by Michael Cruz and Cassandra Wagner on 2016-03-21
COLTON >> It was career day for the children at Colton’s Gonzales Community Center. Daniel Muro program director and captain with the city of Colton’s explorer program instructed the children to sit in a circle, and posed the question; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
One by one, each child stood up and shared what they wanted to be when they grew up. There were future police officers, military personnel, artists, doctors, veterinarians, and those who just didn’t know what they wanted to be.
Muro, who is training to become a police officer, said, “I was always raised to be selfless, cops risk their lives on a daily basis for people they don’t know. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Muro asked our City News Group Reporter, Michael Cruz to speak.
“Hello everyone, it looks like we have some very special, and talented people here today. I’m so excited I get to talk to you all,” said Cruz.
Instead of speaking of the specific data analysis of content strategy, managing social media community post that drives traffic to our website, Cruz spoke instead on the very special part of traditional journalism, the age-old art of storytelling.
“My name is Michael Cruz, and I didn’t always know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to do many things and have done everything I set out to do. You see, I tell stories. I always have. I guess you could call me an artist. From working on movies, and television, to writing for a newspaper,” said Cruz.
Cruz spoke to student’s individually to learn about their future aspirations. He spoke first to a young student who dreams of being an artist and was hesitant to share. Cruz spoke to another, who wanted to grow up to be both a police officer and a navy seal so he could, “keep bad people from doing bad things.”
Each student raised their hands and asked a variety of questions. “Is it hard to tell stories?” One child asked.
“Not at all,” Cruz said. “Nothing is hard, everything just takes time. Some things that you’ll want to do will seem like it is hard, but it will just take longer than others, but you can do it in time.”
Another child asked, “But what if it’s impossible?”
Cruz said, “You’re right! Some things are impossible. I love space, but I can’t run outside, jump in the air, and fly to the moon. I would have to learn how to get there. You can learn to do almost anything if you’re willing to spend time doing it.”
“You don’t have to wait until you grow up, you can start now. You can read books, watch YouTube videos about what you like to do. If you want to be a doctor or a police officer, be nice to a friend who’s having a bad day. To the veterinarians, learn to take the best care of your pets. You can start today.”
Cruz thanked them all for being good listeners, and for their great questions, and told them that asking questions is the beginning of learning anything. Muro thanked Cruz for his time and invited him to stay until the Colton Explorers arrived.
Between speakers, the children lined up for break time outside where they ate snacks, played games, and acted out their future careers. The young future veterinarian found a bird’s nest high up in the metal beams above the lunch tables and pointed it out for everyone to see.
The children lined up to go back inside. Special guests, the Colton Explorers were on the way.
Colton Police Explorer Lt. Sam Saenz, and Explorer Sgt. David Perez spoke to the children about their mentorship program, and how they came to pursue their career choice. The children were excited when they proposed the kids could place the explorers in handcuffs.
Saenz said what made him want to join the Explorer program was that “I was really interested in law enforcement, and joined to figure out if it's something I wanted to do or not. Turned out it’s something I really wanted do.”
The explorers passed around badge-like stickers and took pictures with the children. Parents began to filter in and pick up the young ones, quickly filling the parents in on what they would like to be one day.
Cruz spoke to Perez about what drew him to become a police officer, “Clean up the streets. Walking around in Colton you see a lot of crime, and criminal activity. I wanted to take stand. Be able to fight it one day,” Perez said.
[END]
::1st Person View::
With dreams of possibilities in their eyes, hopes for the future fill the room.
It is a day where they can be anything they put their minds too, and a time when everything they want can happen.
It was career day for the children at Colton’s Gonzales Community Center. Daniel Muro program director and captain with the city of Colton’s Explorer program instructed the children to sit in a circle, and posed the question; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
One by one, each child stood up and proclaimed what they wanted to be when they grew up. There were future police officers, military personnel, artist, doctors, veterinarians, and those who just didn’t know what they wanted to be. Each one a special puzzle piece that will be fit to make our community someday.
Daniel is training to become a police officer, he says “I was always raised to be selfless, cops risk their lives on a daily basis for people they don’t know. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Daniel looked at me and asked if I wouldn’t mind speaking to the children. I told him that I didn’t mind, stepped forward, and began speaking.
