wanted her to

48

He decided to bring them over to America. Sandra decided to
come to the U.S. so her kids could be with both of their
parents, so it wouldn’t be like her childhood when her father
wasn’t around.

The last time she had to bring her husband to the airport, her
kids tore into tears, seeing their dad leave. Her daughter, seeing
her brother cry, also tore into tears. Her son yelled at his dad
and Sandra pulled him away so her husband could board the
plane. It was hard for her to deal with.

When I crossed the border, I had to give my kids to people
I’ve never met before. I even said, “No. If they don’t cross
with me I’m not crossing.” They told me that my kids
needed to cross with someone else like they were theirs.
Otherwise, they couldn’t cross. I was saying to myself,
“What if they rob my kids, what if I never see them again?”
Those were hours of pain and anxiety. I was crazy.

Her husband was the one that took them to the border. He told
her to let the children cross already. He obligated for her to do
it. Everything was so fast, so stressful, that there wasn’t even
time to think about it. It was a now-or-never situation. Once
she crossed the border, she reunited with her family once she
got to the hotel they were waiting at. That is her definition of
courage. She demonstrated courage in every aspect of her
sacrifice for her family.

“Courage is to know what you want, to know what you love,
and that you fight for it.”

49

Miss Sousa’s Mother
By Sejla Deronjic

“I definitely think that the empathy and ability to understand other people and their situations is important
because if you can’t be understandable to others you can never make a change.”

Miss Sousa’s mother has shown courage by coping with young and having to take care of somebody who is sick. I've
disease after disease. Her mother has always been there for her had to step into the big-girl shoes a little earlier in life.”
kids, family, and anyone else that needed someone to talk to
and take care of them. Miss Sousa’s mother shows courage Miss Sousa has shown an enormous amount of courage
because she is always getting up out of bed every morning and towards her mother. Miss Sousa's mom shows courage by
trying to do something good in the day. Miss Sousa had to put always helping people. She once cooked food for her neighbors
on the ‘big-girl pants’, take care of her mother, and be grown to for a week while in her wheelchair because she broke her hip
do what was needed for her mom. Miss Sousa shows that you and ankle. She felt bad for the neighbors because they were
can show an act of courage without even knowing it. going through something, so she did what she could to help
them. Miss Sousa and her mom both showed courage because
they both tried to make each other happy and care for each
other.

“I think when you care for someone and love that person,
you wanna do everything you can to make sure that they
are thriving and being the best that they can.”

“Going back to my mom again, growing up with a parent Miss Sousa had such a hard life because she had to grow up
who is really sick is really challenging, especially being so fast and step-up to take care of her mom. She was a student,
and she was a kid, and just wanted to be a child and have fun.
Instead, she had to step-up because no one else would. Miss
Sousa’s mother had been struggling with this illness for years
now, and it had been really hard on her. Miss Sousa knew her
mom needed her so she made it easier for herself so she could

50

help her mom but also help herself. She was still going to
college. Miss Sousa was overwhelmed with pressure because
of all the work she had and on top of that, having to take care
of her mom. Miss Sousa’s mom was getting diagnosed with
different things all the time and she still stayed strong. Her
mom went through all the chemo she could. Then, she broke
her hip and later her ankle on the same leg. Yet she still stayed
strong and still made sure her kids and friends were happy. Her
mom went through this cycle almost her whole life. Now, Miss
Sousa’s mom is going through this still.

What Miss Sousa has learned from her mother is that you don’t
always put yourself first and you can help by doing just the
little things.

51

A Strong, Independent Woman
By Devon Friedman

“I don’t owe anybody anything.”

Jennifer Friedman was born on August 22nd, 1979. She had that aren’t in their control. The Schwindt family certainly was
four other siblings. Right off the bat, life had never been easy not poor, but they weren’t as well off as others either.
for her. Her real mom had given her and her siblings up to her
dad, so he took them and raised them with his wife Carolyn. “It had become so bad that at the time. Keds were the
Even though she wasn’t their biological mother she raised all shoes to have. My dad was very stingy with his money and
of them since age four and was (and still is) considered their if he could save a dollar, he would, even at the crippling
mom. expense of me getting bullied, torn apart, and routinely
coming home in shambles. Crying softly into my mother’s
Jennifer was raised in many places on the West Coast including shoulder for the sole purpose that I was so tired of the
California, deep Oregon, and Washington. She grew up in a bullying. School was ruthless and others didn’t care how
German and Native American house and being the youngest of your home life was or what you were going through. If they
four, life wasn’t exactly luxurious all the time. Of course, her saw even the slightest window of opportunity to get at you,
parents did everything they could do for her and made sure she they would strike like a bullet. As fast as they could to get
had the best they could give her, but being the youngest took their shots in, and those shots stung me not physically but
its toll at moments. emotionally. I had blisters on my feet from my bad shoes,
slow tears rolling off my face like they refused to leave,
Life was good yet challenging. It forced her to grow up fast clinging to my skin and gripping with whatever strength a
and be more mature than other children her age are used to teardrop has bound inside of it, as I knelt in my room
being. She moved into many different places across the re-gluing the Ked sticker onto my shoes. Only a futile
Washington area, staying around Battle Ground and Hazel attempt at lessening the blow, but it meant one less thing
Dell, growing up with a family who supported her. She was they could strike me down with.”
extremely smart and moved up a grade, but because of this, she
was always the youngest person in her class. It made her feel She had been given the opportunity to stop becoming a
underappreciated and she was made fun of for not having the vegetarian at age thirteen and that’s when the phase of working
best clothes. To anyone, it hurts to get made fun of for things out kicked in. She promised she would work out for herself,
not to impress anyone else. She was strong and realized that

52

sometimes ignorance is bliss. The previous bullets that were wasn’t a difficult change. This was where she met her first
made, formed in the rude words slung at her, bounced off. She love, Jeff Kuykendall. Jeff was a varsity soccer player since
was no longer affected by these meaningless comments. It freshman year. They ended up going strong until senior year
meant nothing to her. Her mother realized that she was when they split ways. During their time of joy, Jeff was Jen’s
maturing and was becoming scarily independent, and this escape from the harsh reality of home. Her mom ended up
independence is what helped more than anything later in life. kicking her out at age 17 due to a heavy falling out. All Jen had
to her name was some money and a beaten old car that barely
At age sixteen, Jennifer felt like everything was going to be ran. A job was in need, so that’s what she got. Then, a series of
okay. Life was good, she was working out every day, eating unfortunate events caused a downhill spiral. She went to
well, and school life was splendid. This was the year college to get a degree in massage therapy, but couldn’t get that
everything got flipped upside down. started up. At age 21, she got a job bartending and met Michael
Friedman. It was late and he had come in with some friends
One day while she was coming home, she saw a moving truck and he noticed Jen working, asked for a drink, and proceeded
in the driveway. She was confused and terrified because she to get friendly with her. He ended up liking her so much he got
didn’t know what was happening. Rushing as fast as she could a job at that same bar for the sole purpose of getting closer to
to the house, her mom breaking down sobbing, and her dad her (in which he was too distracted by her and was fired not too
with a defeated look on his face, melancholy was an long after). By that time Jennifer had grown affectionate
understatement. Her older brother Allan said dad had an affair towards him as well. Not only did they like each other now, but
with another woman. Jen couldn’t believe this. They had been they increasingly grew fonder of each other. At age 22,
so peaceful these past few years. No one saw it coming. She Jennifer and Michael got married. They had a baby a year later.
never knew how anyone found out but everyone split ways. Devon Friedman, their first born, received a warm welcome
The oldest, Kourtney, leaving to live on her own, with Allan into the world at exactly 12:01 A.M, two weeks later than
following suit. That left Angie and her. Her dad, Larry had expected, on Halloween night, on a beautiful blue moon. They
moved out within a week to the woman’s house he had an moved into an apartment, unaware of the sacrifices they were
affair with. They eventually ended up going strong for years about to make for this one child. In 2004, their second child,
until that very woman who had been with Larry cheat with Chase Friedman was born on July 23rd, at 4:09 A.M. In 2006,
ended up cheating on him. Everyone felt this was a very valid when Chase was at the innocent and unaware age of two,
example of karma. With Carolyn being a nurse and Larry a Jennifer and Mike felt that the spark they previously had died
respiratory therapist, there was now no shortage of money. out, like a dull candle. It was best if they weren’t with each
other and decided to split ways, filing for divorce. At this time,
At age sixteen, she ended up enrolling at Fort Vancouver High Devon and Chase were too confused to know and too young to
School. Most of her friends were at that school now so it care. He had moved into an apartment. Jennifer, being the

