Hunter Jackson, an incoming senior at Franklin Road Academy, Nashville TN, receives the Bellevue Exchange Club's 2008-2009 Youth of the Year Award from Ben Harrison, Chair.

Award Winning Essay 2009, Hunter Jackson, Franklin Road Academy

Of the 70 million youth in America , each youth is an individual, a persona; each youth has his or her own special, unique characteristics. Whether a master debater or skilled athlete, each individual brings his or her own rhythm to the world. A youth’s individual rhythm can be loud and proud or meek and mild. It can be similar to an accepted rhythm, one that is monotonous and accepted, or it can be one that is bold and daring. These rhythms interact and mix to essentially provide the “beat” of America ; a beat which consists of a multitude of thoughts, values, and ideas. It is a constantly changing beat, influenced by each generation, but it re-mains steady and strong.

Personally, I have always wanted for my rhythm to be the bold and daring type; yet, for the majority of my life, I have settled for blending with the masses. I was afraid of the attention it might draw and the strength which it would require to be different. The boldest and strongest rhythms usually have the greatest effect upon a harmony, but I wasn’t ready to be a bold rhythm. I had lived in a great home and attended a great school all of my life so I had no reason to be out of the ordinary. I was stuck at a place where most teenagers and young adults find themselves; I had no grasp upon the true power of my age and leadership potential.

It’s possible that I could have continued on the same path for the rest of my life, oblivious to the un-tapped power of my character, but one particular event opened my eyes indefinitely. It was this past spring on a school-sponsored mission trip, not to anywhere exotic or far off, but instead right within the state of Tennessee. Our group of some thirty students traveled into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in order to refurbish a Baptist children’s summer camp called Camp Tipton . In addition to working on the camp, we also ventured out into the community to do assorted tasks for members of the community.

There are two particular events which have been highlighted in my mind and truly opened my eyes to my potential and the potential of the other students my age. The first event took place on the site of the camp; our task was to build a set of stairs into the side of a hill using old cinder blocks. I was worried because I barely knew anyone on our six-person team and none of us had any idea how to approach the situation. But after many trials and errors, we had finally completed the stairs by the end of the day. In a few short hours we had completed a task through patience and teamwork. Our rhythms were bold that day because we decided we would accomplish this task for someone else. I then realized that in order to influence change in my own world, my rhythm would have to become bold. Our stairs represent the untapped power of mere teamwork and cooperation, and this teamwork, combined with the optimism of the younger generation, can lead to the change which our world needs.

The second event demonstrated to me the capability of our generation and the beneficial impact the young generation could have on our society. Towards the end of our trip, a portion of our group set out to go to a woman’s house and clean her house. Her husband had been sick for many years, therefore, she had never really had the time to clean and it was reflected in the poor condition of the house. But instead of wallowing in the gross condition of the house, our group of students divided and cleaned like madmen; in a single afternoon we accomplished what would have taken her much longer on her own. It was a perfect example of our generation’s potential and capability of influencing the world for the better. Although our cleaning her house was an insignificant act, it was a small step towards bettering our world and it had a profound effect on this woman and her home.

Small steps towards bettering our individual communities will start a chain reaction. Our youthful energy and fresh creativity only add to our potential, and by being proactive members of society we can influence the “beat” of not only our own community but of the world. - Hunter Jackson

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