Learning From the Najayo Children

By Danielle Arrington (SMBA '11)

At the final dinner of our trip, SDSU's Director of Diversity, Aaron Bruce, told us a story of "picking up stones" which are small treasures that seem insignificant now, but will have a major impact in your life later on down the road. Our trip to Najayo was a major stone. As we drove through the barrio, we were taken to a local school filled with young children eager to greet us with open arms, as evidenced by the Welcome Song each one of us received when we introduced ourselves. It was an amazing experience.

Some of us played football and volleyball with the kids, while others participated in arts and crafts and some how at the end, we all came together in a circle to witness an epic dance battle. Sandy, one of the most outgoing and personable kids I have ever met, challenged me to a battle of who has the better "jerk"...I am sure my classmates will agree that he won that battle.

It's easy for us to think that our visit to Najayo was just a small stepping stone on our path to become sports business professionals, but the gem was seeing how happy my classmates were to make these kids happy. This is the day that I learned the true meaning of joy, a gem that I will carry with me forever.