53

strong independent woman she was, became a personal trainer So one might ask, what is the meaning of courage? Courage is
at 24 Hour Fitness. She bought a duplex and her and Mike not a meaning, but rather a person, courage is The Wright
agreed to have split custody of the kids, one week at each Brothers, courage is Neil Armstrong, and Jennifer Friedman is
house. Jen started seeing Anthony Bateman. He was a personal right up there with them.
trainer with an interesting backstory, and before long she
became invested with him, she became intrigued and they
started dating. Anthony noticed the situation she was in and
moved her into his house in Portland. This caused great relief
and great stress at the same time. Over the course of those
years, they had made that house into a dream, and in 2010, she
had her last child on April 16th. Vincent Bateman was put onto
this Earth. A significant event such as a third child really put
life into perspective for her. She had to be courageous, and
showing that courage came in quitting her jobs to become a
stay-at-home mom to take care of her three kids, who she cares
about the most in this world, and put trust in Anthony that he’ll
make enough money to keep them afloat. A couple years down
the road, relationship life started to roll downhill. She split
ways with Anthony and in another act of courage, moved out
on her own into an apartment. She showed the world she
doesn’t need to rely on a man and she is powerful and strong
on her own. She got a job and paid for everything herself and
stayed upright throughout the whole situation until Anthony
came to the conclusion he couldn’t live without her. They got
back together and life became even better. She was courageous
enough to recently stop drinking and work towards quitting
smoking. That’s no small feat at all. It takes willpower and
guts. She has truly come out on top after every life experience
and in a sense, Jennifer Friedman IS the meaning of courage.
Everything she does and all she gets put through, positivity
reigns throughout.

54

Unspoken Memories
By Samantha Graves

“I loved it all, I helped people who were helpless.”

Paul Clark enlisted in the military when he was 19. He was crash. I went around looking for anyone that may have
selected to serve in the army based on his test scores and survived, but all I saw were bloody body parts. I came
abilities at the time. He was stationed in Vietnam, in the jungle, across a letter from a troops girlfriend, and I read it. ‘It
and had to witness horrible sights. He, now 70, finally sat down said she was afraid that he might die in his last couple
and talks about his life in the United States military. weeks.’”

“It was cold, wet, and the food was gross,” answered Paul.
Basic training is two months long, for November and
December. Trainees are taught how to shoot and march so they
can excel in their selected branch.

“They burnt the villages down.” The first assignment the troops
had received was to go search for villages, and later after the
interview talking with Paul Clark, he revealed this was very
hard for him because of the children present. “S​ eeing children
with missing legs, missing arms. The children were what really
got to me.”

“I was 4 miles from Vietnam, in the middle of the jungle.
Planes would come in and land anywhere they could, so
they can take people home back to their families in the US.
A plane had landed on a muddy trail. ‘I wished to be on
that plane to go home’, I thought. Now that the plane had
just taken off, a helicopter had appeared. It was full of
Vietnamese soldiers, and they crashed Into the bottom of
the plane. Everyone died. I was the only person alive at the

55

boys would all gather around, and keep in mind they drank
some beers beforehand, and they would play a game. This
would be the game of a fart lighting contest. They would hold
up a match to a man’s bum and then fart. After everyone went,
they would declare a winner.

“Not all were nice, but most were respectful.” ​While stationed, “I started taking pictures in Vietnam,” Paul later said. Paul
Paul had met many new people from nearby villages. He talked Clark has taken several photos of his experience in Vietnam,
about how the children were, saying that the “kids were caring, and ‘hasn’t stopped since.’ Taking pictures is a way to capture
they teased and begged for candy and followed you around.” ones past, and share it with the people in the future.
He also spoke about how most adults are respectful, as well as
the new people that were also serving in the military. “I made Courage can be presented in several ways, whether it’s
friends to a point. Everyone has a story so we would all listen conquering a fear or starting a conversation with a new person.
to each other.” In Paul Clark's case, he showed courage through being in the
US army. The definition of this word can also vary from person
“We would do a fart lighting contest,” said Paul. It would be to person. “Doing the right things at all times.” This is Paul’s
pitch black and they needed something to do to past time. The definition. He may not think he showed courage, but others do.

56

Willy Vanilly
By Matthew​ Ha

“I think [the world] needs more kindness actually. But courage, like I said, the world is full of judgy people and
there are people out there that need to stand up for others, so yes, we need a lot more courage.”

Willy was born in Vancouver, Washington, and has lived there that isn’t nice, he always makes sure that he corrects him and
for all his life. Even as a child, he never backed down from tells him, “Don’t say that about them.”
anything, not even those who were older and bigger than him.
Willy always has this sense of righteousness that always affects
how he acts. If anyone does anything wrong, he isn’t afraid to
call them out for it. “Every day at school, I always just try to
not make people feel different. A lot of people can judge others
really easily and some people got to stand up for others who
can’t,” he said when asked if he had ever done anything
courageous.

As a child and up until now, he was always the first to do “Hey look at that girl over there, she’s so annoying and fat.
things, the first to talk to new people, the first to make friends, I can’t believe anyone would want to be friends with her,”
the first to start games, and the first on the roller coaster. He said my friend. Everyone at my table laughed, except for
was the one who recommended in middle school that we me and Chris. We both looked at each other and shook our
should take a martial arts class, and we did. He always had this heads, disappointed.
sense of confidence around him, like he knew exactly what to
do. This level of confidence is what allows him to stand up for
others around him.

Even with his own friends, he isn’t afraid to tell them that what
they’re doing is wrong. He mentions that one of his friends
always judges people based on their looks and that it wasn’t
okay. Now, he says that every time his friend says anything

57

“He can’t say things like that,” I thought. But we stayed Willy was never afraid to go out of his comfort zone, take
quiet. That was the first time. We had been friends with risks, and do things that few others would. For example, he ran
Carl for a long time so we let that comment go, but deep for the president of Key Club in his first year of joining. Most
down I wanted nothing more than to yell at him to shut up people, including myself, didn’t think he’d be able to do it and
and tell him to not make fun of people. “Don’t say that, it’s win. But he did, he threw himself into it and was voted
rude, they have feelings too you know!” I wanted to president.
scream. It was the second time he did it that I snapped.
My brother has always been a role model to me. To me, he was
“Dude, you see that guy over there?” Carl said, pointing to always the courageous one out of the two of us, never afraid of
a tall sophomore in a black hoodie sitting at one of the anything, and I’ve always wanted to be like that.
tables alone. I recognized him, he was in one of my classes.
“He’s so annoying, he always tries to talk to kids in my
English class but no one even likes him.” That was it, I
didn’t want to hear it and decided that I needed to stop this
before he got too comfortable and started making fun of
people every day.

“Hey stop! Don’t say that about people, maybe he’s just
trying to make friends,” I said.

“Hey, I was just saying. It’s not like it isn’t true,” Carl
muttered.

“Well that doesn’t matter, you can’t just say that about
people, just like yesterday when you called that girl fat.
That’s not okay. You shouldn’t say that about people,” I
replied. Everyone else around me started to agree.

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop. Sorry,” Carl said with a shameful
look on his face.

58

The Life of Mo Paz
By Aidan Hoyt

“Wow, this is the craziest thing I have ever done in my life.”

Mo Paz lived in Yakima Valley as a child. His family did courage and even to this day, he is faced with things that are
countless amounts of agricultural work. He picked many going to make him a better person and problem-solver.
strawberries, apples, and many vegetables. Mo Paz was born in
1975. Mo has had multiple difficult moments in his lifetime. A daring process Mo has done in his life was when he had to
One of the most difficult ones for him was when he moved out move to another state. His wife at the time wanted to move to
of state. It was so hard for him because his ex-wife really Oregon very badly, but they didn’t know anyone there. Mo’s
wanted to get a new start and just start fresh, but he was really language that he used the most was Spanish and in Oregon,
hesitant about it. He was going to be in a place where he knew everybody wanted to speak English, so that was going to be
no one and where there were practically only whites. No other
Mexicans. He was forced to only speak English. When at his
old home, he only spoke Spanish to his friends and family. Mo
had many amazing and great influences in his life. The two
major influences in his life were his best friend Paris and his
manager, Gary. Paris has been with Mo through thick and thin.
They have known each other for an eternity; they also had the
same company and moved and lived together in Las Vegas. Mo
and Paris always worked together and Paris was always there
for Mo, supplying great advice for him. Gary was Mo’s
manager in Las Vegas. Gary was a very patient man and taught
every man that he has some amazing skills. Gary won number
one salesman for six years in a row, and even though Gary was
fifteen years older than Mo, they stayed best friends for a long
time and they’re still great friends to this day.

