debriefan online publication of Bridge Builders® Alabama

Ladies of LanierHouston, We Have No Problems

Christmas

Program

&

Holiday Party

pg. 2 & 5

december 2010

Lock-in

YEAR IN REVIEW

Saturday, December 11, 201010:30 am – 1:30 pmAUM Taylor CenterMontgomery, AL 36124334 244 3350www.aum.edu

The American Humanics Program at

Auburn University Montgomery is holding the

8th annual Christmas Programfor Low Income Children

Saturday, December 11, 2010.

Come Volunteer

bridge builders®

bridge builders®

bridge builders®

434 N. McDonough StreetMontgomery, AL 36104

(334) 264-6223

decemberread all about it

2 AUM Christmas ProgramVolunteers needed!

4 Thoughts and Ramblings2010 by Josh McFall

5 Holiday PartyBe there!

6 - 7 Year in ReviewA look back at 2010

8 CO[M] – TAVIUSBy Tiegen Kosiak

9 Houston, We Have No ProblemsBy Andrew Szymanski

10 You Don’t Know JackBy Jacob Call

11 Ladies of LanierBy Catie Malone

12 Lock-inThe Show

3

®

pg. 12

pg. 8

pg. 12

4

Thoughts and Ramblings by Josh McFall,

Bridge Builders Alabama Director

Thoughts and Ramblings

Summer Conferences for Next Year

Junior Conference for the Class of 2013 - June 13-18, 2011 @ Huntingdon College

Encourage your 10th grade friends to start thinking about joining Bridge Builders!

Senior Conference for the Class of 2012 - June 20-23 @ Children’s Harbor / Lake Martin

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

As 2010 draws to a close, we decided to shift the focus of our monthly magazine to our students, the real stars of our program. On a consistent basis this year, I have been amazed at the work our Bridge Builders are doing in their schools and communities. In this issue, we are featuring a few students who are “building bridges” in unique ways. But if I can offer a disclaimer, this is only a “short list” of those students who are impacting their communities. Of the over 100 Bridge Builders we currently have enrolled, every one is doing amazing things to make our community and state a better place… So don’t count yourself out if you weren’t featured in this issue, because for me, each one of you is AMAZING!

For this month’s feature story, I want to spend some time telling you about my passion, drive, motivation, and plan for Bridge Builders Alabama. As is common at the end of a year, magazines and newspapers and television shows turn to the “Year in Review” format… So we thought, “Why not us too?” I want to talk about where we’ve been and where we’re headed, but, as is common in my thoughts and ramblings section, I also want to spend some time talking directly to you, our students.

YOU HAVE A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY! Being a Bridge Builder is not only about wearing the tee shirt, getting credits, and going to conference. As a matter of fact, those are only the very beginnings of what the Bridge Builders idea is really about. I’ll spend some time later in this issue talking about the real

reasons, but just in case you don’t read any farther, know this: Wherever you are… Whatever you’re doing… Whoever you’re with… Whatever your purpose… PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU! If we fail in everything else we ever teach you at Bridge Builders, please know that YOU ARE A LEADER! No matter if you want to be or not.

You see, leaders don’t have the ability to choose whether or not they get to be a leader… It happens because someone else thrusts it upon them. In your case, a teacher, mentor, principal, pastor, or parent believed in you so much that they nominated you to be a Bridge Builder. Not everyone gets that opportunity, so take it seriously! If you haven’t been to any skill building meetings, if we haven’t seen you since this summer, if you haven’t started your senior project, let the New Year be your catalyst to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

There are big things on the horizon for Bridge Builders in 2011 and we want you to be a part of them, but that can’t happen unless you show up. So stretch yourself, get outside your comfort zone, take off your “I’m too cool for that” hat and put on your BB tee shirt, and let’s go to work! Bridge Builders is ready… Are you?

Josh

5

Join us as we celebrate the holiday season. Come see how people around the world celebrate Christmas,

Hanukkah, Kwanza and the Winter Solstice with games, food, and a great time for all.

You don’t want to miss out on this event, so make sure to sign up on the website and tell all of your

Bridge Builder friends to as well.

Holiday PartyTuesday, Dec. 14

6:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m.Bridge Builders Alabama Office 434 N McDonough Street

6

®

Andrew, Catie, Jacob,

and Tiegen came to

Bridge Builders as

Americorps VISTAs.

They are serving for a

year to make Bridge

Builders better.

Bridge Builders Montgomery became Bridge Builders Alabama

Tiegen

CatieJacob

Andrew

Year in Review

7

We inducted our 4th class of Bridge Builders into the BB family.

Bridge Builders launched our all new fundraiser the Montgomery

Dragon Boat Race in August! Over 3000 people in attendance.

debriefan online publication of Bridge Builders® Alabama

Burning to ServeDoing What You Love

Tweet? Talk? Text?

Making Strides

& Zoo Walk

This weekend!

pg. 2

october 2010

BB launched the all new e-magazine called Debrief.

Bridge Builders held its first lock-in.

BB launched a new initiative with Auburn University and Huntingdon College and continued our initiative with U of A.

