“…sometimes the hardest part of doing something new is simply taking the leap.”
– Tasmi Chowdhury, SOS Detroit Alum
My name is Tasmi, and I participated in SOS during my final year of high school through Hamtramck High School at Mt. Brighton. During my time in SOS, I had the opportunity to participate in activities that challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone while also having a strong support system around me. One of the biggest things I took away from SOS was the confidence to try things that I normally would have avoided.
After SOS, I pursued higher education and began studying Business Management and Finance at Wayne State University. I am currently balancing school with my work as a Grant Writing Intern at the Piast Institute, where I have been contributing to funding programs that support my community, such as afterschool clubs, the Hamtramck Health Hike, senior neglect and abuse prevention programming, and more..
I returned to snowboarding last winter as an SOS alum after being away for three years. Coming back to the mountain was meaningful because it reminded me of where I first learned to step outside of my comfort zone. I was able to reconnect with the SOS community, and the instructors helped me get back on my feet and relearn the process even when I had forgotten everything. Thanks to their continuous support, I plan to continue snowboarding in the upcoming winters.
I am also preparing to spend seven days in the Boundary Waters with Detroit Outdoors. I am excited about the experience, but I am also nervous because it will push me outside of my comfort zone in a completely different way. When I think about the trip, I remind myself of the first time I stood at the top of the mountain. The same courage that helped me take that first step snowboarding is helping me prepare to take this next one.
One of my favorite memories from SOS was trying snowboarding for the first time. I had never snowboarded before, and it was something I probably would not have chosen to try on my own. I remember standing at the top of the mountain and feeling nervous about taking that first step. I knew I could fall, but I also knew that I would never know what I was capable of unless I tried.
Once I started, I realized that it was not as impossible as it had seemed from the top. I fell, got back up, and kept trying. Eventually, I became more comfortable and started enjoying myself. That experience taught me that sometimes the hardest part of doing something new is simply taking the leap.
SOS is important to me because it gave me more than that one experience. It gave me a mindset and a community that I can continue to rely on. When I returned to snowboarding three years later as an alum, I was reminded of how supportive that community is. It showed me that SOS is not something that simply ends when your program year is over. It is a community that continues to welcome and support you.
The core value I connect with most is courage. SOS taught me that courage does not mean being completely comfortable or fearless. It means being willing to put yourself in unfamiliar situations and trusting yourself enough to take the first step.
I have carried that lesson with me since leaving SOS by intentionally putting myself into new communities and experiences. In college, I have pushed myself to join new clubs, meet people outside of the groups I was already comfortable with, and explore opportunities that I may have otherwise been hesitant to try. I studied abroad in England, which is another experience that placed me in a completely new environment and challenged me to adapt to unfamiliar people, cultures, and situations.
I have used courage in my professional life. Starting a new job at DTE was intimidating because I was entering a professional environment where I had a lot to learn and did not know exactly what to expect. I allowed myself to ask questions, learn from the people around me, and become comfortable with being uncomfortable. SOS taught me to have confidence in myself and the courage to try things outside of my comfort zone. I now try to pass that same courage on to other young people in Hamtramck.
Through my work as a Grant Writer and Support Staff Intern at the Piast Institute, I help write grants that support youth programming and community initiatives. Some of the programs I work on focus on giving young people positive opportunities, preventing drug use, and strengthening support within our community. Knowing that my work can help bring resources to programs that directly affect young people has made me more connected to my community. SOS gave me that encouragement when I was standing at the top of Mt. Brighton. Now, I want to help give that same encouragement to other young people in Hamtramck.
You can learn more about Detroit Outdoors by visiting: https://www.detroitoutdoors.org/
You can learn more about the Piast Institute by visiting: https://www.piastinstitute.org/