Mo is a very courageous person. Throughout his entire life
there have been many crazy things that have taken a lot of

59

very hard for him. Mo had a timeline of one month to get a but he really didn’t want to move because he was all settled in
new job. Luckily, he found a new job at ‘RedBuilt’ in just three Oregon. However, it was such a good offer that he could not
days. refuse it. He was going to have to move. Moving was going to
be a very difficult thing for Mo since he knew that he was
After adjusting to his new home, he tried moving back to going to have to try and convince his wife and two little kids.
where they came from, but every single time he wanted to Marcos, his son, was five at the time and Cindy, his daughter,
move back he would get a bonus or he would rank up. It got to was nine years old. Marcos was probably the easiest one to
the point where he finally realized that God did not want him to convince and Cindy was the hardest.
move because this was his new home. He got to the point
where he threw his hands in the air and told God that he knew “Cindy, I have some good news and some bad news. What
this was home. one would you like first?”

“I want the good news first,” Cindy said.

“Okay, well we’re going to be moving to a way better
house and a hotter place where there isn't just rain like it is
over here.”

“What’s the bad news going to be?” Cindy said.

“Well, we’re going to have to move pretty quick here and
that means you’re going to have to leave all of your
friends.”

“NO! Dad, I do not want to leave all of my friends! I love
them and love it here.” Cindy said.

The most courageous thing Mo has done in his life was when “Well I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to move, I'll tell
he moved to Las Vegas after he got a job promotion in there, you what… Your mom and I will fly you out once every
single month so you can still stay in touch and see all your
60 friends. Does that sound like a plan?”

“Ugh, okay dad as long as I can still see all of my friends Mo sadly ended up getting a divorce so he ended up moving
when I want to,” Cindy said. away from his ex and his kids and moved all the way to
California. A couple years went by and he got paid more and
“Okay.” more money and then ended up meeting my mom, Christina
Paz. They got along very well and now are married.
Imagine having to leave in a split second and then having to
tell your kids that they have to move and that they will be far Mo has done multiple courageous things throughout his
away from their friends. The next person to tell was Marcos. lifetime. He is the type of person to try new things, to take
risks, and to try and become a better person himself.
“Marcos, I’m just going to have to break it to you.”
Mo is my step-dad and now lives in Camas, Washington and is
“Break what to me?” he asked. living his best life. To this day he is doing remarkable things
that make him a better person and makes the people around
“Well, we’re moving to Vegas because I got a new job offer him feel special, and still doing very courageous things
there and it is an offer I cannot resist. This means you’re whenever he has the opportunity to.
going to be leaving your friends and have to go make new
ones over in Vegas.”

“Okay, can I still see them?”

“Yes, we will be flying your sister out once a month back
up here so she can see all of her friends, so you could
probably go too.”

“Okay, as long as I get to see my friends.”

“Wow, this is the craziest thing I have ever done in my
life.”

Now everything in Mo’s life changed from this point because
he was going to start a new job at a totally different place, and
he did not know anyone whatsoever. This took courage.

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Humanitarian Work in Third World Countries
By Rashad Kabir

“But you know, the positive part is that that we are making a difference. And I feel that that is important. So
that’s the part that keeps me going.”

Infant mortality and maternal death are prominent issues describes it, working in health “without actually being a
worldwide. The infant mortality rate of Bangladesh in 2016 doctor.” He started to look into the humanitarian side of things,
was 28 deaths per 1,000 live births. In the US, there are only 6 hoping he could improve the quality of people’s lives someday.
deaths per 1,000 births. The shocking disparity of these It was then when he came across the organization called Save
numbers shows the need for education and resources for the Children. Save the Children is an international organization
women in these countries. The lack of knowledge pertaining to that aims to provide a “voice for vulnerable children” across
safe pregnancy and delivery practices, unsanitary conditions in the globe. He traveled much of South Asia, working with
hospitals, and the lack of access to proper medication all children in places affected by terrorism, poverty, and disasters.
contribute to the growing problem that many women face. In Mr. Mannan explains that he “really enjoys” working in these
Bangladesh, almost a quarter of the population lives in poverty. places because of the direct improvement he gets to see in the
It is also one of the most populated countries in the world and lives of the people he touches. He describes that his goal is to
paired with poor infrastructure and an unresponsive “make a difference in people’s lives where we’ve worked with
government many impoverished people don’t have access to communities or where the health has improved, and that it
basic healthcare. continues improving.” He explains that it helps him sleep at
night, knowing that somewhere in the world people are better
Growing up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Mr. Mannan saw firsthand off because of him.
how there was a desperate need for change. From the start, he
always knew he wanted to make a difference in his community. During his work with Save the Children, Mr. Mannan has
However, his passion for charity and humanitarian work was touched the lives of thousands of people. His work has
not easily found. In his high school and university years, he improved living conditions in areas affected by terrorism,
dabbled in a plethora of different subjects such as chemistry, natural disaster, and extreme poverty. He feels like the work is
economics, and geography. His childhood dream was to be a beyond fulfilling. However, it is far from easy. He faces
filmmaker. It was during his years in college where he extremely difficult decisions every day. He deals “with
discovered that he was interested in the medical field, or as he

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newborns who are typically 3 days old, 1-3 days old, and if against women. They have left many women without hopes of
they are given any kind of wrong treatment, they’ll die.” proper healthcare and adequate care for their children. In a
Sometimes, babies will die because the areas he’s working in cultural climate where women and women’s health are
don’t have the necessary resources to provide adequate care. commonly overlooked issues, neonatal and maternal care are of
He describes that it’s very difficult for him not to feel in some utmost importance. In early 2018, he joined an organization
way responsible. Another reason why it’s difficult to work in called Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in
his line of work is that some of the areas he’s deployed to are Gynecology and Obstetrics, also known as Jhpiego. He was
so ridden with poverty, terrorism, and disease that he has to sent to work in Kabul, Afghanistan, a city controlled by
“pick [his] battles… sometimes even if you have the right Taliban. Working in that area is far from safe because of
intention it is very difficult to get things done, either because frequent acts of terrorism. People have been killed by Taliban
you don’t have the budget or you don’t have the opportunities for helping aid the community there. Since he works for the US
to address those gaps.” However, even with the immense Government, many people carry animosity towards him due to
responsibility on his shoulders, he says he wouldn’t change a the airstrikes and bombings the US organizes that kill innocent
thing. people. Even so, Mr. Mannan does not see Taliban as people he
should not help in any way. He realizes that he’s not only there
to save the ‘good people.’ He’s there to try to help anyone,
good or bad, because he believes the best weapon against
radicalization and terrorism is kindness. He believes that
bombings and airstrikes do more harm than good for the
population, because if more innocent people are killed, more
people become radicalized because they see the US as an
enemy.

The rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan has left its population The quiet peace of the morning is interrupted by the sound
terrorized and in fear. The Taliban are known for their violence of a bomb in the distance. Many don’t think twice - these
occurrences have become an everyday thing. The Taliban
63 have been in control of Kabul for decades. People are
paralyzed with fear. The fear controls every aspect of their
life. Women are afraid to leave their homes in fears of
getting beaten. Children are robbed of their childhoods.
People are dying without a second thought from the rest of
the world. But hope still prevails.

To go to work, Mr. Mannan has to ride in a bulletproof
convoy. Only last March, 33 people had died in a suicide
bombing attack. He aids women in areas affected most by
the terrorism. Their world is one of death and despair. As a
worker of the American government, sometimes he is met
with skepticism and distrust by the Afghan women.

He helps them get proper healthcare. He helps establish
hospitals in the area that are equipped with the proper
supplies. His work helps the extreme rates of infant and
maternal death to decrease. He focuses on the health and
wellbeing of women in an area where women’s rights are
overlooked.

His only and ultimate goal is to make a difference.