Bridge Builders moved Senior Conference from the 4-H

Center to Children’s Harbor on Lake Martin.

8

One hour northeast of Montgomery is the little town of Notasulga, population 916. One of these 916 people is senior Bridge Builder Cortavius “Tae” Watkins. Tae has lived in Notasulga all his life. He says it’s a typical small Southern city. There’s a pecan factory, a couple new restaurants, and a whole lot of friendly, caring residents. “They just like to see people doing well,” Tae said. Tae has done very well for himself. Because of the leadership skills he showed in the classroom and at sporting events, Tae was asked by Dr. Melvin Low, direc-tor of the countywide gifted learning program, to join Bridge Builders. Tae quickly accepted the invitation, ex-cited to meet new people and become a better leader. At the 2009 junior conference, Tae met James Wright from Holtville High School who he now refers to as “my homeboy Jay!” Though both young men play sports year round, their schools never compete against each other. So if it weren’t for Bridge Builders, it’s likely that Jay and Tae never would have met. “We had words our junior year, “ Tae said with a laugh. “We never knew that we was the same person in a different body. Then we were roommates at senior conference, in the same group, and just talked about what went on. He got close to me, like a brother from a different mother. We don’t see each other much, but we talk a lot.” To get to senior conference, Tae had to attend his share of skill-building meetings, which is quite difficult when you’re busy with school, have no car, and live an hour from Montgomery. He attended the Big Brother/Big Sister 5K last fall and fulfilled his other required ser-vice credits in Notasulga, cleaning up the community and helping out on his godfather’s cattle farm. “The best thing about Bridge Builders,” Tae said, “is that the activities help with every day life. You gain more skills, more respect, confidence. I’ve become closer to people I didn’t know, older kids, my elders. I’m a better role model now.” And this role model has some advice for prospective Bridge Builders: “Please get to Huntingdon! Great food! You will gain weight there. You will have a lot of fun. It’s a great program.” Tae will graduate this May. He’s considering attend-ing Huntingdon College, which indeed has amazing food AND gives out a Bridge Builders scholarship! However, Tae is also looking at Alabama State and UAB. He plans to major in early childhood education and would someday like to return to Notasulga as a teacher and a coach. “Great guy. Good sense of humor. Had a great time with him at camp. There’s not a lot [to say]…” Jay Wright said of the friend who lives nearly 65 miles from him. “Hard working, driven man who knows what he wants and works hard to achieve it.” I don’t know, Jay. That sounds like quite a lot to me!

CO[M] – TAVIUS

“Those that don’t got it, can’t show it. Those that got it, can’t hide it.” –Zora Neale Hurston, iconic American writer, born in Notasulga, Alabama in 1891

By Tiegen Kosiak

Cortavius “Tae” Watkins

James Wright

9

Attention all Bridge Builders! One of our very own has relocated to McClain, Virginia! Houston Harris was a member of the Green Machine at junior conference. She is slowly but surely adjusting to the Washington D.C. area and said, “Academically, [my new school] is not very different, but it is very cliquey, more so than Brewtech.” She seems to miss the deep southern comfort she grew up in once she moved to Montgomery from Atlanta at age three. Luckily for the program, Houston has pledged to stay in Bridge Builders regardless of her location.Houston, like many of you, had never heard of Bridge Builders before Josh’s presentation. Immediately Houston thought the program seemed “right up [her] alley.” One of her largest motivations for joining was her desire to meet people from other schools across the city. At junior conference, she was a

little hesitant when she arrived and saw all of the counselors dancing and acting ridiculous! It was even harder when her mother left Huntingdon and Houston was on her own. But things got better and, later that day, in the Green Machine’s first activity, Houston did not mind letting others guide her through the ‘electric fence.’ She was glad that her team was able to do an activity that required a lot of immediate trust and, as the days went by, she continued to excel and contribute positively to activities and debriefs. However, there were some bumps along her summer conference road. When asked about a particular dislike from that week, she responded, “Helium hoop made me want to leave and call my mom to go home.” Luckily she didn’t. Looking back, the week made her more open to sharing her thoughts with others. As her counselor, I was able to see the benefit of Houston’s perspective on the group. Her teammates often sought her opinion on difficult issues. They admired her depth of knowledge as well as her determination to contribute in every activity. Houston took her successes from summer conference and has applied them at all of the skill buildings, completing her six credits before the move. She has always been driven to serve others and feels that other high school students should want to do the same. She said, “It shows students care and they have the determination to show others they can get involved.” She dislikes the fact that adults often look at students and assume that they are not responsible and don’t care about what is going on around them. Luckily for

our community, Houston has been able to contribute in many ways through Bridge Builders. She was a dock marshal at the Dragon Boat Festival and she really enjoyed helping at the Big Brothers/Big Sisters run. When presented with the opportunity to work with children from the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Houston took it. I was very impressed by her desire to learn more about the students she was working with. In no time she was helping children confined to wheelchairs paint pumpkins for Halloween. A lover of spicy food, Houston also enjoys a good book, or two, or three, or more! She also enjoyed growing up in Montgomery and going to Mayfest at the Shakespeare Festival every year for the arts and crafts, live music, and sidewalk chalk drawings. She swears that the drawings done by local artists are the most amazing drawings she has ever seen. Houston plans on returning to senior conference in 2011 and we couldn’t be more excited. As I mentioned before, she has already completed her six required credits, but that is not going to stop her from being an active member of her new community. We are excited that Houston is going to be living the mission of Bridge Builders in a whole new city and state! Good luck on your new journey, Houston, from all of us at the Bridge Builders office. See you this summer!

