Like many of our matches, Khalen and Jalen’e bonded over Launch weekend at Camp Colman. Khalen shared, “We both just had a lot of fun together at camp. He seemed bright and reminded me in many ways of myself around his age.”
The pair has made a distinct impact on our program. Khalen has now been a devoted mentor for 3 years, and Jalen’e is a dedicated member of our student Leader Corps. In turn, Community for Youth has had a large impact on them both. Khalen, originally from the east coast, found a community of people here in Seattle he can trust. Jalen’e shared that CfY, “has made me a more outgoing and open person towards people I don’t know.”
Over the past two years, they have shared a love of music, movies, video games, and cartoons. When asked what they admire about each other Jalen’e responded, “I admire his honesty and his humor. They’re in a sense similar to mine.” Khalen shared, “I think Jalen’e is a relentlessly free spirit. He genuinely does not have any concern towards others’ opinions of himself, and I think that is truly remarkable especially at this point in his life.”