Good morning and thank you for coming. My name is Amaris Timmons. I am 10 years old and I am in the 6th grade at Cathedral Academy.
I have attended the Cardinal Shehan Center since I was 4 ½ years old. I participate in the After School Program and Summer Day Camp which allows me to experience really cool things like going to Lake Compounce, seeing the Rockettes in New York City, having a girl zone sleepover at the Center, sailing, golfing, and even being a part of a robotics club. These programs and the counselors are the reason why I have been a member of the Shehan Center for pretty much my whole life. Everybody is so kind to one another and I feel like it’s my second home.
When I was young I would get very frustrated when things were difficult for me. Luckily for me I had this one counselor named Connie who took the time to work with me, and teach me ways to stay calm during these tough situations. Connie explained to me that I won’t always learn everything in one day, and that’s ok, as long as I remain calm and keep trying. This is just one of many examples of how our counselors are really patient with the kids even when we get hyped.
One program that I have loved being a part of at the Shehan Center is the basketball program. I play basketball during the summer and this year I am going to play for the Shehan Center girl’s basketball team. My coaches have taught me skills such as dribbling through my legs and behind my back. They also taught me about sportsmanship. I learned through playing basketball at the Shehan Center that you are not always going to win, but you have to stay positive and not be a sore loser. I learned that losing only helps you get better as a player because you can learn and grow from your mistakes.
Some of my other favorite programs that I have been a part of at the Shehan Center are the Green Warriors and Girl Zone. The Green Warriors is a club that focuses on learning about and helping the environment. We have made bee hives and built bird houses out of recycled water bottles. I was one of the kids who helped start the club. We began by meeting in the board room and talking about how we were going to come up with a really good name to represent ourselves. We all got to put in one possible name and once we narrowed it down to 3 choices, we voted and ultimately chose the name the Green Warriors.
The other program that I have enjoyed is called Girl Zone. We get to meet with Katherine each week and talk about things like having good hygiene, social media, bullying, and inspirational women. I like the topics that we talk about and I really like that no boys are allowed.
I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to participate in the Counselor-in-Training program, which teaches high school students how to work. My goal after completing the program is to be hired as a counselor so that I can help kids in the same way that my counselors have helped me. I hope that the Shehan Center stays open for many more years so that more kids can come and have the same great experience as me.
