This summer as a Youth Advocate has been an amazing new learning experience. First and foremost, I learned the importance of leadership. Nothing could have happened without someone taking charge, helping us make plans, and insisting we set goals. Jessie, our irreplaceable supervisor and friend, has been a pivotal part of our developing a campaign. She taught us the hardships of making change, but also the nobility of doing work to better the community. She put together the details of our campaign activities for a car-free Prospect Park while allowing us to make decisions based on what we think would work.

We had lots of fun dressing up as trees and in bubble wrap costumes to entertain the crowd, clocking cars on television, going to barbecues, handing out iced tea, and getting signatures -- all to reach our goal of a car-free park. When times were rough, when park-goers were unresponsive and postcards weren't being filled, I'd always remember the famous quote Frederick Douglass once said that a park-goer once passed on to me, "Without struggle, there's no progress." So we struggled, we survived, and we were triumphant -- managing to collect and deliver over ten thousand postcards and go out in a giant blaze at a spectacular rally with a booming marching band and the masses of supporters on our side.

This has been a wonderful summer, filled with all the exciting events that have happened and incredible people I've met. I'm definitely going to miss this job tremendously. I'll never forget all the lessons I learned working here, at Transportation Alternatives, in the offices of councilmembers, in Prospect Park and on the steps of City Hall -- perhaps the most important lesson I've learned about getting people to listen to the important things is simply: Smile. It'll make your day and someone else's.