The most important thing to Mr. Mannan is to make a
difference in people’s lives, big or small. He hopes that the
areas he’s worked in continue to improve. He aims to provide a
voice for minorities, women, and children through his work.
Even through the difficulties and dangers of his work, he says
that it is all worth it. He displays his courage and strength
every day. His courage is revealed through how he carries
himself with dignity and respect for people he has never met,
showing them unrelenting kindness. He sacrifices safety and
time away from his home to better other people’s lives. He is a
prime example of showing everyday courage.

64

A Broken Heart
By Claire Kelso

“I was really scared that I was going to have to have heart surgery - because whenever you have an enlarged
aorta, that's what can lead to a heart attack.”

Kevin Jones is an ordinary college student who lives in were made based on his own inexperienced judgment as well.
Vancouver, Washington. He has lived there for the majority of Because of this, he had trouble in school due to the fact that he
his life and he grew up without a mother in a risky was distracted and unmotivated. While interviewing him,
neighborhood. Kevin was forced to learn the hard way how to Kevin made a claim that he almost dropped out of school and
take care of his twin sister and himself, while his father was quit soccer because he was not able to get the support he
working to provide them with a steady meal. When it seemed needed.
as though he could not have been dealt a more strenuous hand,
his life was impacted in a way that he would never have
expected.

As he was growing up, Kevin always had a smile on his face.
He was cheerful and very active. He was born and raised for
the first year of his life in California with his mother. After
turning one, he moved to Vancouver with his father, Andrew
Jones, and twin sister, Kelsey Jones.

Kevin’s childhood certainly was not the easiest. He grew up in
a neighborhood where there have been three deaths - one that
he has witnessed. There have been multiple gang fights and
even a hostage situation between a man, his wife, and their
children.

Since Kevin grew up without a mom, he was unable to learn
things that only a mother can teach you. Most of his decisions

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Lucky for him, when his family saw his grades slipping, they For the first day of tryouts, Kevin had to sit out due to the fact
invested in workbooks so that he would be caught up for the that he had not gotten his sports physical renewed in time.
next year of school. Therefore he was a liability to the coaches had anything
Kevin has always had a passion for soccer. Since he was seven happened to him.
years old he has been playing soccer on a recreational team. After running tests following his physical, his doctors learned
Through soccer, he has made lifelong friends and memories. that he had an enlarged aorta. Because of this, his heart has to
He has won the Washington State Cup three times with his work harder in order to provide his body with a sufficient
team, he has played on his high school's varsity soccer team amount of oxygen.
two years in a row, and he has had multiple college scouts
request that he visit their campus. “I swung myself into the car, tired from school, ready for a
snack, and made myself comfortable. As I looked at my
Until his freshman year (2013-2014) he was able to play soccer father I saw the mournful expression take over his face as
with ease. we locked eyes. Time slipped away from my grip. He said,
“Kevin. Do you want to know the good news or the bad
news?” I had been engulfed by the melancholy undertone
of this conversation by now. A million thoughts ran through
my head; Is grandma okay? Is grandpa okay? Is Kelsey
okay? Am I okay? Who is hurt? He continued with, “We
have insurance, so if anything happens…” I quit listening. I
heard “enlarged aorta” and “you can’t play soccer.”
Confusion hit me like a bullet train. I was way too healthy
and athletic to have a heart condition. Tears began to roll
down my cheeks, onto my shirt.

The same shirt that I was playing soccer in just two minutes
ago.”

To put it simply, imagine if you had 1,000,000 heartbeats in
your lifetime. Kevin’s heart has to pump blood quickly in order
to reach around his entire body, so he will run out of heartbeats
quicker than the average person.

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Kevin did not think he would ever be able to play soccer again. give me reasons as to why I should play in the last game of
The odds did not seem to be in his favor, and he felt utterly the season, but I am unable to focus on the words coming
helpless. Soccer had been his passion since he first kicked a from his mouth. My mind begins to spin again, and I can
soccer ball when he was just seven years old, and he was only come up with reasons why I should not accept his
having trouble seeing his future without soccer being included. offer. Before I can give him a logical answer, I take a deep
breath that fills every inch of my lungs to their greatest
Although he had little hope, he continued to go to his capacity and say, ‘Thank you, coach. I can’t wait.’”
appointments every month where his doctor would monitor his
heart. With every appointment he attended, he was one step Kevin’s coach gave him a chance to play in the last game of
closer to being able to play soccer with his team. the season which was against Mountain View High School.
This opportunity was potentially the difference between
During his sophomore year, he continued to sit on the sidelines pursuing his passion and giving it up completely.
during practice and games, and he occasionally practiced with
his junior varsity team. Although he didn’t participate in Finally, during his junior year of soccer, he was cleared to play
games, it still took courage for him to sit back and watch his with his team - for the entire season. This year he made sure
teammates fulfill his dream. Those small doses of running and that he was able to play soccer, and he was cleared by his
practicing were the fuel to his fire, which was his passion for doctor six months prior to their first game.
soccer.
Throughout his life, Kevin has had a plethora of
“I’m sitting in the stands, watching the ball being passed ‘fight-or-flight’ responses. He includes these responses in his
between two of my teammates. I watch in envy as if I am definition of courage, which is “doing things that you never
simply a fan, when I should be out there with them. I notice thought you’d be able to do and stepping outside of your
Coach Bryan is walking in my direction and I expect some comfort zone.” Had he not listened to his heart and taken that
sort of pity speech, like ‘you’ll be out there in no time’ or leap of faith which was outside of his comfort zone, he may
‘the team isn’t the same without you.’ My eyes are fixed on have turned out to be a completely different man.
the ball as he approaches. I lower my head in an attempt to
hide and act as if I don’t feel his presence. Unfortunately, a Today, Kevin Jones continues to play with his same
gust of dust forces me to look in his direction. As he sits, his recreational team and demonstrate courage, on and off of the
eyes peer into mine. I can tell that I’m not going to receive field. He has had minimal heart issues since his freshman year,
a pity speech, for there is no pity lingering in his presence. and he plans to play for his college’s soccer team in the fall of
He tells me, ‘We want you back on the team’ as if it is the 2018.
most simplistic request he has ever made. He continues to

67

Despite all of the challenges that Kevin has faced, he has
always turned the situation around. He is a bright, courageous,
active, and determined young man, and these qualities will and
have gotten him far in his life.

68

TJ from Starbucks
By Hanna Le

“Is courage always a headline waiting to be discovered?”

Toby Jeffrey, who is an AP US history teacher and who has been Toby Jeffrey is very passionate and always rebounding to the
my basketball coach for the past two years at Union High School, middle. When he was at Starbucks asking his wife on their first
moved to Vancouver, Washington in 2001, where he is currently date, he was scared. Usually, when he’s afraid, he sits down and
residing. In grade school, he was very curious and sociable. He stresses out but instead, he went into the bathroom to talk himself
was the teacher’s “worst student, but favorite student at the same up and when he came out of the bathroom, she was gone. He didn’t
time,” because he was a hard-working student but at the same time, see her again for a couple weeks, and when he saw her the next
he drove his teachers nuts for being so sociable. In junior high and time, all the same emotions arose. He got scared.
high school, he got a little bit lazy, which is a trend that most
students acquire during those years. He has an older sister, who No. You can’t let it slip away again. She was with her mom.
was three years older than him, that was very smart and did Do I really want to ask a girl out when she’s sitting right next
everything for him. He started to realize that he didn’t have to to her mom? I​ ’m not going to go wait two weeks again. What
work as hard, so therefore he didn’t, but when he got to college, if I don’t see her again? You’re going to miss your chance.
that changed. No.​ I went up and started talking to her. Y​ ou’ve got this. Just
ask her and that’s it. I don’t remember what we talked about.
In my mind, the voice was saying “Ask her out, Ask her out,
Ask her out.” W​ hat if she doesn’t say yes? I won’t know if I
don’t ask. I need to take this chance before she leaves again​.
After thinking about what could go wrong, I asked. I asked her
out. I was instantly relieved. I got her number and now we are
married.

