Detention Center Week 1 Reflection

The first thing I noticed when pulling up was the court building next to the detention center, which we were told was connected so that’s how I knew we had arrived. I was a bit surprised at how we needed permission to enter each doorway we came across. While the atmosphere made it clear it was a detention center, I liked how there was art and paint on the walls and doors which made it feel less so. The staff were friendly but when it came time to separate me, the only girl, from everyone else, I was a bit nervous. I entered a classroom with three girls and was immediately unsure what to do. I sat down feeling out of my depth but tried my best to smile. I was definitely thrown for a loop because being separated was not in our expectations for how this would go.

I talked with one girl who I had a good time chatting with. At first we didn’t even talk about stories, but our interests and college life. She was very curious about college life and my major. We had an animate discussion about books because we both love reading. We both like sci-fi and talked about some of that genre. I can tell she loves learning and she told me about her ambitions for college. When we did talk about stories, she followed the storytelling model perfectly. I went first and talked about something hard I did for the first time, which was working out. She followed up with a story about roller blading.

While I had a rough start, I felt much more confident by the end and although I didn’t talk much to the other two girls in my group, I enjoyed talking with one of them. I think my group is more willing to do storytelling so I think I can handle it myself in the next few weeks. As I left, I said goodbye to my partner and said I hoped to see her again next week and she said I would. It is my hope that my presence brightens up their day as we continue visiting.