2023 Stories of Stoke: Meet Frederick, 2023 Hanai Co-Lead!
Hi guys, my name is Frederick. I’ve been a Hanai mentor and surf camp volunteer since 2018, and was asked to take on the role of being a co-lead in 2022. My favorite things about the program are being able to witness bonds being built with one another throughout this program and getting to spend time at the beach with our mentees. A majority of our kids do not have access to experiencing outdoor activities and are often only able to since we offer transportation to the families from their home to / from events. When we have a 10AM meet-up time, Eric and I will start driving at 6AM to pick up families that live in Escondido, Lakeside, El Cajon, and_________(please insert any areas I’m missing).
Every year, we head to Mission Bay to paddleboard, play games on the grass, and some youth will lay out a towel and choose their favorite mentor(s) to have buddy conversation time. It’s always one of my favorite outings because it’s an all-around fun day under the sun where they can temporarily forget about hardships they may face. Throughout the 7-month program, I saw many of our youth allow themselves to open up and build relationships with our volunteers. It flourished into our youth excited to come to outings, eager to spend more time with their favorite mentors. That, and the competitive spirit of our participants keeps me as a returning mentor in this program. I will stay with this program for years to come and truly believe everyone should experience something as impactful as US4K.