“Hello everyone, it looks like we have some very special, and talented people here today. I’m so excited I get to talk to you all.”
Instead of speaking of the specific data analysis of content strategy, and managing social media community post that drives traffic to our website. I spoke instead on the very special part of traditional journalism, the age-old art of storytelling. So with that, I began with an introduction.
“My name is Michael Cruz, and I didn’t always know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to do many things and have done everything I set out to do. You see, I tell stories. I always have. I guess you could call me an artist. From working on movies, and television, to writing for a newspaper.”
I made sure to speak to the shy artist who was hesitant to share, the ones who second-guessed themselves when they said they wanted to be more than one thing, and especially the ones who said they didn’t know what they wanted to be.
They raised their hands politely and asked all sorts of questions. “Is it hard to tell stories?” One eager child blurted out before his hand was completely in the air. “Not at all,” I proclaimed. “Nothing is hard, everything just takes time. Some things that you’ll want to do will seem like it is hard, but it will just take longer than others, but you can do it in time.”
Another child quickly pointed out, “But what if it’s impossible?” I pointed to the young one and said. “You’re right! Some things are impossible. I love space, but I can’t run outside, jump in the air, and fly to the moon. I would have to learn how to get there. You can learn to do almost anything if you’re willing to spend time doing it.”
“You don’t have to wait until you grow up, you can start now. You can read books and watch Youtube videos about what you like to do. If you want to be a doctor or a police officer, be nice to a friend who’s having a bad day. To the veterinarians, learn to take the best care of your pets. You can start today.”
I thanked them all for being such good listeners, and for their great questions, and told them that asking questions is the beginning of learning anything. Daniel thanked me for my time and invited me to stay until the Colton Explorers arrived.
The children lined up for break time outside where they would eat snacks, play games, and act out their future careers.
The young future veterinarian quickly found a bird’s nest high up in the metal beams above the lunch tables and pointed it out for everyone to see. He kept asking to see what I was writing, and I had to make a deal with him to wait until the end of the day. That way, he can see how much adds up over time.
The young man who wanted to be a police officer and a navy seal approached me as I was taking notes. He asked if I wrote about the San Bernardino shooting on Dec. 2 2015, and why it happened. I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t written about that, but all I could say was that, “I was sorry, and that I didn’t know why.” He later told me he wants to be a police officer, and a navy seal so he can “keep bad people from doing bad things”.
I had almost forgotten how an event like the Dec. 2 shooting could have an impact on a young mind. Me myself, having grown up in perpetual warfare, witnessing mass shootings unfold on TV regularly, and reading history books to learn the lessons of yesterday brought to mind.
“Have I been desensitized to the point to where I am benumbed to the world unfolding around me?”
The children lined up to go back inside. A very special guest was due to arrive at any moment, the Colton Explorers were on the way.
Colton Police Explorer Lt. Sam Saenz, and Explorer Sgt. David Perez spoke to the children about their mentorship program, and how they came to pursue their career choice. The children were excited when they proposed the kids could place the explorers in handcuffs.
I asked Saenz what made him want to join the Explorer program, he says “I was really interested in law enforcement, and joined to figure out if it's something I wanted to do or not. Turned out it’s something I really wanted do.”
The explorers passed around badge like stickers and took pictures with the children. Parents began to filter in, and pick up the young ones, eagerly filling their parents in on what they would like to be one day.
I spoke to Perez about what drew him to become a police officer “Clean up the streets. Walking around in Colton you see a lot of crime, and criminal activity. I wanted to take stand. Be able to fight it one day.” Perez said
The young future veterinarian approached and handed me a note that said many wonderful things. Then he reminded me of the notes I had promised to show him at the end of the day. I showed him my tablet, and his eyes grew wide. “That’s a lot of writing!” He exclaimed. “It is, a lot happened today,” I replied. He is a good kid with a big heart, he will make a great veterinarian some day.
Allow me to conclude this story with this final note; it was encouraging to watch these young enthusiastic children play out their hopeful, and potential futures. We must ensure the future, so they can live their story. The future has never looked brighter.
::3rd Person - Written by Cassandra Wagner::
With dreams of possibilities in their eyes, hopes for the future fill the room.
