“Always be aware of your surroundings.”
We heard this more than once during DukeEngage orientation. Our program director and site coordinators used this phrase as a cautionary warning. We’re pretty vulnerable to our surroundings since we’re new arrivals in Seattle with little knowledge of the city’s innerworkings. But this phrase, especially the verb aware, took on a whole new meaning following my first week at Amara, a non-profit organization that facilitates private adoption and adoption of children from Washington state foster care along with providing all-options pregnancy counseling.
a·ware (verb) - to be informed; mindful; alert; aware of others
I became aware of how lucky I was. Lucky to have this opportunity to work with Amara. Lucky to attend Duke University. Lucky to know that nothing stands in the way of my education. Lucky to be secure in my finances. Lucky to have parents who make sure I always have food and somewhere safe to sleep. Lucky to have a family that loves and supports me in every possible way. Lucky to have a sister I can talk to whenever I want. Lucky to have an extended family that would care for me in crisis.
I spent part of my first day at Amara reading through blog posts and watching videos that tell success stories about children who’ve found their forever families. In doing so I began to realize how many people and privileges I take for granted. I felt particularly struck by Alex’s Adoption from Foster Care. Please follow the link and watch this video if you have five minutes. In this video Alex asks his adoptive parents, “What made you think you would like me [as a son]?” I’ve never had to ask my parents this question. Hearing Alex ask this question made me realize that I’ve never had to worry about whether my parents like me. They just do. I can trust that my parents like me, love me, and care for me. There are over 300,000 children in the United States (around 10,000 in Washington state alone) who can’t place this type of trust in their parents. I knew about the child welfare system, but I didn’t understand it. I’d heard about the hardships foster children face, but I didn’t understand that these children really have no hand in the cards they’re dealt. They didn’t choose to be born to parents who couldn’t care well for them just like I didn’t choose to be born to my parents.
Reminders of my good fortune greet me everywhere I look outside of Amara too - on the bus, on the sidewalk, and even in the grocery store. After just one week in Seattle I’ve become aware of just how lucky I am. And it’s unsettling. I feel a greater responsibility now to use the privileges I’ve received to help those without.
Roshni Jain
Duke Student '15
We heard this more than once during DukeEngage orientation. Our program director and site coordinators used this phrase as a cautionary warning. We’re pretty vulnerable to our surroundings since we’re new arrivals in Seattle with little knowledge of the city’s innerworkings. But this phrase, especially the verb aware, took on a whole new meaning following my first week at Amara, a non-profit organization that facilitates private adoption and adoption of children from Washington state foster care along with providing all-options pregnancy counseling.
a·ware (verb) - to be informed; mindful; alert; aware of others
I became aware of how lucky I was. Lucky to have this opportunity to work with Amara. Lucky to attend Duke University. Lucky to know that nothing stands in the way of my education. Lucky to be secure in my finances. Lucky to have parents who make sure I always have food and somewhere safe to sleep. Lucky to have a family that loves and supports me in every possible way. Lucky to have a sister I can talk to whenever I want. Lucky to have an extended family that would care for me in crisis.
I spent part of my first day at Amara reading through blog posts and watching videos that tell success stories about children who’ve found their forever families. In doing so I began to realize how many people and privileges I take for granted. I felt particularly struck by Alex’s Adoption from Foster Care. Please follow the link and watch this video if you have five minutes. In this video Alex asks his adoptive parents, “What made you think you would like me [as a son]?” I’ve never had to ask my parents this question. Hearing Alex ask this question made me realize that I’ve never had to worry about whether my parents like me. They just do. I can trust that my parents like me, love me, and care for me. There are over 300,000 children in the United States (around 10,000 in Washington state alone) who can’t place this type of trust in their parents. I knew about the child welfare system, but I didn’t understand it. I’d heard about the hardships foster children face, but I didn’t understand that these children really have no hand in the cards they’re dealt. They didn’t choose to be born to parents who couldn’t care well for them just like I didn’t choose to be born to my parents.
Reminders of my good fortune greet me everywhere I look outside of Amara too - on the bus, on the sidewalk, and even in the grocery store. After just one week in Seattle I’ve become aware of just how lucky I am. And it’s unsettling. I feel a greater responsibility now to use the privileges I’ve received to help those without.
Roshni Jain
Duke Student '15