SEI IS FANTASTICO!!!!

It was just so emotional, all the kids they looked so happy and excited i didn't want to leave.--Me'Shel

Heading to SEI with Ms. Honeycut

I had a marvelous time at SEI. We had a great tour of the building with Ms. Honeycut and a little girl name bradley. --camra

A Day At SEI (Self Enhancement Inc.)

Yesterday we took a tour at SEI. It was so inspirational to see all those hard working children at SEI. I appreciate all of the people at SEI. --Tierra

SEI( Self Enhancement Inc)

Well at SEI I had a marvelous time taking a tour and just getting to know the what SEI is about.I would like to thank Ms. Hunnicutt for everything for the cd's, tour, and books.--Diamond

Dr. Height in our prayers

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr. Height and her friends and family. We are thinking of you even while on our journey. -- The girls

(Photo by Michael Collopy.)

A Touching Experience

Yesterday at the American Red Cross was amazing!!! The tour was awesome and I really enjoyed learning new things. I also learned new things such as what blood consists of and how it is used when it is taken away from people. After the tour we continued to learn as we went to the luncheon. I learned that you may go through some things but you can still be inspirational and do something wonderful things in life. I cannot wait till today! I am still upset this journey is almost over!!!!--Tierra

A Learning Experience

WOW.... Yesterday was so interesting. It was amazing, during the experience at the RED CROSS the girls and i were able to learn the different blood cells in our body, which is the red blood cells, white blood cells and the plasma and platlites. Being able to learn about how people use their blood to save other people is very helpful... But not getting into that it was just great. OMG!!!! Lunch was like extra fun Mrs.Antoinette was really keeping it real. The Lunch was really fun some of the women there shared their stories and then we had tell what youth trek was about but it was really fun and food too..... Now back to seattle to see the Space Needle.--Me'Shel

I Cried Today

A year ago, with the help of really patient and very supportive family and friends, I started Youth Trek based on a few beliefs:

1) That people are generally really, really good.

2) That the country (and maybe the world) is smaller than it seems.

3) That we are all alike in the ways that matter most.

4) That knowing all types of people from many different places can enrich and enhance your life.

5) That some people are born into more opportunity than others and whenever possible, we should try to narrow that gap or at least try to provide equal opportunity.

6) That travel and adventure can lead to experiences that help us renew, refresh, and redefine our thinking to help us grow in ways we never knew we could.

This week, I have the opportunity to put these beliefs to the test. I am traveling with 6 uber cool middle school girls from DC, and 1 uber cool best friend to Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington for the first-ever Youth Trek trip.

We’ve had a great time to date, but today was a truly special day. I am almost at a loss for words to describe the level of hospitality that we received Tuesday in Portland. We spent time with people who went from strangers, to mentors and friends in half a day. You will see more throughout our blog from the girls about our day.

But I want to be sure to thank Antoinette Edwards for organizing the most beautiful and welcoming reception we could have received (not to mention the very best peach cobbler I have ever tasted). She turned a simple tour request for the American Red Cross into a memory that the Youth Trek group will remember for a lifetime. To all of the women who joined our luncheon: your energy, talent, history, and sheer support were inspirational and powerful for everyone involved. You all had a huge impact on our group!

We could post pages and pages on all of the women who shared their stories with the girls -- health care professionals, environmental engineers, bankers, writers, doctors, social workers, education professionals, businesswomen, political professionals, and innovators. Below is just a quick note about two of the women who joined us today:

1) Renee Mitchell

Renee shared a beautiful poem and song to start the afternoon that captivated us all.

2) Miki Hunnicutt with SEI

Following our luncheon, Miki invited us over to Self Enhancement, Inc. to meet some middle school students from Portland and tour their facilities. It was a wonderful opportunity for both groups to interact and to learn a little more about each other. The SEI team offers impressive services and results. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, the generosity (new reading books!) and hospitality of Miki and the entire SEI team. You’ll hear more about our visit there soon from the girls.

Thank you to everyone at the Oregon Red Cross, to Antoinette, and to Miki and SEI for making today so special for everyone from Youth Trek. --Jessica

Thank You Francisco!

The WONDERFUL lunch at RED CROSS!

