We requested Daniela Kunkel-Linares, our former Senior Youth Coordinator and Libby, our former Youth Environmental Activists! (YEA!) member and Youth Workforce Intern to mirror on their time in this system and their relationship as they transfer on to new adventures. They took the chance to write down letters to one another. The next displays the ability of co-mentorship fashions in youth work.
I actually can’t imagine it has been three years since I first logged onto my first YEA assembly. Three years that may be measured in hours on zoom conferences and within the sunny room, or in Alma receipts, or in massive giggles and large cries. Three years which have been stuffed with Youth Local weather Justice Summits, wins and disappointments with the Local weather Justice Schooling Invoice, a visit to New Orleans, and a number of studying. So many issues come to thoughts after I take into consideration YEA and what it has meant to me, however I believe the factor that has stood out probably the most to me has been the relationships I’ve constructed.
After I began at Local weather Technology, Jason and Sarah (former youth employees and mentors/mates to me) launched me to the thought of co-mentorship. I had by no means heard about it earlier than however the extra I realized, the extra I spotted it was a mannequin of youth work that I had been working towards.
It’s a youth work mannequin that believes that youth and adults can observe relationships of mutuality and reciprocity that counters the dominant narrative that adults have issues to show kids and youngsters have issues to study from adults. It permits us to lean into the idea that all of us have one thing to study from one another, regardless of our age.
Co-mentorship and all relationship work is a few of the most transformative components of motion work. White supremacy tradition calls for shallow and transactive relationships. Mentorship and deep relationships are the antidote to white supremacy and is important to profitable motion work.
As Aurora Levins Morales writes in her GOATED essay The Politic of Childhood, “the oppression of kids is the wheel that retains all different oppressions turning. With out it, distress must be imposed afresh on every new era as a substitute of being handed down like a hereditary sickness.”
To fight white supremacy tradition we MUST deal with our younger individuals otherwise. We’ve got to encourage, mannequin, and embody relationships which might be trusting, mutual, reciprocal, loving, understanding, and stuffed with gratitude.
Working towards co-mentorship has created a few of the most significant relationships I’ve with younger individuals. My relationship with Libby being certainly one of them. Libby and I’ve gotten to know one another during the last three years. Libby was a youth participant within the YEA program and has been interning with CG this previous yr. As we each transition to new alternatives we took a while to mirror on what this expertise collectively has meant to us.
Libby’s Letter
Dearest daniela,
The place even to start! I can’t even image what my life could be like if I didn’t meet you. The serendipity of our lives intersecting once they did leaves me in awe. Having the ability to develop alongside you for the previous three years has been an awesome pleasure in my life that shall be perpetually part of how I work together with the world on daily basis. After I first met you I used to be a junior in highschool with none concept of what my life could be, simply beginning to study what a group might be via YEA! You had simply graduated from faculty and moved out of Redmond. Now I’m going to be a sophomore in faculty transferring into Redmond with much more of a grasp on who I’m but additionally the infinite journey that it’s to determine that out; when you are additionally transferring on to the following step in your life, as we each step away from a spot that has been so essential to us each. There’ll by no means be a day that I see Alma, or Redmond, or a yellow bike, or Nolte, or the writing heart, or a backyard with out pondering of you. I’ve realized a lot about easy methods to reside a significant and wealthy life simply by current alongside you. You encourage me a lot along with your care and skill to attach.
I keep in mind after I was first speaking in entrance of the legislature on the capital. I used to be so scared. I knew that I might look over and see your variety face smiling again at me, and that gave me the braveness to do one thing so scary. You additionally had been the primary particular person to stroll me via campus after I was deciding I’d be going to the College of Minnesota. I had by no means imagined that will be the college I used to be going to however strolling round with you and listening to you discuss fondly of your time made me really feel okay about it. With out your help I’d by no means have been capable of settle for that a part of faculty with such open arms.