It is a day where they could be anything they put their minds too, and a time when everything they want could happen.
It was career day for the children at Colton’s Gonzales Community Center. Daniel Muro program director and captain with the city of Colton’s explorer program instructed the children to sit in a circle, and posed the question; “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
One by one, each child stood up and shared what they wanted to be when they grew up. There were future police officers, military personnel, artist, doctors, veterinarians, and those who just didn’t know what they wanted to be. Each one a special puzzle piece that will be fit to make our community someday.
Muro is training to become a police officer, he says “I was always raised to be selfless, cops risk their lives on a daily basis for people they don’t know. I wanted to be a part of that.”
Muro asked our City News Group Reporter, Michael Cruz to speak.
“Hello everyone, it looks like we have some very special, and talented people here today. I’m so excited I get to talk to you all,” said Cruz.
Instead of speaking of the specific data analysis of content strategy, managing social media community post that drives traffic to our website, Cruz spoke instead on the very special part of traditional journalism, the age-old art of storytelling.
“My name is Michael Cruz, and I didn’t always know what I wanted to be when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to do many things and have done everything I set out to do. You see, I tell stories. I always have. I guess you could call me an artist. From working on movies, and television, to writing for a newspaper,” said Cruz.
Cruz spoke to student’s individually to learn about their future aspirations. He spoke first to a young student who dreams of being an artist and was hesitant to share. Cruz spoke to another, who wanted to grow up to be both a police officer and a navy seal so he could, “keep bad people from doing bad things.”
Each student raised their hands and asked a variety of questions. “Is it hard to tell stories?” One child asked.
“Not at all,” Cruz said. “Nothing is hard, everything just takes time. Some things that you’ll want to do will seem like it is hard, but it will just take longer than others, but you can do it in time.”
Another child asked, “But what if it’s impossible?”
Cruz said, “You’re right! Some things are impossible. I love space, but I can’t run outside, jump in the air, and fly to the moon. I would have to learn how to get there. You can learn to do almost anything if you’re willing to spend time doing it.”
“You don’t have to wait until you grow up, you can start now. You can read books, watch Youtube videos about what you like to do. If you want to be a doctor or a police officer, be nice to a friend who’s having a bad day. To the veterinarians, learn to take the best care of your pets. You can start today.”
Cruz thanked them all for being good listeners, and for their great questions, and told them that asking questions is the beginning of learning anything. Muro thanked Cruz for his time and invited him to stay until the Colton Explorers arrived.
Between speakers, the children lined up for break time outside where they ate snacks, played games, and acted out their future careers. The young future veterinarian found a bird’s nest high up in the metal beams above the lunch tables and pointed it out for everyone to see.
He later shadowed our reporter to see what he was writing.
“I had to make a deal with him to wait until the end of the day. That way, he can see how much it adds up over time,” Cruz said.
The children lined up to go back inside. Special guests, the Colton Explorers were on the way.
Colton Police Explorer Lt. Sam Saenz, and Explorer Sgt. David Perez spoke to the children about their mentorship program, and how they came to pursue their career choice. The children were excited when they proposed the kids could place the explorers in handcuffs.
Saenz said what made him want to join the Explorer program was that “I was really interested in law enforcement, and joined to figure out if it's something I wanted to do or not. Turned out it’s something I really wanted do.”
The explorers passed around badge like stickers and took pictures with the children. Parents began to filter in and pick up the young ones, quickly filling the parents in on what they would like to be one day.
Cruz spoke to Perez about what drew him to become a police officer “Clean up the streets. Walking around in Colton you see a lot of crime, and criminal activity. I wanted to take stand. Be able to fight it one day.” Perez said.
Towards the end of the event, The young future veterinarian presented Cruz with a handwritten note and reminded Cruz about the deal. Cruz showed him the tablet, and his eyes grew wide. “That’s a lot of writing!” he said.
“It is, a lot happened today,” Cruz replied.
Allow our reporter Cruz to conclude this story with this final note.
“It was encouraging to watch these young enthusiastic children play out their hopeful, and potential futures. We must ensure the future, so they can live their story. The future has never looked brighter.”
Co – written by Cassandra Wagner
Other potential Titles:
The Future is so Bright
The Old Neighborhood is Still Alive