When we walked in we had a hand clap. We did sister to sister, which is when one sister says something and the other sisters repeat it back. Then we got lunch. the first person to speak was A poet and her name was Ms.Renee. Then we heard other women speak which was very inspiring. Today we had a WONDERFUL DAY!!--Tenaj

Red Cross

Today at Red Cross we learned about the The four blood types. They are o, a, b, and ab blood. We went to the lab down stairs of the building and saw blood in bags and the freezer. Our tour giude was a man and his name was Francisco. When we walked in there was a welcome banner for use with our names on it. We met the CEO of the componey. We met a lot of people. Today was WONDERFUL! --Tenaj

the lunch in at the american red cross

the lunch in was so emotional. We learned about different people who went through different situations. some people lost some people in their family and grew up poor on the streets. Does that sound sad or what??? now let me tell you about the dinner, the dinner felt like you were on cloud 9. i am so serious. it had the best taste. today was amazinnnnng! --camra

american red cross

well today was great.we had a great tour in the American red cross. we had learned about the 4 types of blood which is:

• the o blood
• the a blood
• the b blood
• and last but no least the ab blood

Also we had a great tour guide and his name was Mr.Francisco. he explained everything nice and clear. we saw basically everything about red cross. Such as the place were they take blood from your body and where they storage the blood. it was pretty nasty but, I enjoyed it!!!!!!!!!! today was another wonderful day!!!! --camra

WOW!!!!!

today was the best day ever. we went to red cross it was so fun when we arrived they had a banner that had WELCOME YOUTH TREK and it had all of our named on it. we got a tour from a man named Mr.Franscio he was very fun. we learned when red cross does. it is wonderful how a company can make an impact in someones lives. after that we went to the lunch that they prepared for us it was wonderful. they had picture frames with our named in them and they went around the table and the speakers talked about what they do it was really fun we talked about how African American sisters can really make a difference. and the girls from youth trek had a chance to speck and when it was my turn i spoke on how i made new friends and how i was growing a relationship with everyone there. today was very very fun the best of all i wish that we could stay here for life.--Shawna

The Touching Stories Of our Sisters

Today we got a chance to meet our sisters and have lunch with them. The food is was very delicious and filling especially the barbeque chicken and yes Ms. Barry we ate vegetables. Most importantly we had a to hear the stories of a couple of young ladies and tell what they do and like their background. But one in particular was very touching she talked about being homeless and how now she turned out to be doing things and giving back. Also we got a chance to share our backgrounds with them and tell how and what youth trek is doing for us and how we feel about one another. But overall it was a good opportunity to talk to and relate to one another.--Diamond

The Sensational Day At Red Cross

Well today was pretty awesome. We got an opportunity to visit Red Cross and how things work down at the center. What I learned was the 3 main areas that Red Cross focuses on and that is:

1. Blood Donor

2. Training

3. Disasters

Also the most common disaster they deal with are house fires and they are usually caused by leaving things such as candles, stoves,furnaces and fireplaces unattended. We had an opportunity to meet the staff and to hear what they think so far about them just being at Red Cross. --Diamond

oregon here i come

today was a big day.It all started when we all woke up at 5:30am getting ready to hit the road to oregon. it took us 2 hours to get to portland, Oregon. We had went to the nike center. it was awesome.We looked at pictures of the founders who founded nike. there were alot of plaques of different people who wore nike shoes.today was amazing!!! --camra

wonderful NIKE

Nike is huge. They have build 17 building for all there works. All 17 are named after famous athleths. There is s lake that separates the buildings. The lake is 10 feet long and 6 inches deep. Nike has signed a contract with Tiger Woods. There is a building named after Tiger Woods. --Tenaj

A Day In Portland

It all started as we woke up early in Seattle. We got ready and packed and we were on our way to Portland to have the time of our lives. As we entered Oregon we all were so excited! I absolutely loved going to Nike today. It was the best. The campus was HUGE and I couldn't wait to start our tour. We started with some wonderful lunch and we were on our way around the campus. We learned about the history of Nike and saw all the different buildings around campus and their uses. As we left the tour of Nike we headed to the Nike store so excited. I bought a nice pair of shorts that I love. After that, we came to the gorgeous hotel and had a great conversation with Mrs. Barry. Can't wait because there is so more to come. --Tierra

part two

Today we drove to Seattle. the ride was so much fun. we all were asleep. we went to the Nike factory and we learned all about Nike. after that we went to the employee Nike store [were everything is cheaper than in regular stores] and i bought my family some shirts. i hope that they like them. we checked into the hotel and we just relaxed and freshened up. tonight we are going to have dinner with ms. Marvin and we will all have fun. i cant wait until tomorrow.there is so much to look forward to. --Shawna

Nike Town(Head Quarters)

Today was very educational and fun. We got an opportunity to explore the nike campus which is the head quarters in Portland, Oregon. We found out that Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight were the inventors of nike.It was really amazing how Bill Bowerman got the idea of making the sole of a nike running shoe based on how the waffle maker is formed. If you ever get a chance to look at the two you can see the similarity. Also the campus has 17 buildings and can fit to at least about 5,000 people. WOW! Lastly the nike store was great. They had really cheap prices especially for new shoes that just came out they were very cheap. But overall it was a great experience and I really had a nice time.--Diamond

Nike Today....