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Courage affects all of our lives and without courage, there would
be no change. Toby is his own worst critic, and he had trouble
noticing when he was courageous because he has a high standard
of what courage is. He kept thinking in his head about when he
was courageous, but he constantly caught himself thinking ‘that is
not courageous.’ “Courage is going above and beyond what you
think you are capable of,” he said. He thought about the
courageous things that others have done in history and thinks that
his life isn’t ultimately that significant. He hasn’t done something
extremely courageous that puts his life on the line but has seen
others showing everyday courage. The examples he’s seen has
motivated him to remember that we all have to stick our neck out a
couple of times here and there or we’ll lose the opportunity, even if
it is something small. Be courageous or don’t be courageous,
everyone has to judge for themselves, but sometimes you just have
to jump out of your comfort zone and do it. Courage doesn’t have
to be big acts.

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The Long Journey
By Logan Luangrath

“Dad-isms: One, don’t waste time. Two, don’t owe money. Three, my mom taught me how to be kind to everyone
and that you have to have a good heart. Four, my friends always told me to be open.”

In 1980, Teme Luangrath knew that he soon had to depart ways Teme didn’t have the childhood he wanted. He had to grow up
from his home country, Laos. His family had gone to a refugee at an early age and had to teach himself things with little help
camp in Thailand with tons of his siblings that were sad, during his movement at that time.
fatigued, mad, and lost. They would go to the U.S. for a better
life without their parents who they had to leave during the war. “I’ve learned many lessons since along the way. A
This is how Teme started ‘The Long Journey.’ Teme was just a phrase my dad said was ‘You don’t waste time and
young boy that came at the age of eight with his brothers, don’t owe money.’ My mom taught me how to be
sisters, and aunts to have a fresh start in America. “Relocating kind to everyone and that you have to have a good
to the U.S. has changed me because it has helped me set my heart. My friends told me to be open!” Teme
priorities. Priorities are first, and family is first, kids are first wanted to make sure that later, in the future, he
always before me. You have to prioritize your list of what remembers this because these were all important
needs to be done.” lessons at the time he was growing up. Can you
imagine if you had to be taken away from your
loved ones? You would probably think that you
would never see them again. What would you do?

It really means a lot for Teme that he gets to share his
immigration story to his son. For him, to be open and share his
background and what raised him to be the kind of father that he
is today means a lot. He keeps telling himself that he can do
better.

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He really had a tough beginning in life, but he knows in his
mind that he is happy with where he is with his family and
friends. He continues through it step-by-step with his pack.

Teme had a memory in his head. His eyes opened, then closed,
and he knew that he had to go to a flashback of what happened,
the depressing moment of leaving, the thoughts running over
and over again.

“Leaving my family at a very young age, I grew up with
cousins, but I miss my parents a lot. I had to learn the
atmosphere and language by myself. Then I met your mom
when she came here in the early 90’s.” The tone of his voice
when he was responding was very serious, and his story is
something that all kids and teens, should really take into
account because they are lucky. Some don’t even realize what
background they could have had. The lives that many kids are
living in this country are a blessing. To have shelter, to have
food, to have water, to even have electricity, are all blessings.
All their hard work comes from where they came from and
how they ended up here.

What Teme has done so far is have resilience. Teme Luangrath
has been to so many places to get here, and the courage that he
brought over to spread is still growing.

This story is one that will last forever. He is just a kid from
Vientiane, Laos, making the best out of it in the U.S. and these
obstacles that he’s gone through will never take away from
where he started.

72

Why Not?
By Tess Majerus

“What’s stopping you?”

Megan Calhoun is a sophomore at Union High School who and games between friends to eating while standing around in a
lives in Vancouver, Washington, but also spent some of her circle and talking. Friendships and other social expectations
childhood just outside of Vancouver, Canada. She has had completely changed and popularity became important. “There
experience with badminton, enjoys reading, and spends time was such a need to have a new friend group and change
drawing. She is an only child but has had the company of many yourself to be popular. You ditched your old friends and people
fish over the years. you knew from elementary school,” she observed about those
around her. Friends moved on and Megan was in a new
Megan described herself as an energetic kid, reminiscing, “On environment with many unknowns.
the last day of kindergarten I got put in timeout like ten times
because I would not stop running around.” In kindergarten,
Megan attended Heritage Mountain Elementary in Port Moody,
Canada. Upon moving to Vancouver, Washington, she attended
Burton Elementary. Recess was an anticipated time for her, and
she fondly remembers many things from those days, including
her second-grade teacher, Ms. Flags, who brought her cat,
Nadia, to school. Megan’s family then moved over spring
break of second grade, landing them in a new neighborhood
just down the road from their old house, but in new school
boundaries. She then attended Harmony Elementary for the rest
of second grade through fifth grade and made friends quickly
when people made an effort to get to know her.

However, the transition to middle school was hard for Megan,
and the changes were very stark to her, despite being no more
than fifty feet from Harmony. Lunchtime went from freedom

73

This new place brought Megan culture shock from being I was kinda just there.” A visual change came as well, as
around people with different morals from her own. She recalls Megan chose to wear solid colored shirts, which she used as
a table group in her sixth-grade science class that first exposed armor against the insults found in a middle school. “No one
her to rude people in the world, taking her innocence away. could say anything about me, what my interests were [because]
While Megan was an intelligent student dedicated to learning, it was just solid colored shirts.”
those at her table struggled with school and had been
introduced to mature material earlier in life. “I got harassed a When high school finally came, Megan found a much more
lot. They straight up asked me if I wanted to have sex under the welcoming environment with the rest of her classmates. She
table,” recalled Megan. This harassment continued for the described how more of the popular people she began to
several months that she sat there. She was miserable with the encounter at Union were amiable rather than vicious. She
people she was around but felt that she couldn’t do anything explained the new mindset she found in the students at Union,
without being labeled as a tattletale by her peers. saying, “No one really cares about you if you're rude, they're
just like, ‘I don't have time for you, I'm going to cut you out
The rest of the table group was filled with raucous [because] you're toxic.’”
laughter, and the room was filled to the brim with noise.
Curses and jibes were hurled across the table, hitting their Megan moved her way up the ladder as a cellist, making her
targets. I winced internally. They were like this every day. way to sit second stand in Union’s Chamber Orchestra. She
also joined the STEM club this year, where she now spends all
Every. Single. Day. of her Early Release Wednesday’s teaching and doing
experiments with kindergarten through second-graders,
Why did Ms. Peery have to put me here? something she’d never imagined herself doing before. In
middle school, Megan had bad experiences with service
Tick. Tock. Tick. through her time in NJHS. “[NJHS] made me hate
volunteering,” she stressed. The pressure to get a certain
Why does time move so slowly in here? number of hours with few actual opportunities to do real
service combined to create a negative association. This
Get. Me. Out. dissuaded Megan from participating in any clubs her Freshman
year. However, in Sophomore year she decided to go for it and
She eventually expanded her group of friends but didn’t feel take the plunge, despite her uncertainty.
any real connection to some of them, and that allowed her to
become a much more introverted person. She described, “At In high school, Megan has not only met new people but also
lunch, I just followed them around, I didn't say anything at all. started to apply a philosophy of her own, ‘Why not?’ She

74

brings forth an idea of doing and trying new things without
fear, and questions the limitations that might emerge in her
mind or that others might impose on her. She queried, “Why
not? What’s stopping you?” She has applied this to her life by
trying new things and not putting as much weight on other
people’s opinions. Megan found courage inside to begin to
express herself more freely as well as work towards new goals
she may not have considered within reach before with a
newfound confidence.

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Leena Altamimi and Religion
By Angela Mashinski

“It’s just senseless hate for something that they don’t even understand.”

