STORIES OF IMPACT | Ixza Z.
CatRock Taught Me “Properly Vocal” Leadership
A large part of CatRock’s program involves confidence building and leadership training. Ixza already thought of herself as a leader when she joined the program in high school. “I'm very, very outspoken. I'm very loud,” she admits. “It was just a me kind of thing. But once I joined CatRock, I saw that teamwork was really everything. I could be a leader, but also take into account my team's effort, my team’s thought process.”
She remembers when her newfound knowledge was put to the test during a trip to Central Park. Ixza was asked to lead a group of students.
“We all knew the destination, but we were going to decide our route” Ixza explains. “We had to decide if we wanted to take a scenic route, or if we wanted to get there as quickly as possible. So, I just decided to talk to the team before we started. I asked, ‘which way do you guys want to go?’ And everyone was dead quiet. They said, ‘we don't know. We thought you were the leader. We thought you were gonna do it.”
“When you put teens in a group,” Ixza says, “the loudest one will always take over because everyone is like, ‘yeah, whatever.’ I used to be the loud one,” she admits. Now she knows better. “I said, ‘I'm not gonna move until you guys tell me where you want to go.’ There were some disagreements. Some people wanted to get there super-fast and others said they wouldn't mind seeing the lake. When we were talking it out, we all just came to an agreement. We decided to take some scenic route, and then get there quickly whenever we could. Everyone had to put in their thoughts, and not just say, ‘I like her idea.’ It's not something you do mindlessly. It's thinking, how do I express myself better? CatRock has really helped me become properly vocal. You can come to an agreement when you are able to communicate things properly.”
Ixza appreciates the out-of-the-ordinary opportunities CatRock offers. “Some kids may get a chance to hike up a regular hill slowly with friends, carrying backpacks, and be tired at the top, and say, ‘yeah, that was kind of fun.’ But it’s not the same as climbing a mountain with CatRock,” Ixza declares. “They weren't able to think about it as they were going through the process.”
“I'm passionate about everyone trying to get this experience. I want to volunteer after college to help others who are coming into CatRock and let them know not to give up this chance.”
CatRock Outdoors offers wide reaching outdoor experiences available to all high school students in the Bronx. These experiences are done throughout the year and consist of hiking, trail running, camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, rafting, surfing, skateboarding, rock climbing, snowboarding, skiing, snow shoeing, winter mountaineering and more. The purpose is to introduce students to new outdoor activities and inspire them to unplug and connect to nature as well as experience new opportunities in personal development and leadership.
“When I'm going up a mountain with CatRock, it's a very enlightening thing,” Ixza reveals. “While I'm going up, I'm like, ‘Oh my gosh, I'm so tired.’ I want to stop. But then I see how far I’ve come. And I take a sip of my water and realize I can still do so much more. I want to go up there with my friends. It's a very individual process, but it's also knowing that you’re able to do it with people that you care about. I feel there's a lot of youth that don't get that individual, but linked, experience. They do something but no one really recognizes their effort. But when we all go up a mountain with CatRock, there’s a sense of ‘we did it!’ Even for the people who didn't make it to the top. People praise you for making it halfway up. It's just so great to be recognized by your peers and to know yourself, your own effort and work that you put into it.”
“I'm passionate about everyone trying to get this experience,” Ixza says. “I want to volunteer after college to help others who are coming into CatRock and let them know not to give up this chance. Or even if they join and don't like it, at least they got the chance to experience it.”