Additionally, it’s actually wonderful how we have now been capable of be at such completely different locations and but discover a lot frequent floor and be there for one another. Every part feels so full circle and so meant to be. Each Wednesday after I noticed you sitting in one of many cubicles it felt like a weight was lifted. Evidently I seemed ahead to it each week. I felt so honored to have the ability to have that point with you. I really imagine that this previous yr taught me a lot about connection and the way essential it’s to me. It was all of the little moments that present how insightful you’re and of the way you helped me develop as an individual. Collectively we had been capable of actually mirror and develop and work on turning into higher organizers and extra forgiving individuals. The vulnerability we shared whereas interrogating whiteness, taught me that robust conversations could be an important ones, and persons are imperfect, and it’s okay to be imperfect. I deeply linked with doing the following smartest thing and realized to permit perfectionism to fall on the wayside and to lean into what is actually essential to me.
I believe it’s most telling that each one the individuals in my life learn about daniela. My gratitude goes past something that I might write down in a letter. You actually have been the older sister I by no means had, and I’ll at all times maintain that love with me. I’m wishing you all one of the best in your subsequent journey. I’m so pleased with you and so excited for you! And I’ll miss you endlessly.
All my love,
Libby
Daniela’s Letter
Libby!
Are you able to imagine that it’s been three years! I can’t! Time has moved each so quick and so sluggish over these years. A lot has modified and in addition stayed the identical. It’s humorous to consider how issues in life really feel cyclical. After we met I used to be simply ending up on the U, residing on College ave, and obsessive about Alma. And now, right here you’re! About to start out yr two on the U, residing on College ave, and obsessive about Alma. I’m so pleased with you and all of the methods I’ve watched you progress into deeper alignment with your self, your values, and your group during the last three years.
I so vividly keep in mind assembly you IRL for the primary time on the youth strike. It was pouring rain, I used to be nervous to fulfill you all, and the employees on the capital had been giving us such a tough time concerning the sound. The day was hectic and thrilling and I keep in mind you being so instantly open to trusting me to help you. I really feel so grateful for that second as a result of it helped me lean into my new function.
I additionally keep in mind the battle that occurred that day with one other organizer. I keep in mind there have been a pair YEA conferences you missed and questioning if every part was okay. After we linked about that have, I used to be so honored to have gotten to listen to your insightful reflection. You talked a lot about ego in a means that jogged my memory of the deeply private work that being in group asks of us. It was so clear to me that you just had been wanting to do this work, and that’s one thing so unbelievable about you. You realize so intuitively what it takes to be in group and you’re so open, so adaptive to suggestions, and so caring to your self in the way you try this work.
I’m so grateful for all of the issues that we have now gotten to do collectively! A number of Youth Local weather Justice Summits, a number of time on Zoom and within the sunny room, going to New Orleans, and naturally a lot Alma time! I’m so grateful that my time at YEA has been constantly stuffed with time and experiences, and learnings with you. We’ve got each grown a lot, it’s been so significant to mirror collectively on that. I believe it’s so unbelievable how a lot we have now been capable of join with one another.
We’ve got explored co-mentorship via our time as a youth participant and a youth mentor, and as co-workers, and now as we transition to a non-work friendship! We’ve got discovered ourselves, at every iteration, grounded in a relationship of reciprocity, gratitude, and mutuality. The transition from you being in this system to being alumni was undoubtedly one which I used to be not sure about. I used to be not sure how we might shift to completely different boundaries, completely different wants, and completely different experiences.
And it has been so unbelievable. This yr, having the ability to discuss so vulnerably about whiteness, organizing, and solidarity collectively. I do know we had been solely capable of discuss these issues so overtly due to the scaffolding we had constructed over the earlier two years. I realized a lot from you about assembly individuals we love in our lives with curiosity and encouragement. I’m always reminded by you that it’s okay to put on my coronary heart on my sleeve. I’ve realized a lot from you about constructing actual belief with one another. There have been so many moments of honesty and care that had been such reminders to me that belief is constructed over time. It’s fabricated from many moments of displaying up constantly, sharing pleasure, and studying about one another’s lives. I’m so grateful to you for that reminder.
Libby, I’m so excited for us each as we transfer to new issues, and I can’t imagine it’s the top of each of our occasions in YEA. I’ll miss you and YEA a lot. I knew going into youth work that the factor that was most significant to me was the relationships I’d get to construct with younger individuals. I’m so grateful for this friendship. I can’t await the following time we discover ourselves at Alma once more! Thanks for every part!
