This summer, I had the opportunity to work on the media team for the week-long Sons and Brothers Leadership Camp at a mountain retreat in Portola, California, sponsored by the California Endowment. Young men came from inner cities all over the state to help them heal from their personal traumas and prepare them to confront the challenges they face at home in a better way. As the media team, our responsibility was to capture the events of the camp and tell the stories of the campers. We all worked on projects utilizing various forms of media to produce videos, memes on social media, a yearbook-style compilation that every participant could take home, and an audio diary. I was primarily involved in producing the audio diary. We did a series of interviews with one young man throughout the week and followed his development and growth during camp. After the camp was over, I continued to work on this project, writing a script and polishing the story as our team coordinated with KQED–an NPR affiliate in San Francisco. In August, the story aired on the California Report.
The story is posted here: https://www.kqed.org/news/11689332/california-camp-challenges-young-men-to-rethink-masculinity

When I first met the media team I was excited to get to know them over the next week. We all slept and worked in the same small cabin, and even thought it was a tight fit, the atmosphere was fun and exciting. Once we began our projects, however, my feelings changed. I quickly saw that I didn’t know as much as I thought I did. Honestly, I didn’t even realize how much I didn’t know. Some of the guys on the media team were far more experienced than I was, and at first I was intimidated–even discouraged. I thought, “What am I doing here? They don’t need me.” But then I decided to draw from their pool of knowledge and experiences. I starting asking questions and having them show me things. Once I did this, my experience became a lot more enjoyable. Not only was I participating in documenting the camp, but now I was also learning new skills.

As the week progressed I got to know some of the camp participants better, and I was stunned at their stories. These young men are amazing, and some of the hardships they have to face I can’t even comprehend. Many of them deal with gang influences, domestic violence, and even homelessness at a young age. I was grateful for the privilege of hearing and sharing their stories.

During the week I also got to participate in some of the events of the camp, like archery, which was a good release for me and helped me focus and relax as I worked on improving my aim. Another activity I was able to participate in was called the leap of faith. After being strapped to a safety harness that was connected to a rope pulley system, with my teammates as anchors, I climbed up a pole and stood on a small platform forty feet in the air. The entire way up my heart was pounding and my mind was racing with fear. But I knew that if I gave place for those fearful thoughts, then I would not make it. So, ignoring my fears, I continued upward, one step at a time. When I got to the platform, I let out a yell and I jumped, relying completely on my teammates. Sure enough, they caught me. The moment my feet left the platform, the height was no longer scary and intimidating, but beautiful and majestic. I learned a lot from this experience. It helped me overcome some of the other fears that I face in my life and trust that everything is going to work out as long as I keep putting one foot in front of the other and don’t let my fears paralyze me.

All of the young men came from very different backgrounds than myself, and it was a good opportunity for me to learn about other people’s culture. It opened my eyes, and it opened my mind. I could see that we really are all brothers regardless of what we look like or where we come from. I left camp with a stronger character and a deeper sense of my humanity, as well as a commitment to brotherhood.

This post was written by Jayden Cornett.