Leena Altamimi, 17, is attending Clark College for her junior She placed a mat on the floor of the wood cabin. The other
year of high school. She is currently working towards her students went about their days, brushing their teeth and
Associates of Arts (AA) degree and high school diploma. She getting changed for the day ahead. She felt self-conscious
has lived in Vancouver, Washington for most of her life and and hoped nobody would stop and stare. She started to
enjoys watching anime in her free time. kneel on the floor and said her morning prayer. This was
the shortest prayer that she would have to get through this
Leena Altamimi was raised as a Muslim, which has had its day. When evening came, she would have to pray again,
trials due to being post-9/11 in America. The blatant and it would be longer this time. She bent forward on her
Islamophobia towards Muslims is commonly seen nowadays. knees and placed her head to the floor. Her hands were on
She has even had to deal with this adversity at Union High either sides of her head. It was over with as soon as it
School when a fellow student shouted at her, “Hey look, started. She was done with her morning prayer and ready
there’s a terrorist!” But in comparison to some of her cousins to start the day.
who get bullied because of their name, she has been fairly
fortunate to not receive an abundance of hate speech. She is sickened when she hears about Muslim hate, for instance
‘Punish a Muslim’ Day in the United Kingdom, which is when
Last school year, she attended Camp Kairos for the first time someone in the UK mailed flyers to people announcing that
and due to being the only Muslim girl, she was nervous. As a April 3, 2018 was a day to violently attack Muslims for
part of her religion, it requires her to pray five times a day. ‘points’. She hopes people will come to understand that Islam
Leena was very self-conscious to have to pray in front of all of isn’t as ‘alien’ as it appears to be and come to understand it in
her cabin mates because praying involves certain body the future.
movements. She was considering skipping the prayers and
making them up later when she arrived home. After, she felt Muslim women are supposed to choose to wear the hijab, but
proud that she decided to pray there because of the feedback her mother pushed her into it. In elementary school, her mother
she received from a fellow student who told her about how she would have her wear her hood to slowly ease her into wearing
admired her bravery for praying in front of others. the hijab full time. Her mother is a strong believer in the hijab
and wanted her daughter to wear it too. Leena says that if she

76

ever has a daughter, she hopes that she will wear the hijab too, Pictured left is Leena Altamimi at the Cascade Park
but she wouldn’t force her to wear it. She hopes that above all Community Library. Pictured right is a copy of the Quran that
else, her children would be good people. she carries in her necklace at all times.

Through wearing the hijab, she feels like she has been able to
surround herself with good people because not everyone will
want to be friends with a Muslim girl who wears a hijab out in
public. She also feels like it has helped her stand up to peer
pressure, because she already stands out with the hijab so she
doesn’t feel the need to conform.

Leena has had her doubts about the religion she was raised in,
but she would probably never give up the faith. She claims that
if she did drop the religion she would feel ‘more empty and
aimless.’ She will always believe in God even if she left the
religion.

Her personal definition of courage is “doing something that
you may not necessarily be comfortable with, but you do it
because you know it’s right.” She herself fits this definition of
courage because she did pray in front of other people even
though she was uncomfortable with it.

77

A Cool Uncle
By Cameron Moore

“[My dad’s] death had a profound effect on me. It forced me to change my perspective and re-evaluate my
thoughts and outlook on life and understanding of what life is which in turn helped me to overcome my fears

and difficulties.”

Jeff Christianson is a 38-year-old food service worker at the When asked about how he had been forced to have courage,
Oregon Convention Center. He has been married for nine years Jeff talked a bit about his life. “Growing up with my
and has three nephews, one of which is me. difficulties, being depressed, having anxieties, agoraphobia,
being diabetic, dealing with that from day to day, and just
trying to make it through each day.” I didn’t receive the full
story until I asked my mom.

Throughout his preschool years, he was a normal, albeit shy
kid. This shyness turned into depression. As early as age five,
he went up to his mom and said that he wanted to kill himself.
His parents took him to go see a therapist, along with other
things to help. Jeff was actually one of the test subjects for the
antidepressant Prozac. None of this managed to cure his
depression.

During elementary and middle school, Jeff would quite
frequently skip school.

All my life, I had just thought of him as the cool uncle who I was walking home from school; it was close to noon.
comes over every now and then. Little did I know that he I hopped in through my bedroom window, hoping to avoid
actually had a troubling childhood. the accusatory glare in my neighbor’s eyes. My friend
Robbie and I were hanging out in my room when suddenly
we heard the alarming, booming voice.

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“OPEN UP! THIS IS THE POLICE! WE KNOW YOU ARE In his sophomore year at Mountain View High School, he
IN THERE!” dropped out.

Robbie and I hid in my closet. When the police finally got At this point in life, Jeff was suffering from agoraphobia, the
through, we frightfully came out of the closet. The police fear of exiting one’s house. He was so afraid of leaving the
asked, “WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?” house that he only went outside for a smoke. This lasted for
seven years.
I nervously replied, “Uh, I live here,” while trembling in
fear. At age 19, his parents divorced. At age 20, it was discovered
that he suffered from type 1 diabetes. At age 22, Jeff fell into a
“WHY SHOULD WE BELIEVE THAT?” the police coma. The doctors claimed he was only 30 minutes away from
howled. death.

I replied anxiously, “My picture’s on the wall.” On July 13th, 2002, Mike Christianson, Jeff’s father, died from
a heart attack. Jeff was only 22 at the time.

This was when Jeff’s life turned around.

When his dad died, Jeff realized that life was too short to live
like he was. His death forced him to rethink life and to get his
life together. He went and got his GED. He went and got his
driver’s license. The next year, he got an apartment of his own.
The year after that, he obtained a job at the Oregon Convention
Center. The following year, he met Stephanie. They got
married in 2008. Since then, they have visited Europe five
times.

When asked if it’s hard to find courage, Jeff stated, “It can be.
A lot of times, the alternative is not an alternative. I may not
want to get up and go to my job, but the alternative isn’t an
option.” Following that, when he was asked if there are times
he just feels like giving up, he replied, “Everyday... just having

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faith that there is a purpose, that in the end, it will all be worth
it, knowing that it will all work out, it’ll all be ok. 38 years, all
the troubles and tribulations I’ve gone through, it’s always
turned out okay, so just knowing, in the end, it’ll all be worth
it.”
Every day, he still struggles with having diabetes, panic
attacks, agoraphobia, and a smoking addiction. However,
because he is fighting his fears with his courage, he is going to
go experience Egypt during Ramadan at the end of May. He
knows that he could just stay at home, staying in his room, like
he did when he was in his teenage years, instead of going out
and experiencing the world and all it has to offer, but as he
said, “The alternative isn’t an option.”

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Endless Experiences
By Paige Munsey

“Everyone has the ability to have courage, but you don’t know if you have what it takes until the time comes.”

Steve Allen, having grown up in California, found himself Working in California, Steve describes having a completely
living in Vancouver, Washington off and on in his lifetime. His different experience than in Washington. He has noticed a lack
parents divorced when he was seven, and even though he of respect that he often witnessed in California. Compared to
wasn’t able to see his father often, his father was still an Washington, for the most part, people like and respect the
important figure in his life and his ‘hero’. Being a California police. Having experience in both states, he has come to the
patrolman, his father inspired him to emulate the path he had conclusion that it was much easier to do his job with the
taken. Currently serving as a protection agent, Steve has spent support of the community.
a total of 16 years as an EMT in an ambulance, starting when
he was 18, and then 25 years as a police officer, retiring in Steve explains that his jobs in an ambulance and police car
2000. In 2001, he went back to work in an ambulance as a revolve around ‘acting’. When showing up to the scene of a
supervisor for six years. bad call, he would find himself acting like nothing affects him,
though deep inside he felt a range of emotions from feeling
sick to being full of anger. Having to withhold his true
emotion, he says, is professionalism, and what he has to do.

The training that Steve received in preparation for his jobs was
what made him confident; it wasn’t until the time of an
incident where he knew who was going to demonstrate
courage, and stand up to someone who may have a gun or a
knife. He explains that he has come across some times where
bullets were flying, and his coworkers were nowhere to be
seen.

Having over 40 years of experience, his jobs have shaped him
into who he is today. Standing up for what’s right, and

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knowing the difference from right and wrong, is a Despite having a strong fear of things he has encountered
characteristic still shown even when he is not working. during his jobs, such as fire and electricity, you would still find
Steve going into a burning building to save a family. Not only
I casually walked out of the store after picking up pictures has he demonstrated this act of courage and selflessness during
that I printed, and I engulfed in the bright sun that one work hours, he continually proves to us that doing what he
hardly encounters in Washington. Right before me, a man feels is ‘the right thing to do’ is part of his lifestyle.
briskly walked out with two bottles of whiskey in his hands.
At first, I didn’t think anything of it, until the man sat down
in the driver’s seat. Soon enough, his hand frantically
opened a bottle, and he started consuming the alcoholic
substance. I knew that I could not let him go off and drive.
Furious, I went up to the man and pointed out his wrong
doings, and immediately called authorities. This is not the
first time I have witnessed a horrific incident, let alone
have I seen the cause of such an inhumane action. I was
happy that I got a drunk driver off of the road before he
could have killed someone.

One would say that Steve demonstrates a tremendous amount
of courage, whether it is on or off duty. Constantly thinking
about the future outcome of others actions, as well as
responding to and providing safety to those in danger, he has
put himself out there more than an average citizen would.

