Towards the end of the second week of the program, I was cleaning up the classroom after the last student had been picked up when a woman passed by and stopped to ask what I had been teaching over the past two weeks. She said she had been intrigued since the first week and was amazed to see how quickly the classroom had transformed—from quiet and timid to filled with students eagerly asking questions, laughing at our games, and delivering speeches of their own.

Up until that point, the second week had felt stressful. I was managing an even larger class than the first week, juggling the challenge of helping new students catch up while continuing to push returning students forward—all while balancing a wide age range, from 11 to 17. But in that moment, her words gave me pause and made me reflect on just how much this program had accomplished in such a short time.

Students who once shuddered at the idea of saying their name in front of the class were now eagerly asking if they could debate me during our next activity. I cannot fully express what a challenge—but more importantly, what a joy—it has been to found this program.

That same woman asked if I had plans to expand the initiative virtually or to offer it to adults. And when students the next day asked whether the program would continue, I told them I hoped to teach it again in New York. One student replied, “I need to go to New York.”

Reflecting on week two fills me with gratitude for how far we've come—and with even more determination to ensure this summer is not the end. The Voices in Action Initiative will undoubtedly continue, and I hope its mission of empowering youth voices will reach far more people than I ever imagined when I first envisioned it.