“buildOn was really something that impacted my life in high school for the greater good. It helped me when I went off to college; it gave me that endurance to just keep fighting. To keep moving on.”

– Amanda Perez, buildOn Alumna

 
The relationship between Amanda Perez and her mother had always been difficult. Amanda often lived with others, her grandmother or friends, while her mother focused on her own needs. Then, when Amanda was 14, she came down with severe pneumonia and was hospitalized. When she recovered she found out that while she had been fighting her illness; her mother had moved halfway across the world to the West Bank with her new husband. She didn’t even tell Amanda goodbye. Without a parent to support her, Amanda spent her high school years transitioning from one place to the next, sometimes living with family and friends, much of the time being on her own.

During her junior year, a teacher at her Chicago high school introduced Amanda to buildOn. The program provided Amanda with a much needed community and an escape from the realities of her life. Through buildOn, Amanda focused her energy on making a difference, instead of being angry at her situation. Amanda’s first service project with buildOn was at a thrift store where she helped people in need by being a “personal shopper.”

“This project meant so much to me because I remember going to similar places growing up,” Amanda says. “It was great to be able to give customers dignity and respect by giving them a nice place to shop just like everyone else. buildOn helped me realize that even though there were times I just wanted to give up, I had the power to stand tall, and that I still had the power to help people.”

Today, Amanda is thriving. She is employed full-time, is newly married and is in her senior year in college where she is studying to become a counselor so she can continue to help others.

“If it wasn’t for buildOn I’m not sure where I would be right now. The absence of my family and homelessness during my junior and senior year made for a very dark time in my life, and buildOn helped motivate me to keep pushing onward,” Amanda says. “To be active in the community and to focus on the issues people endure daily across the globe made my problems seem so insignificant and my blessing so bountiful. I am so grateful for the beautiful impact buildOn had in my life and the gift to be exposed to a world outside my own.”

With your support students like Amanda can thrive through the empowerment of service. Act now.

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Amanda’s Story appeared first on buildOn.

“buildOn, in my mind, is the movement that allows other people to achieve their dreams.”

– Misha Malyshev

 
Meeting Misha Malyshev today, CEO and Founder of the global investment firm Teza Technologies, you would never guess he came from humble beginnings. While an expert in international trading now, Misha and his wife arrived to the United States from Russia with no more than $100 between them both, a great education, and a drive to succeed.

Misha is a testament to the American Dream — that anyone, no matter their background, can achieve success through education and hard work. But with U.S. high schools crumbling and the dropout rate climbing, that dream has become more like a fantasy for many students. That’s why Misha has fully committed himself and his company to supporting educational opportunities like buildOn’s program for Chicago students, so that every child has the same opportunity to succeed that he had.

“In our company, everyone’s achievement is based on good education,” Misha said. “We believe that it is something we can be strongly behind, something that we can really support and we want to be part of.”

Misha was moved to support buildOn’s afterschool programs in Chicago after meeting with a few of its program members. It was their optimism that impressed him. With buildOn, Misha believed he could help students to become “better members of society and achieve more in life.” Encouraged by buildOn’s long history of success engaging students academically – 94% of buildOn program members not only graduate high school but go onto college – Teza has now raised $235,000 for our programs.

Today, this support ensures that students across Chicago have access to afterschool programs that empower them to raise expectations for their communities and themselves, puts them on a path to graduation and gives them the foundation they need to succeed.

“Education is a great enabler. It’s what allows people to move forward. It’s what allows people to change their careers and their lives. I believe that I was lucky to have this opportunity, and I believe that other people should have this opportunity also. Then it’s up to you how far you take it,” Misha says.

Join Misha and Teza Technologies in supporting and empowering students across the country through buildOn.

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Teza Technologies appeared first on buildOn.

We previewed Jim’s new book, Walk in Their Shoes, launching on September 17! We also auctioned off a surprise New York package that included two tickets to the Walk in Their Shoes Book Launch Party in the heart of Times Square. To close the evening, we premiered a new video about buildOn’s Ambassador Trek program, featuring testimonials from corporate partner Moss Adams, families and friends who have traveled as groups to participate in our school construction program abroad.

Thank you again to all who attended to help make the 2013 buildOn Bay Area Dinner a success! Take a look at all of the photos from the event here.

