“I always take on challenges now. That’s core to who I am”: Justin Rodriguez on how YES’s programs shaped him and his role as a YES supporter and board member
Transcript:
[One of my favorite YES memories was] when I was scaling a rock wall [at camp]. While it may sound trivial to us for a kid to go up a plastic rock wall with a nice grip being supervised by a trained professional and being in the safety of the harness where you were not in harm’s way, it was a big deal for me as a kid. Truthfully, I only went up half way, but don’t tell my mom. From the perspective of a 13-year-old, I was conquering my fears. I had a big fear of heights. I was feeling the pressure of being observed by [my] peers, and I was literally entrusting myself to a stranger who I had never met before who was belaying me. I did not know who that cabin leader was at that point and that was a challenge for me.
I think about that moment to this day because I always take on challenges now. That’s core to who I am.
I actually recently got another opportunity to go out of my comfort zone in the same way with Susan Wittenberg here. We had an exercise as YES board members where we were given a question to think about what it would be like to give meaningfully to YES, like what does it mean to us. I heard Susan’s story and she heard my story and we were both moved.
We both ended up giving the most we had ever given to any charitable cause and it was all thanks to thinking about how YES has impacted us and our loved ones and projecting into the future what it would look like for even more youth to feel the same impact at scale.
I know in my heart that YES does amazing work and will continue to do amazing work and I have no doubt that your contributions, your connections, your energy will be well spent here at our organization.
This transcript has been edited slightly for clarity.