Ever wonder who’s behind the super cool Saturday Performances? Or who designs the flyers? You know those pink and black cool looking things that catch your attention, even though you probably have no business looking at them, but there just so CATCHY?!?! From Emails to graphic designs to flyers to the development of the Girls Club and being our Saturday Performance Series certified host, its CAITLIN MEISSNER!!

She has been working at the Lower Eastside Girls Club for almost two years (in September). She is the Development Associate/Performance Series Coordinator, which is basically the back bone to our Saturday Performance Series, that goes on through the winter and spring. She does the graphic designing for the flyers and makes sure that we have performers to come and inspire us on Saturday. She does the Emailing to let everyone know whats new in the Girls Club and teaches a poetry class on the side of all her work. Other than being busy with new ideas for the Girls Club, she is a very talented poet and enjoys performing for our audience as much as she likes hosting it.

Something that really makes Caitlin stand out is the fact that she makes her job her own career and the best place to be in a professional state of mind. She loves what she does and even does some free lancing at home or she’s busy marketing and making sure that the Lower Eastside Girls Club gets known to more people.

I was in the youth tent at Bioneers with Renée for a youth panel during lunch.  It was interesting how Bryant Terry started talking about the level of comfort we each have in the environment we’re in.  He talked about levels of stress and why its not good for us.  After I took the “Burnout Test” (a quiz he gave us to score our stress/burnout levels), it advised me “to be careful I might be at risk of a burn out.”  I wasn’t feeling like that before I took the test.  Now that I reflect on the test, it might be true.

It was a once in a life time experience. Not only did the girls club get a private interview with the speakers themselves but, we also got heart breaking stories of how cruel the world out there really is. As we can see, not everyone’s problems can be solved but, if we work together as one unit and chip in a little, we can make a difference. I learned that by showing people you care you can change the whole situation around, that you can even give people courage and inspiration to go on with themselves! It was an experience that made me want to stand up and do something about the stuff that goes wrong around the world. It made me want to spread the word and educate those around me!

California has been such a great experience for me. I think I’m stating to love it (lolz). There’s so much to see and everyone is so friendly. Bioneers is defenitly something worth comming to. Its the best learning experince I’ve ever had .

Today was extremely fun! I learned all about GRUB and how important it is to watch what you eat. Eating healthy is the key to strong bodies and healthy minds. The chef, Bryant Terry, gave us a lesson on the food pyrmaid and the benefits of it. Then we got to the cooking. With the beautiful organic vegetables we purchased at the farmers market. We made baked eggplant, butternut squash, veggie pizza, pasta, tempe, and salad! MmMmMmMmmm, it was so good!! So far California has been a great experience for me, especially since a lot of people that share my same culture are around. I’ve never seen so many Mexicans together! The art of the Virgin Mary is beautiful which is a big part of the Mexican culture.