Houston, We Have No ProblemsBy Andrew Szymanski

10

“RED SQUAD, RISE AND SHINE!” It was a bright Tuesday morning at Huntingdon College. I had been up for a little while chatting with the other facilitators and was now waking up the new recruits. “JACK AND JAMES, GET UP, GET UP, GET UP!! Breakfast is hot, the day is hotter, and it’s time to build some bridges!” I yell from the front room as I enter their hallway. To my surprise, Jack LaPlatney popped out of his room, fully dressed and ready to go. “Okay, Jacob,” he asked, “when do we get started?” Almost every day at junior conference, Jack was prepared before I was, and he even found the time to go running a morning or two. His willingness and positive attitude impressed me. A junior at Montgomery Academy, Jack has continued to impress me. Now, yes, I am little biased: we have similarity in name, similarity in attitudes and annoyance, similarity in birthdays, and have both even lost bets which required severe haircuts (if you saw Jack at the Dragon Boat Festival, you know what I’m talking about; if you saw me when -- well, you didn’t, so that’s a moot point). On the subject of personal preferences, both he and I love history and do not know what we’re going to do when we grow up (although I think he’s got longer to decide than I do). Enough about the two of us. Jack is not an Alabama native. He and his family (parents, three younger brothers) moved here a few years back from Atlanta. Like fellow Bridge Builders Carter Goodwyn, Clayton Crenshaw, and Forrest Hook, he played for the Academy’s football team this past season. Sadly, even with such a stellar lineup, the Eagles did not soar very high.

Regardless of all this, he’s got an idea you should know about. Several years ago, when he was but a child, Jack and his brothers had quite a haul of Halloween candy: over twenty pounds! Being a kind, good-natured chap (and because his mother told him too), he took it to a local orphanage to share with the children there. Thus began a tradition, which he has continued until this day, collecting candy Robin Hood style. Last year, Montgomery Academy got in on the deal, and Jack collected much more than all previous years combined! This year he also placed bins in local offices for collection. Here’s where y’all come in, Bridge Builders. While Jack and his family can gather all of the sweet, donated goodness, it takes a lot of time to pack all of it in bags for distribution to foster homes. We are thinking about making it a part of our holiday party this year. Keep an eye on your inboxes for more details, and keep an eye out for him too. You never know where Jack will pop up next.

You Don’t

Know Jack

By Jacob Call

11

By Catie Malone As this half of the year comes to a close, some things from conferences, skill building meetings, and our interactions with you have stood out in our memories. You have influenced our planning for the spring and for the next class of Bridge Builders, and now some of you are the influence for our articles for this month! While all of you hold a special place in each of our hearts, I have chosen to write about two of the lovely senior ladies from Sidney Lanier High School: Arkimberly Jiles and Corneshia “Cookie” McCall. Arkimberly’s favorite color is purple, and she was recruited for Bridge Builders by her history teacher. Arkimberly’s favorite part about the program is having the opportunity to make lifelong friends and solve problems together. That’s what Bridge Builders is about: working with people who may seem different from you in order to better yourself and those around you. By doing this we can all reach our leadership potential and work for the betterment of everyone! After graduating from Lanier, Arkimberly plans to attend college and put her Bridge Builder skills to good use. She knows that the discussions and activities you participate in are teaching you things that you can use not only in high school or in Bridge Builders, but also in your communities, colleges, careers,

and beyond. Arkimberly says that the thing she will miss most about being a Bridge Builder (other than me, of course) is being able to say, “Ah-woo-wah-wah, Josh!” and hearing him reply, “And Ah-woo-wah-wah to you too, Arkimberly!” How can I talk about Bridge Builders without talking about Cookie?! Corneshia McCall became a Bridge Builder after hearing about the program from a history teacher. Her favorite color is lime green. Cookie loves Bridge Builders and having the opportunity to meet new people and having them open up to her. After graduation she plans to attend college close to home. Maybe she’ll visit us at events or at conference! Cookie says she will miss the fun times she’s had with her Bridge Builder family and being around people that she wouldn’t have hung out with if it weren’t for the program. We wouldn’t be Bridge Builders without the choice that Arkimberly, Cookie, and each of you made to be in this program. You live out our mission at school, at home, in your clubs and activities, at church and in everything that you do. Remember our goals as we enter the holiday season. Do something Bridge-Builder-like to help out those in our community! Happy holidays!

Ladies of Lanier

12

Coming soon....

The ShowBridge Builders Lock-in

January 14 & 157 p.m to 7 a.m.

at Common Grounds1516 Mobile Rd.

Montgomery, AL 36108

Sign-up online!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!