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Public speaking and pushing comfort zone boundaries!

Public speaking and pushing comfort zone boundaries!

Molly wants to become a psychologist or a writer. She was referred to the RAMP program by teachers and staff because they wanted her to gain experience working with others and have additional peer support. Like many RAMP youth, Molly has a more difficult time adjusting and making friends. She has been involved in RAMP since January 2016.

At the start of her RAMP experience, Molly would consistently think and talk negatively about herself with little hope for the future. Over time, she has become increasingly optimistic, and she now looks forward to attending sessions, meeting with her mentors, and working with other youth. She is also very optimistic about her future now and actually sees herself attending college. She is enthusiastic and works with others more effectively, having learned how to compromise. Since her involvement in RAMP she has become close to other youth in the program and joined school sports teams. Her mentor could not believe the dramatic transformation that she’s seen in Molly.

With the help of her mentor and teachers, Molly applied to an internship program and was selected for an interview. She prepared for the interview with other RAMP youth and had the help of her mentor. Although she was not selected, she is optimistic and has narrowed down her career interests drastically. Now that she has an idea of the career path that she wants to pursue, her mentor provided her with a website to search schools and learn more about programs that she is interested in.

A huge step for Molly came when she was selected to speak at Ability Connect Colorado’s 70th anniversary celebration. Even though she was, she was encouraged by her mentor. Afterward, she was very happy that she had done it.

Here is Molly’s speech:
“RAMP has helped me through school and even outside of school. I am grateful to have been in the program for 2 years. One of the reasons why I enjoy being in RAMP is that I get pushed out of my comfort zone. The fact that I’m standing right here talking to a bunch of people proves it… In RAMP we work on long term and short term goals but it’s not all work, it’s a group of people where everyone is accepted. My favorite part of RAMP is the people and how they push us to aim higher and believe that we can achieve our goals. Before RAMP I had no idea what I wanted to do but as I went I started to get more of an idea. We go and see lines of work we are interested in and they give us an inside look that we wouldn’t get unless we were working there or became an intern. I have moments when I say “ohhh I wonder if I can do this too.” I have two main interests now. I would like to be a psychologist because I am interested in the brain, how we think and how we are all different. My other interest is writing because it’s what I love with all my heart. Without RAMP I would have crossed off writing as a career long ago but they believe I can and I am starting to believe I can too. In the future I hope to write a fiction novel and be a psychology major in college.”