Voices of buildOn: Dakota Garcia
Thank you to all who attended the 2010 buildOn Breakfast, Thursday, May 6th. The annual event raised more than $380,000 in support of buildOn’s Chicago after-school programs and was attended by over 600 of the city’s most influential business and civic leaders.
The breakfast celebrated the 5th anniversary of buildOn’s programs in Chicago. Through buildOn, these students are not only changing their communities, but their own lives as well. This year’s program featured speaker Dakota Garcia, a buildOn student from Roberto Clemente High School. Below is the speech Dakota shared with the buildOn Breakfast audience.
Hello, although I am currently in 9th grade, I just earned my 8th grade diploma. This was a real accomplishment for me! Today, I am here to tell you a story, this is a buildOn story, but more importantly this is my story.
I was a kid who grew up on the street, it was first come first serve. I was able to survive without much food and water, and I learned how to take pain head on without making a fuss. I learned not to trust anyone or anything except my brother. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen my brother for 4 years, I don’t know where he is or if he is even alive.
At a young age I joined the same gang that my brother was in. When I was 7 and my brother was 12 we were arrested for car theft, trespassing, and for breaking and entering. From ages 7 thru 9, I was on house arrest with my brother. We were homeschooled by my adopted grandfather but at night, we dismantled our ankle bracelets and continued to hang out with the gang.
When my adopted grandmother passed away, they found my biological family and I moved in with my grandmother and younger brother. I had never met my biological family and my unexpected return has been challenging for all of us.
One day in school, a teacher came to me and told me about buildOn. I came to the first project, which turned out to be FUN! So I started to come to all the projects. In fact, I have not missed one project.
On Martin Luther King Day, I volunteered at a senior center. I could really relate to this group of people. In the past, I felt the isolation that the senior citizens were feeling now. We talked about how they were raised and I listened to stories about their travels. It was good for me. I learned that it is important to do what you can do to help others. We had a good time there and I know that they enjoyed our visit because they asked when we were coming back.
Since my involvement in buildOn, I have already done 15 projects and contributed 76 hours of service. My goal for this year is to contribute more than 100 service-learning hours in my community!!
Throughout my experience I’ve learned that it is important not only to be a team but also to act as a family. In time, a team will break apart, while a family stays together no matter what hardship comes their way. I’ve learned to trust myself and to be open to new experiences.
I love helping the community and in return I have become better in school. This helps me to stay off the streets and keeps me from hanging around my old friends – gangbangers, drug dealers, and dropouts. Now all my close friends, which are like family to me, are the people my buildOn Program at Roberto Clemente.
Yes, I was a gangbanger and yes I smoked and drank. Through buildOn I have learned there is more to me than that. Since I took my first step towards service on Oct 24th 2009, I knew I had the power to change. This is how buildOn made a difference in my life and now I KNOW I can make a difference in other people’s lives!!!
Written by Dakota Garcia