STORIES OF IMPACT | Britany H.
How CatRock Changes Perspectives — In More Ways Than One
"I never thought I would ever do something like this. But I did do it. So I feel like I'm more open to learning new things and trying new things,” says Britany H., a sophomore student at Health Opportunities High School in the Bronx.
Over a year into her adventures with CatRock, the 15-year-old Bronx native has snowboarded, slept in a hammock, camped out under the stars, crossed ice-cold streams, and cleaned up hiking trails in Montana — as well as making new friends and picking up a boatload of skills along the way.
Before learning about CatRock Ventures, Britany, like many of her peers, hadn’t ever left New York City. And she wasn’t sure if any of this was really for her, especially since she didn’t consider herself a social person.
Today, she’s all for jumping into new experiences with both feet. Her advice to others? "Take a big leap and throw yourself into new experiences. Just try it out. Even if you don't like the new experience, at least you're learning that you don't like something instead of just never knowing."
Britany at Big Snow learning how to snow board with fellow CatRock students.
She got into her groove at school, made more friends, and even strengthened her relationship with her teachers. This is a common outcome for CatRock participants, since the programming is specifically designed to build healthy, productive relationships that lead to positive developmental outcomes.
Britany developed more and more of that can-do spirit with every CatRock opportunity, starting with the 2021 Bike-a-thon on the Bronx River Parkway in Westchester, New York. "I enjoyed it. I went with my friend and that really brought us closer together."
Her first big outing with CatRock was a snowboarding trip. Everything about it was a new experience for Britany, even slipping on the boots. "They were so chunky!”
She was a little intimidated at first, especially since everyone else on the trip had some experience on the slopes. "They all seemed like they knew what they were doing. They got their snowboards, they had their helmets on and everything. And I was just so new. I didn't know at all what was happening or what I was doing.”
One of the teachers on the trip offered up some encouragement, reminding Britany that everyone has to start from somewhere. That gave her the confidence to brave the slopes for the very first time. “I didn't want to fall, but at some point, I had to muster up the courage and just go. So I went. And fell. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. And once I fell, I just felt like I could keep going."
Britany, Youth Leadership Academy Student, and Abiola, Mentor Volunteer, on a lunch break during the Montana Service Project
Helping young people stretch their horizons and step out of their comfort zones is just one of the ways CatRock volunteers and alumni foster independence and confidence in students. And that momentum stayed with Britany well after the trip was over. She got into her groove at school, made more friends, and even strengthened her relationship with her teachers. This is a common outcome for CatRock participants, since the programming is specifically designed to build healthy, productive relationships that lead to positive developmental outcomes.
Then came an opportunity to join a week-long adventure in Vermont, where she would plant trees and participate in other hands-on outdoor environmental education activities. To Britany, just the thought of being in a different place, outside of the city, was something totally new and exciting. Another highlight was receiving a jacket, donated by Patagonia, with a personalized name patch, that she learned to sew on herself. "It felt really cool, because I did this myself. It wasn't somebody else just giving me this. I got to make it."
This past summer, Britany reached the summit of CatRock’s Youth Leadership Academy through a capstone service project in Montana, where she cleaned up overgrown hiking trails. Unlike Jay Peak, where students bunked in cabins, this trip offered full-on wilderness immersion. But it didn’t take long for her to embrace every aspect of the experience: sleeping in a hammock, getting up early, grabbing a hard hat and tools and braving the great outdoors. "After finishing the trail, we got to see what we worked on and walk the same trail. It was a rewarding experience, with all the views up there. It was so beautiful."
But perhaps the biggest takeaway of all is the new perspective she has on inclusion, equity, and social justice. When asked how she would convince a friend to join a CatRock service project, Britany had this to say: "The environment is for you, for everybody. Like, why not help out other people? Because this [investment in our community] is going to affect, you know, everybody."