Were you able to use your internship to make a difference in the lives of young people? 

I got [youth involved in activities] that got them out in the community and helped develop their life skills. The Mescalero System of Care [offered] the Equine Expo, a youth group, a health fair, a youth basketball camp, and [participation] in the National System of Care conference. All these activities benefited the youth in numerous ways and helped improve their life skills. And what’s a better way [to do that] than in their own surroundings with tribal leaders, peers, and mentors?

Times where I thought I was making an impact were when the youth visited the office. I built strong relationships with some of the youth and I felt that I was the person they looked to for a talk, some advice, or words of encouragement. I felt that I made an impact in numerous areas, but building lifelong relationships was great, especially with the youth because they are full of potential. The youth were nominated to participate [in the system of care] because their nominator thought they were “at risk.” To me, all they needed was just time where they could enjoy themselves within the community. Once they got comfortable within the program, they came out of their shells to communicate with others and convey their ideas for changes in the program. This was important because what we did revolved around their ideas.

Was serving the young members of your tribe, particularly those struggling with challenges, personally rewarding for you?

It was rewarding for me just to see the kids being involved and having something positive to do. [When I was] growing up, there were not as many activities out there for the youth of the tribe. It was especially rewarding to see those kids who were labeled as having challenges just being out in the community, attaining the information from these different activities, and putting in their own ideas. Once you saw how involved they were and how much fun they were having, you couldn’t tell they were having any challenges. It was really cool seeing them interact, not because they had to do it, but because they wanted to do it. In a way, I saw the system of care activities as an escape for them. It was rewarding for me just to be around them and build those relationships.