I see What’s the Story as a magnificent opportunity for younger Vermonters to get their voice into the world. We are matched with great teams and adult and/or student mentors. You get some direction and guidance, but it is mostly student lead; that is one of the reasons I love WtS so much. You have resources you don’t have in an ordinary classroom. You have multiple mentors and adults there for you if you need them, and they are very supporting and accommodating. You get choice as well. You get to pick what you want to try to change. If someone can convince you to help them, then you get to make the choice to help them. This course is educational, fun, eye-opening, sophisticated and simple at the same time, as well as so many other things. I love it. This is the first course I have done outside of school, so I can’t compare it to any other courses. But I can compare this course to any other courses I do in the future, and I can assure you, that this course is going to be hard to compare to.

My experience in What’s the Story has been amazing! In any and every way possible. I have had fun. I’ve gotten to hang out with my friends from school, and I have made new friends from all around Vermont. I know people in Middlebury, and Montpelier, and South Burlington… basically just people from all around Vermont. I probably wouldn’t have even met any of these people unless I enrolled in this course. What’s the Story has made me explore areas that are outside of my comfort zone, and it has made me wonder… with these issues that everyone has identified, and all the issues that people are working on changing, what issues have we not identified? What issues aren’t people looking at that people need to look at? WtS can help people do that. WtS, like I said, gives the opportunity to everyone, to look at issues that they are interested in. This course is just good in general. In every aspect you can think of, WtS has 5 stars in all of them.

Anyone who wants to create and inspire change within their communities or state; you need to join WtS. Even if you have never thought about changing a part of society or your environment, join WtS. What do you want? WtS can (probably) offer it. This course gives you extra credits. It gives you one heck of an experience. It gives you more friends. It gives you the chance to learn things you will never learn in an ordinary classroom. It will give you the chance to explore. I don’t regret joining, and I can absolutely guarantee and assure you without any doubt, that you wouldn’t regret doing it either.

At the beginning of this course, I was skeptical that I was going to enjoy this course. I thought it was going to be a waste of time. You want to know why? The reason I didn’t think I was going to like this course was because we had to blog at the beginning of this course. I had a friend who quit because he didn’t blog. But you know what? That was one of his worst mistakes. I decided to try to be more open-minded and try blogging out. Of course, I had already made up my mind before I tried it that I didn’t like it. But guess what? I got used to it, and it got better. Now I love it. It’s fun and it gives me the chance to say what I want and need to say. I held out until the first retreat, and the retreat were the some of the best days of this course. Obviously, I didn’t quit because one, because I try to always finish what I start (also, my mom would never let me), and two, I’m writing this post now… in March.

Anyone who is thinking about, or even if you aren’t thinking of joining the next cohort for WtS, I would say take a leap of faith. Take that first step to having one of the best times of your life. I cannot stress enough that you will not regret this awesome course. Join now!