Peacebuilder Isaiah takes Jamie from Trauma to Trusting Relationship to Transformation
My name is Isaiah Luna, and I am a COMPASS Peacebuilder. I have wanted to say that since I was about thirteen years old. You see, before becoming a Peacebuilder, I was a COMPASS kid. So, for me, working at COMPASS was like coming home.
When I was a kid at Bellizzi Middle School in Hartford, the best part of my day was attending COMPASS programming. I felt safe at COMPASS. I knew the staff cared about me; they made a difference in my life. It made me want to make a difference in the lives of others, and I think that’s why I became a Peacebuilder.
My job is fulfilling. I feel like I make a difference in the lives of the youth on my caseload. But it’s not easy. The youth we serve have been exposed to violence from a young age; many of them are victims of violence, and we know victims of violence are more likely to become drivers of violence. The youth in our program are at risk of not transitioning to adulthood successfully; they are juvenile justice-involved, and 69% have experienced the loss of a close family member or friend to homicide.
One of the most challenging parts of my job is helping youth understand that they can take a better path. They don’t trust easily; they have reasons not to trust easily. But I am relentless; I never give up on a kid on my caseload.
The best part of my job is the day when I can see that one of my youth understands that there is a different path.
I want to tell you about this youth I work with, Jamie. Jamie is a 16-year-old young man who lives in Hartford. When I first met Jamie, he wouldn’t even talk to me. His father had abandoned him when he was eight years old. He lost his brother to gun violence a few months before he was added to my caseload. Jamie was enrolled in school but not attending. When we met, he felt I was someone else who would come into his life and abandon him, someone he couldn’t trust.
Early into our relationship, he had a breakdown and was held at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for a mental health evaluation. I showed up there every day. He asked me why I was showing up, and I told him,” Because I work for you, I believe in you.”
A few months later, he got caught trying to steal a car and ran away from the police. He got locked up in the detention center for a few weeks. I showed up every day. He asked me why, and I said,” Because I work for you, I believe in you.”
After that, he started talking to me and trusting me. We started talking about his brother, what losing him felt like, and what not having his father felt like. When he feels things are getting out of control, he calls me, and I walk him down.
I tell him to stop and think before he acts. Does what he is about to do match his values?
We worked with COMPASS Education Coordinator Corey Smith to reconnect him to education.
Jamie attends an alternative school but wants to return to a traditional one. We are creating a plan for him to do that. It’s going to take hard work, and he knows that. But I’m optimistic it will happen because he is willing to work hard.
I’m proud of the work Jamie and I have done together. He has come a long way. I have 14 other youth on my caseload. COMPASS has 14 Peacebuilders who serve 210 youth.
There are so many youth in Hartford, just like Jamie, who are really smart but need help overcoming the barriers that keep them from succeeding.
Please consider helping COMPASS reach these young people by donating today.
Thank you for reading Jamie and my story. I really appreciate your time.
Isaiah Luna
COMPASS Peacebuilder
