Life Is Not About Me
“Life is not about me. Life is about helping the people around me.” – Ryan Janvion
Knowing my disdain for the negative news that so often takes center stage, my husband handed me an article from the sports section of the Journal that he knew I would love. It featured the words of Wake Forest’s Ryan Janvion. Janvion was chosen to speak for the student athletes honored at the ACC Postgraduate Scholarship Awards ceremony. His words moved from the intricate balance between school work and sports to the topic of humanity. You see, Ryan is much more that a talented football player – who will probably have a successful career in the NFL – he is also a bright scholar and a humble humanitarian.
Wake Forest was the winner of this year’s ACC Game Changers Award. They were recognized for their work with H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Eat). This Winston-Salem charity has provided more than 130,000 meals to children in need since their start in 2014. Working with H.O.P.E. was a game changer for Janvion and some of his teammates. Ryan started volunteering early in the program and thought it was “a really cool idea.” As he continued to volunteer, he shared the word with friends and told others, “It was crazy to see how much of a bubble we live in at Wake Forest, when just down the street kids are starving.”
Janvion still works with H.O.P.E. and says it “changed” him. “It made me realize life is not all about me.” He was quick to say that his time at Wake Forest taught him about more than schoolwork and football. Janvion was quoted as saying, “When I found out Winston-Salem had one of the highest child-hunger rates in the nation, it blew my mind, because I look at places like Wake Forest and the area it’s in, and it’s so rich. And yet, just a few blocks away there are food deserts and so many kids who are hungry all the time. It made an impact on me.”
And this young man made an impact on me! As soon as I finished reading the article I went straight to my computer and looked up H.O.P.E. Their mission is to use local volunteers to prepare and deliver nutritious meals to children who are at risk for hunger. Ryan Janvion is the type of role model our children need. One who is more interested in serving others than being served. One who sees a need and strives to make a difference. I have often thought, if more positive news would make the headlines then maybe it would spread. Wouldn’t this be a great story to see replicated?
Do you know a student or educator who is making a difference? Please send their story our way! We want to raise awareness of the impact of kindness and empathy and pass it on!