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“I realized I was not helping build just another school, but I was helping build a school in the name of my dad, my mom, my uncles and everyone else who was not allowed to finish or go to school at all.”
– Jorge Gomez

 
Jorge Gomez knows that education is a privilege, one that should not be taken for granted. Both Jorge’s mother and father were forced to leave school at an early age to earn income for their families in Mexico. Jorge’s father came from a family of 12, and as one of the oldest children, it was his job to make sure his siblings were clothed and fed. Every morning he would wake at 5AM to help with the family farm, only to rush off to school by 7AM. He rarely, if ever, made it on time. One day he just stopped going.

Wanting more for his children, Jorge’s father later moved to Oakland, California, where he hoped they might find a better education. But academic success does not come easy in Oakland either, with a high school completion rate at only 59%. Graduating this year, Jorge found a path through buildOn – an afterschool program that kept him off the streets, empowered him to engage his community through service, and reinforced the importance of education.

With buildOn, Jorge prepared food for the homeless, taught art classes at local children’s museums, and led environmental projects to beautify Oakland. His greatest inspiration, though, came from a trip to Haiti, where Jorge helped other buildOn students and community members to build a school for children with no access to education. There he met an elder in the village who worked on the school nearly every day, who told Jorge that, regrettably, he had not been able to attend school himself. He believed that having a school would be the best thing that could happen for his village.

It sounded exactly like something Jorge’s father had said to him nearly every day.

“He always told me to go to school and not be late to my classes because in just 10 minutes I could miss so many important things,” said Jorge. “My father said that if he had the opportunities I have, he would take full advantage of them.” In that moment with the village elder, Jorge understood what his father had sacrificed to ensure that he, and all his siblings, had the educational foundation they would need for success – and he knew he could not let his father down.

This May, Jorge will be the first in his family to finish high school, and, soon after, the first to attend college. In his service with buildOn, Jorge discovered a passion for working with children and the environment, and he plans to pursue a career that will allow him to teach students the importance of conservation.

“I understand the value of the unique opportunities buildOn provided for me, and I want to help students have similar experiences,” said Jorge. “I believe anyone can have these experiences. Anyone can contribute. Anyone can break the cycle. Everyone can buildOn.”

With your support we can empower many more students like Jorge, students who are poised to change their lives, and our world.

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Jorge’s Story appeared first on buildOn.

My mother Ana is the sweetest and most humble woman I have ever met. She is a hard-working individual and she inspires me to be the same way. She is a great mother, wife, and friend. My mother is an example for other women who have struggled but who have never given up. I love you mom and thank you for everything you have done for our family and me. Eres la mejor mama del mundo que Dios te bendiga te mereces el mundo.”
– Barbara Crespo, sophomore at Bates College buildOn alumna and former buildOn New York intern

My mom is a hero because she often puts others’ needs before her own. She is a great listener and a thoughtful, caring person who takes a genuine interest in others’ lives, always trying to find creative ways to make them feel special and loved. From the kids that she mentors as a Kids Hope USA Director to the many baby birds, turtles and countless other lost or hurt creatures she’s rescued, my mom is truly a compassionate woman. Serving others has always been a natural part of my life and I have my parents to thank for that. My mom also loves me unconditionally and has always supported my dreams, even if they have led me far from home… except for that one mountain biking trip down the “world’s most dangerous road,” which she’s still not happy about. Eeek. Sorry Mom! Happy Mother’s Day, I love you!
– Caryn Blandt, buildOn Program & Trek Coordinator, Detroit

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“They are in the middle of their childhood and they’re thinking about what their moms are going through… the violence that they’ve got to deal with on a regular basis and yet every day they choose to come to school…they choose to give back to their community. In my eyes that’s definitely a hero.”
- Joahan Suarez, buildOn Program Coordinator

 
Just like the students he mentors on a daily basis, buildOn program coordinator Joahan Suarez had to overcome obstacle after obstacle to find his path to success.

Joahan grew up in Washington Heights, with no siblings and only his single mother to support him. He was smart, good at school, and aced his classes despite his chronic absenteeism. He was on a path to graduation. But then, his junior year of high school, Joahan suffered from a life changing injury. He broke his knee playing football and had to have extensive reconstructive surgery on his leg, leaving him unable to take public transportation. With no other way to get to and from school, he dropped out.

Luckily, Joahan was able to get a tutor to come to his home so he could continue his education. In just a few short months had acquired his GED and went on to take his SATs – with a score so impressive that it earned him a spot at Columbia University. Despite the enormous setback of his injury, Joahan had persevered and he was back in school, and back on track.

