Jeffrey Lewis
Northside Resident
Our work with East High School students through the Pathfinders program is immensely satisfying. Our gatherings blend serious discussions, mentoring and fun activities accompanied by laughter. The students grow closer, working through the challenges of emerging adulthood. All are writing for us; even the most resistant share something of substance about their lives, goals and aspirations, using expressive writing as a tool for healing and self-discovery.
We ask students to think deeply and use specific language, and some student writings take us — and them — into depths of personal reflection we did not expect but welcomed.
One student settled into a rhythm of writing, feedback and revision, thoughtfully reflecting on difficult experiences and why he wants to help others heal. This process, he said, aids his own healing.
Another student shared his definition of a therapist as someone who is “saving another person when they’re drowning, letting others know they aren’t alone … showing a path of healing instead of letting them go down into darkness.”
I was moved by his compassion. When I asked him to develop his essay with examples of why he believes “young men bottle up their emotions,” he said, “This is hard, Doc, but I like it!” The next morning, he emailed his revision, adding, “This honestly was really challenging but I’m not against that, I actually wanna keep it up, so please keep these questions going.”
This engagement shows how youth are empowered when their voices are centered and they are given meaningful opportunities to create positive change.
The young people we work with are lifted by challenge. Despite surface appearances, they have empathy and caring hearts, even when they must “bottle up their emotions” to protect themselves from going “down into darkness.”
One student, in an email titled “Need of healing,” described his effort to help a friend. He listened with love and attention but “broke down” because he “just didn’t know what to say or do.” This vulnerability highlights the need for supportive spaces where they can process pain and find hope.
Our program allows young people surrounded by pain to develop healing relationships — a joy connected to their growth. We give guidance but leave them to find their own path, always surrounded by our love.
