Joseph Makunga
Citrus College, Junior
Food Service Coordinator Chiloquin, 2017
Claremont United Methodist Church
With the start of the summer a melancholy sweeps over me as I recognize the person I am now will transform in nine and a half weeks.
I find myself in awe watching the volunteers transform as the week progresses. The ability of these young people to engulf themselves in this experience astounds me. I know it to be true, because just three years ago I embarked on my first-ever trip with Sierra Service Project. Youth from my church always said what an amazing experience it was, but I was always busy the week my church went.
It was not until the summer after I graduated I had the opportunity to go to my first (and what I thought would be my last) SSP. When we arrived in San Diego, I was a little skeptical as to what to expect of our week, being a first timer. However by Friday, I dreaded leaving site, I could hardly believe the week had gone by so fast. What had seemed strange at the beginning had turned into a routine. I mean, where else would I be able to sand and prime the exterior of a house, and fix holes in drywall?
Never before had I done work like this, but one week later, I felt like I could really make an impact on someone’s life.
Editor’s note: Joseph is a Leadership Academy fellow. His story is the first of the #mySSPstory series highlighting SSP staff leaders and their stories.
