The biggest benefit of the Reboot Plus program is the confidence it gave me.
A Lucky Encounter
I found out about the Reboot Plus program through a family friend who has connections with the program. I wasn’t in a great place. I didn’t have any aspirations or goals. I figured it was worth a try. I heard the program would help me learn more about myself: my personality, skills, and strengths to help me find a meaningful direction to move in. And, it was offered at Douglas College, not at my high school.
A Lack of School Connection
I have always struggled in school environments. There are many aspects that I find challenging. I have anxiety and depression which has caused me to miss a lot of classes. I feel like I didn’t have a good relationship with my teachers because of this. I feel that they didn’t understand what I needed and ruled me out as a bad kid who skips class. I’ve always been the shy kid because I’ve always been so uncertain of myself. The only part of school that I enjoyed was the social aspect; if I didn’t have my friends, I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.
A Different Environment
The Reboot Plus classroom is so different from normal school. It was such a calm, laidback and chill environment. The teachers care so much about their students and our well-being. I could feel it in the way they taught and talked to us. It’s a nice energy that I haven’t experienced from other teachers. They make accommodations if needed to ensure that we get what we need from the program. They are so patient with us.
A Chance to Thrive
This program helped me gain confidence that I could do what I wanted and that I wasn’t alone. It showed me that there were other kids like me. I felt understood and it was a good feeling. I really enjoyed digging into my likes and dislikes and my personality types. I really like learning and trying to fully understand myself; the activities in the program were very useful in helping me know myself more. Attending classes at the Douglas College campus helped me realize that college and university is not as intimidating as I thought it would be.
Meeting the Mentor
The program requires us to do informational interviews with 4-7 professionals in a career of interest to help us narrow down career options. I was able to interview an energy healer. She was one of the coolest people I’ve ever met and we had a really good one-on-one talk about my interests within the spiritual community. I never thought I would be able to work in or find success in a career of energy healing, but she proved I could because she had done it herself. It was very cool.
Getting Confidence for Success in School
Throughout the program I grew more and more confident in the idea that I can go to college and be successful. This is my goal now: go to college, be independent and find a career. It may seem mundane, but this is something I never thought I would do.My future is still more less a big question mark, but that’s ok with me now. The program helped me plan my next steps and realize that I don’t need to have a specific end goal in mind. I can figure it out as I go.
I know now that I can be happy and I’m able to live a normal young adult life.