Memoir Assignment: Challenges And Rewards

Memoir Assignment
Challenges and Rewards

Have you ever been nervous about your first job? When I was still 14 years old, I decided to go try out for a job that I heard about from my teacher at school. I was so nervous the day I went to the job orientation because at first, I wasn’t sure about going to the orientation because it was my first job and I didn’t think I would get it. When the director of the organization Ms. Selena, and the president of the organization Ms. Regina told me what I needed to do in order to be considered for the job, I started sweating and could feel the heat in that room rise. Everyone was so shocked about all the things we had to get done. I can still remember the president Ms. Regina say, “This will be a hard job

to obtain, and there’s going to be a long road ahead of us.” At first I didn’t even know what they wanted me to do and how they wanted it, because I didn’t know what a job resume was or what a job transcript was, so I was lost. They also told me that I had to write an essay that said why I wanted the job and why I think I would be the best option. The boss Ms. Regina even required us to come to a mandatory community service event in which we had to walk through the streets of Oakland together and pick up trash. After I got home that day, I got right on my computer to see what a job resume was and how to write one. After I understood how to write it, I got straight to work and turned everything in, and awaited the day I had to do the community service.
I can still remember the smell of the dirty trash and also feel the sweat pouring from my head, as the hard sun hit my body. Even though it was a hard task, it was a great experience for me helping out the community, and made me feel like I could make a change. After that, they announced to us that the job interviews would start soon, so that we better start practicing. The day of the interview my dress shirt was sweating a lot as I waited for the interviewer to start. I felt the interview went pretty well because I spoke clearly and answered all the questions. After a few days after the interview, I received a call from the director of the organization, Ms. Selena saying that I have gotten the job and that training would start soon. I can still remember the words from Ms. Selena, as she said, “Emerson, congratulations and be very proud of yourself for going through the long process and receiving the job!”
After a few job trainings the day came when the job started at EOYDC, in which I would help take care of kids and help them throughout a six week program.

When I got there on the first day, I didn’t know where to go and what to do. Right away, I was asked to go and play with the kids that were arriving and start to get to know them. When I saw the kids running around wildly and fighting for the basketballs, I knew that this was going to be a pretty tough job. Once all the kids arrived, the Directors of the program who were going to supervise us Youth Leaders gave us our schedules and also our age group for the kids that each of us were going to be taking care of. I received the 10 and 11 year olds, which I did not know where they were. One of the directors whose name was Devonte told me that we had to scream out our age group to let the kids know where to line up. I’m not to much of a screamer, so it was really difficult to get all the kids in my group to get in line, but thankfully one of my partners, Jada who was going to be helping me screamed really loud to get all of the kids’ attention. “Ten and eleven, get in line right here please!” After that, we took the kids to one of their first

classes.
The first day was really tough for me because none of the kids listened to me or did what I told them to. They were completely out of control and completely ignored me and my partner Jada. All of us Youth Leaders had a meeting on how our first day went, and we talked about the challenges we faced. The meeting made me feel more confident to come the next day to work.
The next day went better because the kids started listening to me more and I started to get to know them better.

I also started to raise my voice a little better and to let them know a I was serious, and it worked. When I told them to get in line, it wasn’t easy, but I got them in line. I also started to learn more about the big building we were in to know where all the classrooms were. After that day, I knew things were going to be rough, but I was going to be okay these six weeks. Throught the six weeks, I faced lots of challenges such as conflicts between the kids and also the kids misbehaving badly, leading me to take them to the office. There were also lots of great moments, for example when we went to field trips to Aquariums, Museums, and also to Six Flags. Six Flags was one of the funnest field trips for the kids and for me, because I haven’t been to Six Flags since I was a little kid, and because I really bonded with my kids a lot. Throughout these six weeks that I worked, I also made new friends and also gained lots of core values, like responsibility, teamwork, patience, and recognition. At the last day of the job, they gave out and award for best worker of the year and they picked me to receive that award. I can still remember Ms. Regina’s words as she said, “Emerson, you have worked really hard these six weeks, and put in a lot of effort to your job, so the Director Team would like to present you with the Youth Leader of the Year award.” That was one of the best

days of my life because it made me feel like I was capable of anything. That was the most money I have ever earned in my life, and it made me feel like I really earned it.