NIKE'S CAMPUS

WOW! Okay so today was like so much better than yesterday, we all woke up early this morning and drove 1 to 2 hours into portland. When we got to the Nike Campus i was so suprised. It was HUGE, AMAZING, FANTASTIC, Biggest campus i've ever seen. The Campus itself has 17 buildings and able to fit 5,000 people in it, and some of the buildings have the names after people such as: Pete Sampers, John McEnroe, and they had the Tiger Woods Center too. I really had fun with my peers but they're more like sisters and i can't wait until TONIGHT.--Me'Shel

Plane Ride

When the plane left the ground and went into the sky it was BEAUTIFUL. When we reached the clouds it looked it heaven. The plane ride was so smooth it felt like it was not moving. I ate a muffin, the muffin was very very good. I went to sleep. Once it was time to land the site was WONDERFUL. You could see the buildings and trees. The landing was very smooth, and this was my first time flying.--Tenaj

A Journey To Seattle

It all started when I woke up at 4:20 in the morning extremely tired but still excited. We drove to Dulles airport all the girls anxious and ready to be on our way. I was really excited because this would be my first time all the way across the country. We got through all the commotion and was ready to board the plane. We boarded the airport really excited and ready to go. When we got there it was like a dream. We saw the beautiful mountains, beautiful trees, and absolutely gorgeous water. The market I would say was the best part of today. The wonderful diversity of the market and all the different types of food, jewelry, clothes, etc. The food was delicious. We finally got to the magnificent, may I add huge hotel. We got settled, enjoyed our rest and this was day one. --Tierra

Diamond's Experience

Omg!! The plane ride was awesome. Especially when it's your first time on an actual plane. When we first pulled off i was kind of nervous but then when we went into the air it wasn't nothing to it. But i had gotten light-headed and went to sleep, we barely made it into the clouds and i was already sleep. But Oh! The procedure for boarding the plane was hectic and security was quite some fun we had to strip of everything, well not everything but our shoes jackets jewelry to much. But when we were in the clouds of the little i saw it was very beautiful. It felt like heaven or you could imagine that's how heaven would look. I felt as though i was on top of the world!! Seattle is so beautiful and "Oh the places you'll go". We ate at a place called Pikes Place Market and it was fantastic. The food was delicious and the market was amazing. They were doing the fish tosses and it was interesting.-- Diamond

Seattle's many colors...

I couldn't wait to meet the girls this morning... and it was just what I expected! They were eager and open and had their eyes wide open. It's been great seeing and hearing all these new experiences through their words and responses. Pikes Place Market was full of smells, and sounds (yes... we did stop to 'feel' the music) and beautiful colors. Seattle is incredible - despite the rain... and I cannot wait for tomorrow! -- Miss Andrea

Seattle's View

Based on what i've seen in Seattle for the first time, I was just so excited. It is just so BEAUTIFUL, especially the water and mountains. It has so many heels and that was suprising. There so many people and in the markets there were so many flowers, but the people in Seattle are so kind from what i see..... I CANT WAIT UNTIL TOMORROW!!!! --Me'Shel

My First Day in Seattle

well first we woke up early in the morning,at like 4:30 or 5:00 to go to the airport.It was a rush!!! There was a big crowd of people and the longest line in the world. You would have to move very swiftly.The plane ride was the best. It was very smooth.When we arrived at the airport getting ready to get something to eat we met a lady named Ms. Andrea. She is the best.We went to different places such as the market and to a restaraunt. Seattle is way different from Washington D.C. Seattle is like the streets of San Francisco.Long hills, big buildings.washington D.C. just has alot of stores and all that good stuff. This was the best first day in Seattle. --camra

The First Day of a Wonderful Adventure!

Today is the first day of my wonderful adventure. The plane ride was so long and i was half sleep on the plane ride. we went to Pikes Place Market. It was so fun. when we got to our hotel we just relaxed it was so so fun i cant wait until tomorrow. --Shawna

Youth Trek Takes Off...

10 Hours to wheels up!