Although Steve has been working in public safety for a long
time, it doesn’t mean that he has become accustomed to being
in dangerous and fearful situations. Having mostly bad
memories of victims, he describes several situations that he has
been in and dealt with that would be seen as
‘incomprehensible’ to many. Still, to this day, he finds himself
having nightmares, proving that his jobs have had a huge toll
on him.

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Courage in a Lifetime
By Dominic Ochoa

“They jailed people. There were two men who spent the summer in jail, and they took a woman to court, not
jailed. You don't know what could happen when you were on the picket line.”

Shirley Huyette is living the active life of retirement in teachers like they did with the high school and middle school
Vancouver, Washington. She and her husband, Bill, moved teachers. They had no prep time and sometimes were not paid
here together from Pomeroy, Washington after high school to the same. So what else to do but go on strike?
complete her education at Portland University and eventually
set down in Vancouver. Moving away from everything she had There was always the occasional parent that would get
known was only one of many courageous events in her new life upset, and try and frighten you or would yell until they
here. could no longer. But this was different.

Her life didn't start in Pomeroy though. Shirley's family moved
from Idaho to Texas, where after a few years they picked up
their roots and moved to Washington. It was hard to leave
friends, but it was never long before she made new ones and
when in high school, she found her husband, and they are still
together to this day.

Being the oldest sibling of three, Shirley was the first to “leave
the nest.” By now she was set on becoming a teacher, and
when opportunity came knocking she mustered up the courage
and moved away. After she finished her education Shirley went
right into the workforce.

Shirley found work at Ellsworth Elementary as a fifth-grade
teacher. It was steady work with good students and nice
teachers, but the school district didn’t treat the elementary

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They jailed people. After 32 years, Shirley retired and while to some this may
mean your life is no longer as busy, that was not the case. She
There were two men who spent the summer in jail. You is now taking on helping her family in every way she can.
don't know what could happen when you were on the picket Every month or so she takes the long trek back to Pomroy to
line. There's always stressful moments, but fear is visit and take care of her ever aging mother. Here in
something else. You think of your family, you think of your Vancouver, she helps consistently with both her son’s and
young son, you think of everything you put on the line and daughter's families. To her courage is always about doing the
face that knowing that no matter how small or how right thing, no matter what and being brave enough to face
insignificant it may seem to others… that you’re doing the your fears.
right thing. That's courage.
Even after living a lifetime, she is still proving to Vancouver
Shirley went on to strike two more times in her teaching career, that no matter the time, place, or age everyone can be
but her bravery didn't stop with having to strike here and there. courageous.
Shirley was a full-time mom, now with two kids. Every day
she and her husband would rush to get the kids to a sitter, or to
school, or to some activity for the day, then both work full-time
jobs, and finally get home just in time to be a family. They
worked tirelessly. They built a house on a small piece of land
for themselves. She found time to take their kids to church and
participate in community service all while still involving her
kids in sports, band, and get them wherever they needed.

Three years after Shirley’s kids had settled into Ellsworth
elementary school, she was forced to change schools, to
Fircrest Elementary. She had to yet again be uprooted from
what she knew and leave it behind, but this time she knew how
to handle it. This was the right thing and she believed that the
people around her would help her transition, and they did. Her
friends helped take her kids here and there. Her work gave her
time off to settle down and get ready for the years to come. Her
bravery had paid off.

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Brenden’s Story!
By Emma Potts

“I'm strong, nothing's gonna keep me from achieving my dreams.”

Brenden is a strong young man who loads of people look up to. My most recent procedure was a shunt revision, taking
He is highly supported by people he surrounds himself with. place in 2017. Out of nowhere, I started leaking brain fluid
He was born with many defects such as scoliosis,
hydrocephalus, esophageal, atresia, and TE fistula. Within his
first few moments of life, he had life-threatening issues. He has
gone through more than eighteen surgeries at just nineteen
years old. He never gave up and he shows courage by sharing
his story with people, looking at every day as a new
opportunity and a blessing to be alive.

One of his biggest surgeries that took place in 2009 was his
gastric bypass. This surgery had him hospitalized for 89 days.
It was one of his scariest operations because he wasn't sure of
the doctor who was performing the surgery and wasn't sure
how the recovery would affect him and how long it would take.
After going through that surgery, he had no worries about any
other surgery; he has faith.

Having to have been through so much there's so much he has
gained from going through the hard days. He is grateful for the
people who never left his side and is the most grateful for his
family and friends. This whole situation has changed his
outlook on life and he's become more grateful for his
surroundings.

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and was rushed to the hospital to have emergency surgery. courage and lots of strength from experiencing the things not
After I was released I thought I was fine, but soon I noticed most kids do, like going to Make-A-Wish Foundation and
I was still leaking brain fluid from the tube that was placed getting the opportunity to spend a weekend with the Oregon
in my neck in the first surgery and I was put back into the Ducks football team.
hospital for another surgery.

Having defects comes with weaknesses, but there are also His mom is his biggest supporter, his number-one fan, and the
strengths. His biggest weaknesses are the fact he isn't able to one who understood him though everything. She is the one he
do most physical activity and wasn't able to be a player on his looks up to, not just with his conditions but with everyday life.
middle school basketball team. His strengths are that he was Helping him with life skills and skills that he will use going to
able to still participate on the team by managing his middle college currently, living alone once the time comes.
school basketball team. Ever since then, he was his high
school’s basketball manager. He also says by keeping a smile
on his face while going through it all, he has gained lots of

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Following Your Dreams
By Alex Reid

“He was very shy about going in front of strangers, and he was afraid of messing up.”

He was waiting in a line, glancing around the room at his Forget not the memories of my concerned audacity.
aunt’s wedding, waiting to congratulate her on getting married. Never shall I forget…
He and his cousins were all there at the wedding and the
reception. At the time, he was getting really bored in the line
but really wanted to go and congratulate his aunt. He was
glancing along the walls where they met together, following
the lines until he saw one of his cousins. He noticed she was
chatting with someone else that he did not know. He really
liked the way this stranger looked. He really wanted to go on a
date with her. However, he also wanted to congratulate his aunt
on getting married. Soon, he leaned over to his dad and pointed
to the girl and said, “I think she is really cute,” and his dad said
“Her?” His dad thought he was joking around like he usually
did, but he had no clue. His dad could be very serious at times.
He was looking at her, thinking of how to approach her. He
was very shy about going in front of strangers and was afraid
of messing up.

Never shall I forget that time, where I stood in line, that
moment of fear that seemed to last a year.

Never shall I ever forget my sweat and the blood that is
swelling through my seams, causing a commotion in my
veins.

I will vacate elsewhere with the intention of turning back.

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He was walking away from the line, losing his spot, to go meet
the girl. The plan wasn’t even in his head when he arrived at
the table. His mouth was disregarding his mind, faltering as he
was trying to say his words. What would he say?

A thought came to him. It was really feeble-minded, but it was
all he could think of. He asked his cousin Tracey, who was
looking at him probably thinking “What is he doing?” if he
could talk to her in private. He didn't know what she was
thinking at that time, but she was probably thinking, “What
does David want?” He pulled her aside to ask her “Hey Tracey,
I really would like to know who that girl you’re talking to is.”
She, of course, responded with something he did not expect.

She said, “Oh, that's Tiffany, I work with her.” David was
really shy, so talking to a stranger was not one of his strong
suits. He didn’t really want to talk to Tiffany because he
probably was afraid of screwing up, so then David told Tracey,
“I would really love it if you could set me up a date with her.”

He was finally relieved when he was able to walk away from
the table, not having to worry about asking Tiffany out. He
knew he could be shy, but he knew he did his best. He had
faith in Tracey to talk to Tiffany about going out with Him. He
then was able to get back in line and now was able to
congratulate his aunt on getting married.

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Losing Love
By Amelia Renner

​“She was gone. Not only gone, but gone forever. My whole life was changed.”

Tommy Renner was just a young adult wanting to impact the By the time basketball came around he was ecstatic. Then one
world, who grew up in La Center, Washington. Just a small day in practice him and another kid were both going up for a
farm town where everyone knew everyone. He soon learned rebound and he broke two of his knuckles and lost everything.
that life wouldn’t always be easy. At the time he was the oldest Two weeks later he enlisted in the military because he knew
of five kids. his grades weren’t good enough to go to college. Enlisting was
a huge step for him. He didn’t tell anyone he joined the
His freshman year of high school his parents divorced, and military until the day before he left for basic training. But... the
that’s when he started to regret choices. His mom moved into biggest shock wasn’t him enlisting... it was what he later
Vancouver, Washington. He’d only go see her when he had to learned while he was away.
and until he had his license. He went less and less as he was
older. Now he realizes that he didn’t spend enough time with
his mom throughout his life. When high school started he
became a multi-sport athlete. He was playing football,
basketball and baseball.

