By Amanda Lizon | Scholarship Recipient
The AboutFace Feeling
I titled this story "The AboutFace Feeling" because there is certainly an incredible, wonderful, powerful and special feeling that comes with being a member of the AboutFace community.
I was 13 when I first discovered AboutFace's Camp Trailblazers. I had never heard of AboutFace before but I had always loved camping so I thought it would be neat to go. As September drew nearer and I thought more about camp, I became hesitant. I had only met a few people with facial differences before and I had always been very shy and nervous when it came to meeting new people.
When I arrived at our meeting place before getting on the bus, I questioned myself for the last time, “What are they going to be like? Are they going to stare at me? Or are they going to be nice and friendly?” I thought about it and thought about it and I finally decided that I would give it a shot. Today, I cannot possibly describe how happy I am to have stepped on that bus several years ago because that was where The AboutFace Feeling began.
At camp, it is a totally new environment. It's a place where I fit in, a place where I belong. We all share a common understanding of living with a facial difference and it gives us this indescribable connection. We bond instantly and we all become friends. Everybody becomes one and everybody is accepted for exactly who they are.There are never any cruel words, only positive encouragement and support. I have made several amazing friends that I still keep in contact with, to this day, 5 years later. Camp Trailblazers is truly an experience of a lifetime and is definitely a place that makes me feel very proud to be me!
I believe AboutFace has significantly shaped me into who I am today. It has helped me to accept my facial difference and acceptance was the key to loving me for who I am. AboutFace has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and to really let my true self shine. It has given me my self-confidence, my happiness, and many irreplaceable friendships. I have become stronger and much more positive since I have been involved with AboutFace and it has helped me to become the more accepting and loving person that I am today. I owe alot to AboutFace, and my goal in life is to thank them by making a difference in other people’s lives.
I continue to spread the word of AboutFace and CampTrailblazers to countless people I come in contact with, hoping to raise awareness of AboutFace. I share my stories of how Trailblazers has been a remarkable, life-changing experience and I encourage many new young people to give it a try because I know they won’t be disappointed. I volunteer my time where and whenever possible and I have held many fundraising events in my school and elsewhere with the hopes of my contributions somehow giving other people like me the chance to experience The AboutFace Feeling.
Before becoming involved withAboutFace, it was as if there was something missing inside of me. And now, because of AboutFace, there is no longer that feeling of emptiness; instead, there is a feeling of fulfillment and being alive. This is The AboutFace Feeling.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
