Redirecting My Energy this Summer

Part of the Isa’s Corner series: reflections on belonging, identity, and community in Battle Creek.

The last few weeks of my first Spring Semester as a college student were challenging. These weeks consisted of me trying to keep up with deadlines stacked on top of deadlines, studying for hours, and visiting professors during office hours. So when it finally ended, I didn't celebrate right away. I just turned everything off and disconnected. And in that quiet, I determined how I want to spend the next few months outside of school.

Due to a mixture of BCTRHT's Essential Skills for Shared Humanity Workshop and self-reflection, I’ve begun to realize that I want to dedicate more time to showing up for my community. After months of having more of an interpersonal focus, I’m eager to show up and connect with others.

This Summer, BCTRHT is hosting an Essential Skills Workshop for college students, and honestly, it’s been a real eye-opener. Our first session focused on listening. As participants, we were prompted to reflect on what type of listener we are, listening patterns, and effective listening techniques. We also set intentions and goals that we hope to achieve by the end of the workshop. My goal is to become less self-focused in how I spend my time and to start making a positive impact on others in my community.

Summer is truly when Battle Creek shines. With local markets, community events, and celebrations, the whole community is out supporting each other. I’m currently looking forward to BCTRHT’s Juneteenth Lunch 'n Learn at the Downtown Willard Library on June 19, because of the impact it left on me last year. This workshop truly dives into personal growth to create collective freedom, by connecting history with current actionable liberating steps.

This workshop will mark my one year at BCTRHT, and it has been a great journey. I was onboarded last year in June with the intention of meeting my community. This Summer, I want to play a bigger role and truly connect with members of our community.

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Isa’s Corner is a storytelling series exploring belonging, identity, and community through the reflections of a young leader growing and learning in Battle Creek.