ROBIN NASBY
Living Assistant
“The first day I went to volunteer I walked in the classroom and recognized one of the boys. I had gone to junior high with him. I had not seen him since we were in school and seeing him for the first time in a little less than ten years in a detention center was a little shocking,” said sophomore Tiffany Enciso Williams of her first day volunteering at Camp David Gonzalez.
Five years ago, Pepperdine professor Dr. LeeAnn Carroll was preparing for a new program, the Social Action And Justice (SAAJ) curriculum, and was searching for a local volunteer project to supplement the class.
A few miles away, Pepperdine alumnus Ty Kastendiek was teaching juvenile inmates at Camp David Gonzalez in Malibu Canyon and was in need of volunteer tutors and mentors for his students. Camp David is a juvenile probation camp that equips young men with a basic education while they serve their time.
One afternoon, Kastendiek decided to call Professor Carroll and discuss a volunteer program for her and her new class, unaware of her personal search for an opportunity just like this.
By the time the conversation was over, a lasting partnership between Pepperdine and Camp David was born.
“It was like it was meant to be. It was perfect because the school is nearby and it is a need,” recalled Carroll.
Today, Pepperdine students volunteer at Camp David by tutoring the young men in basic English and Math during class time and by providing the simple task of listening, according to Carroll.
“You see over the course of a semester that relationships develop. The young men open up and want to talk about where they are in life” added Carroll.
Senior Sarah Stone volunteered at Camp David last year and spent hours mentoring the young men and learning about their future plans and goals.
“One afternoon, I was helping a student research community college when he told me he had never had anybody want to help him before,” said Stone.
Many of the young men have been arrested and passed through the system without ever being taught to read or given much guidance counseling, according to Stone.
“At Camp David, the students are placed there because they’ve gotten into some pretty serious trouble… The students are confined there and to have personal interaction is important for them” added Carroll.
As is common with many beginning Camp David volunteers, Enciso-Williams was intimidated by the inmates initially, “the warnings they gave us and some of the stories they told us scared me a little. After volunteering, that all definitely went out the window. I never feared for my safety while being in there,” said Enciso-Williams.
Although the program is focused on the growth of the young men, many volunteers say their experience at Camp David with a lesson or two of their own.
“I definitely learned more about tolerance while working with the boys. I was always quick to judge them without knowing their situations,” said Enciso-Williams.
“After having conversations with some of them, I started to realize that I have no place to do that, and it’s unfair to them to do so.”
Brooke Anderson, student coordinator for Camp David, encourages students to volunteer because the program provides an open dialogue between two isolated communities.
“The lives of these boys are so different from ours, but volunteering at Camp David gives Pepperdine students a glimpse into their world,” said Anderson, who is returning from studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany.
“Camp David is a great opportunity for Pepperdine students; especially those interested in teaching, social justice issues, the judicial system, or making an impact on the youth of this world,” said Anderson.
“Volunteering is something I think everyone should definitely make an effort to do. You’re not only helping others but you learn about yourself as well,” said Enciso-Williams.
The Classroom Literacy Project requires a semester-long commitment from Pepperdine students in which the volunteer visits the camp for a few hours each week, according to Carroll. Volunteers may also enroll in Eng 590.01 to earn up to two units for their service at Camp David. Please contact the Pepperdine Volunteer center at ext. 4143 for further information.
08-27-2007