When he was 16 he quit playing baseball because he didn’t like
his coach. When it came time for his senior year he had many
scholarship opportunities for basketball, so he decided that he
wasn’t going to play football to reduce his chances of getting
hurt, then his mom convinced him to play so that she could
come watch one last season of her baby
playing high school football. It went by without a single
accident or injury.

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“I can remember calling my mom the day before basic They honorably discharged him from the military to come
training graduation to see if she was coming and got the home and be with family, still to this day he doesn’t understand
news. She told me that she had cancer. I felt a piece of my why it had to be his mom to leave so soon. She died at 47 years
heart break. Not only was she not coming to graduation, old.
but she was dying. I thought to myself in that very moment,
‘I should’ve spent more weekends at her house, should’ve “I remember telling people I knew to cherish their parents
said more I love yous.’ She had never missed any important because one day they’ll be gone and you’ll hate every
date or event in my life and now she was missing this one. I second of it. I will always remember arguing with my
wanted to cry, my mom was the most important person in brothers and sisters about what to put on her headstone.
my life, And I was losing her.” When all was said and done we agreed, ‘To well loved to
be forgotten’ fit the best for our mom.”
After this moment his whole life came tumbling down. He
came home after basic for a couple months to spend time with He learned so much from his mom, from being a good father to
his mom. Things started to go down hill. No medications, no not letting his wife go to bed angry or upset. Beverly “BJ”
treatments, and no cure. His mom was dying and nothing could Hopkin-Renner is a name everyone will remember. Even
stop it. She had melanoma. His world was tumbling. After though she isn’t here anymore, he knows she is proud of the
pushing through treatment and doing her best everyday she man he has become. He will always love him momma.
died. He thought he lost everything.
Losing a love is the hardest thing anyone can go through but
they aren’t ever truly gone.

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A Day in the Life of Landon
By Logan Rogers

​“When you choose to have courage, you don’t focus on the fear, you focus on the sense of duty and you get
over it.”

Landon is 14 and in 8th grade. He has always been smaller of shame for even thinking that. But it would not be the last
than average size. He has even struggled with suicidal thoughts time.
once or twice. His brother has come home to find him looking
for weapons to bring to school just for self-defense. His family Landon took a big step by
tried their best to make him feel better about it all. He tried his overcoming his fears when he
best to get out of going to school and wanted to be educated stepped into middle school and
from home. It did not get much better for awhile after that. It soon high school. His brother
was hard to get him to do anything outside of playing video asked him how he managed to do
games. it. He said that when you choose to
have courage, focusing on the fear
I slammed my backpack onto the table, my back still is the problem. If you look past
stinging from the rock that hit me from behind. Tears that and focus on the sense of duty
started to roll down my cheeks. I was so tired of getting then that makes it much easier.
bullied. Why me? Why won’t it stop? Over time Landon has found better
friends that make him feel better
I thought of ways to help myself. Trying to focus I sat down about himself. He also has gotten
on a chair at the kitchen table. Angrily eyeing my the care he needs to get back on
backpack. A glimpse of silver caught my eye. A knife on the track to where he no longer thinks of suicide or anything like
kitchen counter I had used to cut a piece of bread this that anymore. He barely gets picked on and his brother
morning. A million different possibilities ran through my personally sees to looking over his well-being. The experiences
head. Something new and pure, yet also evil and familiar at of suicide have given him a new outlook on how valuable his
the same time. The sound of a car driving by outside pulled life is.
me back to reality. If only for a split second I was still full

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Courage is Independence
By Neriah Shamsid-Deen

“Once you get hurt, you build walls so that you don’t get hurt again. You don’t step off the curb if you know
you’re gonna get run over again as you learn your lesson. But also stepping off the curb is you taking a leap of

faith and you have to be able to trust God to be able to take that leap of faith.”

Jennifer Scott, my mom, has lived a life full of sacrifice and Despite needing to become independent earlier than others,
doing what needs to be done for the good of others. Scott Scott holds no grudges against her parents.
joined the military when she was 26 years old. Her parents
getting a divorce in high school really forced her to depend on Getting out of high school and going into the military was not
herself. She looked to sports as an escape to keep herself busy. her initial plan. She had dreams of being an
obstetrician-gynecologist. She always knew that that was what
“I participated in sports because I knew that was she wanted to do, but unfortunately she had a change of heart
something that would help me keep my grades up, so that’s when she attended the University of Oregon.
why I played three sports all throughout high school to
keep me motivated. It kept me around people, I’m a people “I took a lot of medical classes because that’s what my
person and I’ve always experienced being in a room full of high school specialized in. I just found out that that’s not
people, but still feeling like I was by myself.” really what I was interested in.”

Scott was only a freshman in high school when her mom and From there she had to figure something out to support herself
dad divorced. Being forced to fend for herself prepared her for and most importantly her newborn daughter. With some
the bigger battles along the way, like joining the military. encouragement from her friends she decided to enlist in the Air
National Guard.
“I appreciate the fact that, in a sense, I was forced to
become independent. I don’t knock my parents for that. And “Me and God had a conversation, I was like is this the
don’t get me wrong, Grandma was always around, but it right thing to do? ’Cause I knew the sacrifice I would be
made me very independent. At an early age, it made me making. I knew that I would have to leave you for a period
very independent.” of time. You know? Was this the right thing to do?”

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Going into the military was neither her plan nor her families’ 13 years. She continues to strive in her career and be the best
and they heavily protested against her decision. Scott explained parent, and she can be and continues to be independent.
that her family was against it because it was just after 9/11 and
they thought she was going to be sent off somewhere.

“And when I presented it to my family, they were against it,
110% against it. They prayed against it. I knew that that
was the avenue I needed to take to be able to provide a
better life for the both of us. And that was a sacrifice I need
to make, you were older then. You know? Your grandma
was willing to take care of you for that period of time that I
was gone, and, I don’t regret it. I’ve had a lot of blessings
off of that one decision.”

She said they finally came around because she made the
decision and it was hers to make.

Throughout her long life, Scott has learned how to deal with
the different social constructs in The United States, learning to
balance the two worlds of being black and striving in
white-dominated environments.

“My first experience of going to a school with more than
three people who looked like me was when I went to high
school, and it was a straight culture shock, to me. I forget
what they call it, they call it a switch you have to turn the
switch on and when you get into your own world you have
to turn the switch off.”

Scott now stays in Vancouver, Washington, continuing to raise
her daughter and serve her country. She has been enlisted for

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New Peter in the New World
By Ryan Statt

“The summers here make all the rain worth it – but just pushing through the winters here is just tough –
especially going to school and all that. And ya’ know - keeping your self-esteem high and trying not to get
depressed, that’s harder here because of the weather, I’d say. That’s probably the one thing I haven’t adjusted

to yet.”

Peter Moser and his family left their home in Australia to move greatest hobbies is mountain biking, and the best part about
to the U.S. in the summer of 2015. The reason for the move moving to this region according to him is the mountain biking
was due to his father needing a new job and the best option was trails.
in Vancouver, Washington. Peter is a very intelligent and a
forward thinking person, and he’s always looking to what the
future holds. When he was told they were leaving, after he
overcame the shock of the news, he was excited because he
was into mountain biking and the north west has some of the
best mountain biking in the world. Peter started school in the
middle of the year and was forced to stay at a lower level so he
didn’t know what to expect from this new scenario. What
happened was not what he expected.

Nearly everyone he meet during those first few months were The flight here was terrible, I got no sleep and the plane
enamored with him. Everyone including me was very seats were not comfortable. The warm sun of Australia was
interested with him because he was from Australia. Many replaced with the dark depressing gray of Portland. This
people bombarded Peter with questions and comments and place was so different from what I knew, just walking
several jokes, witch put him off at first, but his fears of not
being able to get good friends were quickly dashed as it
seemed everyone wanted to be his friend. I included. One of
the things that existed Peter the about his new home was the
abundance of mountain biking in the region. One of Peter's

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