Then, suddenly, his mother passed away.

“When my mom passed away, it was just me and bills. So, at the age of 18, I had to drop out of college and get a job so I could support myself,” said Joahan.

With no money, and no idea what to do, Joahan followed the recommendation of a friend and applied to City Year, a national community service organization. “City Year was just a job at first. I didn’t even know what I was applying to when they gave me the application. I just filled it out,” said Joahan.

The application asked Joahan questions like: “Have you ever been in a leadership position?” and “Have you ever helped your community?” He answered “no” to so many of the questions that he doubted he would even get an interview, but shortly after turning in his application he had the job.

From City Year to The South Bronx

He began by planning service projects for law firms and corporations in some of New York City’s most under resourced neighborhoods. Joahan enjoyed serving his community and seeing the difference that could be made when people came together. Then, one day, he organized a mural project in honor of a local boy who had passed away from leukemia.

“While we were painting the mural, the boy’s mother broke down and started crying – with all the lawyers and volunteers there – and I realized how much that moment meant to her,” said Johan. “Even to this day she comes by and looks at the mural. We immortalized her son for her. That was really rewarding for me and is why I fell in love with service.”

These experiences help Joahan in his work with the students at Banana Kelly High School, a failing school in the South Bronx. Every day, the students at Banana Kelly are faced with violence, hunger and poverty before they event make it to school. Joahan can relate. But through buildOn, Joahan uses his love of service to show students that they have the power to change their destinies, no matter what life throws at them.

“I wish I had buildOn when I was a student because when they come out to soup kitchens and they serve food to the less fortunate … they start to realize that it takes a community of people to care for each other,” said Joahan. “We all go through our own realities, and I’m open about my mom’s passing and about dropping out of school. Thankfully, I have these experiences that I can communicate in a realistic way with the students. They take it seriously when I tell them how education is important and that you shouldn’t give up on school. I’m speaking from experience.”

With your support Joahan and the buildOn team can empower many more students in New York and around the country, students who are poised to change their lives, and our world.

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Joahan’s Story appeared first on buildOn.

	#10 – Socrates Let’s begin with a classic, the Greek philosopher who used rational inquiry to discover the truth about ethical matters. Not too shabby!
	#9 – Booker T. Washington African-American educator, author, orator, and trusted advisor to presidents of the United States.
	#8 – Anne Sullivan The life-long companion and teacher of Helen Keller, who was deaf-blind. Together they redefined the limits of learning.
	#7 – Fred Rogers One of the most influential educators of the 20th century. Millions of children learned with him by watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
	#6 – Arne Duncan Former professional basketball player. Also, The United States Secretary of Education and former CEO of the Chicago Public Schools.
	#5 – Minerva McGonagall An advocate for unconventional curriculum, extremely dangerous team sports and students embracing change.
	#4 – Neil DeGrasse Tyson Turns the complexities of astrophysics into something fun, interesting and understandable. A fierce advocate for science and the power of learning.
	#3 – Maya Angelou Passionate poet and inspirational educator. Professor of philosophy, ethics, science and more.
	#2 – Madeleine Rios Assistant Principal at Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics, and one of many teachers around the country working with buildOn.
	#1 – Who is Your Education Hero? Which teacher, educator, mentor or friend had the biggest impact on your education? Tell them today! Give them a shout out in the comments section below, or on our Facebook page.

With your support we can empower dozens of new student heroes to thrive through service and education.

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“The reason why people join gangs is because they are scared. I’m like, what are you scared of? For me, since I’ve been a part of buildOn, the only thing I’m scared of is the world not changing.”
– Mo

 
When people describe the South Bronx you often hear phrases like dangerous and gang-ridden, but it’s still shocking when a student like “Mo,” an eternally positive junior from Mott Hall High School, so casually describes the ongoing violence in his neighborhood.

“I live in the projects and I hear shootouts, but that’s normal – most communities in the South Bronx have them,” said Mo. “People fight over the most illogical things, like someone took their bag or someone looked at them the wrong way. Stupid stuff.”

It’s a situation that would be unimaginable in most places across the US. However, for students in under-resourced communities like South and West Chicago, Northeast Detroit, and the nation’s poorest congressional district, the South Bronx, it is merely an everyday reality. When Mo was a freshman one of his older brother’s friends, a boy Mo looked up to, was shot and killed while leaving a party. But this time, the news felt different, it felt personal.

