STORIES OF IMPACT | Destyny G.
A Shy, Self-conscious Teen Found Her Voice at CatRock
It was the best English class ever. Destyny’s teacher, Mr. Healy, introduced Craig from CatRock. “I was so excited,” she recalls. “They were going to talk about outdoors, hiking, all those cool things. Coming from the Bronx, you don't really go out a lot, she explains. I just went straight from school to the house and the house to school. Hearing that we were going to be hiking or going outdoors and learning skills and CPR, I just couldn't miss out on this opportunity. There wasn't much that I did when I was younger. So, when I saw this opportunity, I just couldn't let it go.”
Through CatRock’s transformative outdoor experiences and community service opportunities, high school students build a personal connection to the outdoors, a commitment to environmental stewardship, and a dedication to making a difference in their own communities. CatRock outdoor adventures are not only designed to foster a love for nature, they provide underserved Bronx youth with one-of-a-kind opportunities for personal growth and development.
High school wasn't easy for Destyny. She was a top student, doing her best to graduate at the top of her class, but at the expense of sleep and typical teenage fun. To make matters worse, she was plagued by terrible acne. “It was affecting my confidence, my friendships, it was literally all going through my head, balancing life with family with beauty,” she remembers.
“At CatRock they treated me like everybody else wouldn't. It wasn’t like school, walking down the hall, people staring at you or not talking to you. At CatRock they don't care about how you look or your culture or nationality. They just care about you.”
Destyny found a refuge in the CatRock community. “I was going through a lot of insecurities,” she says. “I know people saw me and they saw my face because it was obvious, but nobody ever brought it up. At CatRock they treated me like everybody else wouldn't. It wasn’t like school, walking down the hall, people staring at you or not talking to you. At CatRock they don't care about how you look or your culture or nationality. They just care about you.”
Each CatRock activity incorporates some time for sharing and reflection. Destyny remembers her first time. “It was definitely an effort,” she says. “When we all had that first sleepover, after dinner we were all in a circle. And one by one, everybody was confessing what was the highest moment of their day and the lowest moment of their day or something they overcame. When it was my turn, my heart was beating in my chest. I had super anxiety thinking, what am I going to say? But when I started talking, everything flowed so perfectly, and I thought, I can get used to this. Everybody's listening, nobody's judging me. I can speak my mind without having to worry about anything.”
Over the years in the CatRock program, she continued to build her confidence and find her voice. “Having that type of confidence with the whole group really taught me how to be more confident with myself,” she says. “If I can talk about things with people that I don't even know, that means that I am more than what I thought I was.” Destyny is grateful for the life-long friendships she developed at CatRock too. A couple of her high school friends joined when she did and the experiences they shared strengthened their connections to last far beyond graduation.
Destyny is currently studying sociology and law, focusing on advocacy. “I wanted to do something for a group of people. I wanted to make change,” she says. “CatRock had a hand in that because I wouldn't be talking to groups of people as confidently as I am now. On the different trips we took I was put on the spot a lot and I appreciate that they took me out of my comfort zone.”
"I've learned how to not stop myself from doing a lot of things that I used to stop myself from doing,” she declares. “CatRock taught me that you only live once and if you have this opportunity right now in your hand, just take it. You have to be a little selfish sometimes. I haven't stopped myself; I feel myself growing.”