On Friday I met a nineteen year old young man named Suamhirs. He is a student, a legal assistant, an activist and a resilient force of nature, which is why I wanted to ask him to speak for my Blaze Your Own Trail Summer program. He was brought to this country against his will from his home in Honduras at the age of sixteen. He was held captive, abused and violated in ways that wounds your soul to even imagine. With his own money, a deep sense of duty and focus he is working to save a transitional foster care program that helped to save him. Suamhirs is not a victim and does not want to be perceived as one. He is NOT defined by what was done to him, he is defined by what he is doing in the world.

Suamhirs has recently returned from Sacramento, and is working his way up the political latter to have his voice and the voice of young adults like him heard. He needed to reach 1000 signatures on his website to advance his cause and so I told him that I would be sure to reach out to my network and make that happen by Sunday. We were at our goal by Saturday. Thank you to everyone who took a moment to sign his guest book and share his cause at www.savethp.com

Suamhirs is supporting his family in Honduras, fighting for those with small voices and claiming his space in the world with dignity and purpose at 19. He is blazing his own trail with grace and strength. As a parent and founder of the Blaze Your Own Trail program, I am cognizant of the fact that the children we are raising will become men and women. So the challenge I pose to every parent is to remember that we are raising citizens of world. Let us all challenge our children to give as much as they receive, and empower them to advance the world as much as they advance themselves. Take the time to introduce your children to people like Suamhirs so they learn to see possibility and promise and learn to harness their own strength.