“I was stunned when I heard the news. He was part of a crew and there was someone at the party who disliked him, so they shot him. I mean, you see it all the time, but it’s something different when it’s someone that you know,” said Mo.

But when many might teens turn to gangs for retaliation, or for protection, Mo wasn’t interested. He wanted to try something new, and in his words, “break out of the bubble” he was living in. That’s when he tried buildOn.

His first time doing community service, he prepared and served meals to individuals living with AIDS/HIV at a local hospice. He says that he expected to meet people who looked sad and weak, but was surprised when the people he met were full of life. They were happy and grateful, even in the face of their struggles. Mo loved hearing their stories, and sharing his own. Since that day first day, Mo has gone to the hospice every Wednesday afternoon, and now all the residents now know him by name.

“When I go and do service, I see myself improving the world – one heart at a time. People feel so happy and they have some much love in their hearts for us when we come out to do service; they appreciate everything we do,” said Mo. “Through this I learned to appreciate more of myself, to appreciate what people can do, what humans can do to help another human.”

Even though the obstacles Mo faces in the South Bronx are difficult, he found the strength within himself to rise above it all.

“For me to be a part of something that makes a difference…I have to do it I’m grateful that the buildOn program has allowed me to go through this and walk this journey, without them I think I would be lost,” said Mo. “I’ve been approached by gangs, but I see myself as the opposition. I don’t see the need to join a gang, I would rather be a part of a movement. If you want to be in a gang, join a gang that’s going to make a difference in the world. Make a gang that’s going to help people out. Why harm when you can help?”

With your support we can empower many more students like Mo, students who are poised to change their lives, and our world.

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Mo’s Story appeared first on buildOn.

The road more or less traveled in Nicaragua.

“You used to dance,” she said to me from the front of the room. I gazed up at her from my crossed-legged position on the floor and nodded my head. “I used to dance, ballet mostly,” I confirmed.

“I see you dancing,” she continued, doing an awkward waltz to strengthen her point, then laughed, apologized for her lack of coordination. “You’re in the middle of a circle of children patting them on the head,” she continued, “You’re protecting them. Why did you turn this opportunity down?”

Flustered, I racked my brain for what this stranger could possibly be referring to. “I don’t know?” I offered.

“You’re going to build schools. Like Oprah,” she said definitively, snapping closed the book on the prediction for the next chapter in my life before moving on to the next person in the crowd.

Some people carefully make plans, weighing the pros and cons of the risks and benefits on their decision chart, researching and reading and editing until they have the most logical answer. I consider the advice of psychics.

I let the prediction go, but realized a few weeks later what she was talking about. In January, I had been discussing work with a yoga teacher and traveling with a group of yoga teacher trainees to Nicaragua to build a school for children. But, in January, I had plans to move to California, and I backed out of working with the teacher and the training. I turned the offer down.

I used to dance. Sometimes I still do. Big, brazen dances with strong arms and elongated legs. That creative energy is contained within my four walls in my room, even though I often yearn to break it out and bring the wild dance to the streets.

As January fell into February, which turned into March, I started to be pulled in a direction that could allow me to use more of this creativity: to write, to generate ideas, and to share what I know. I chose not to move to California. I wanted to jump into something else: a project, anything. I wrote to the yoga teacher and asked if I could have a do-over. I wanted in.

As of today, I’m at the 40 hour mark in the 200 hours I need to be a certified yoga teacher, though explaining what we’re doing in those terms minimizes the growth and openness that this training is provoking in me, in 11 other women – and in one calm, anchoring man.

As a group, we’re raising over $100,000 with buildOn to build two schools for children in two villages in Nicaragua. The schools will double as hurricane shelters. The kiddos we will build for are currently taking classes, but they don’t have a quality building where they can learn. As of now, their school looks something like this:

No one is saying that what happens inside of this school is any less important than in any other school, but the village wants a new, bigger, sturdier school so that even more kids can learn and read and play in a safe space. And the kids deserve it. The new school will look something like this:

We will be in the village for a week in February 2014. During that time will get to know the people who live there. We will eat together and play together and build the school together. I predict we might even dance together. I hope we do.

My portion of the school fundraising efforts is $5,000. For more information about the Beyond Asana buildOn Project in Nicaragua and to donate, please visit my fundraising page.

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