ADVOT in Action

As of this spring, I’ve been working with young people for 20 years. In all that time, I can count on one hand the students I’ve stayed in touch with. It’s staggering to realize that the youth I met at the start of my career are now in their 20s and 30s—fully grown adults building lives and careers of their own.

This session at Camp Kilpatrick, we met a remarkable young woman.

She stood out immediately: focused, engaged, and quietly confident. She threw herself into every activity with enthusiasm and good humor. When she shared her story, she did so with honesty and self-awareness. There was no self-pity in her telling—just a clear-eyed understanding of where she had been and where she wants to go.

During one session, she called out a classmate for being disrespectful to us as facilitators. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She simply expected better. She modeled accountability and leadership, setting a tone she hoped others would follow. In truth, I’ve rarely met a young person with such self-assurance and clarity.

She told us she had an upcoming court date, and Naomi and I agreed to write a letter of recommendation on her behalf, highlighting the leadership, maturity, and character we had witnessed during our time together. We made sure she received the letter before her hearing.

The following week, I was reassigned to a different cottage and didn’t get a chance to see her. As I was leaving the facility, I heard someone call my name.

“Annie!”

I recognized her voice through the fence at her unit.

“Oh my gosh, hi! I’m so sorry I didn’t come see you today. They switched me to a new unit.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “Thank you so much for your letter!”

“You’re welcome! How did it go?”

“I got sentenced to another six weeks.”

My heart sank.

Sometimes things don’t go the way we expect. Sometimes they don’t go the way we hope—or the way we believe they should.

“I’m sorry,” I told her. “I’m disappointed.”

“It’s okay,” she replied.

It wasn’t okay. But there was nothing either of us could do at that moment.

I may never know what happens next for her. Most likely, our paths will never cross again.

But after 20 years, I’ve learned that hope has to be part of the work too.