Life After 50: If You’re Lucky, You Find Out Someday

Submitted by Chris Clark
on January 31, 2023
- 9:41 am

Local educators from left, Whitney Pomeroy, Lynn Ovaska, Melissa Mackey and Akiko Shiina. Photo by Chad Lauritzen

Rich Ronquillo explains to Skye Webb and her sister Simone Bennett the process he does to hand craft the award. Ronquillo has made and not charged C’YA for the Spirit of the West Award every year except the very first year. Webb was the big winner Saturday of the award named for former Los Alamos County Councilor Jim West. Photo by Chad Lauritzen

By BERNADETTE LAURITZEN
Executive Director
LARSO

After three years, Champions of Youth Ambitions celebrated a CommUNITY Asset Awards in person. It was a very small, socially distanced ceremony not open to the public. C’YA is my “side hustle”, a non-profit I started before becoming executive director of the senior centers.

My work with the Assets started in about 2007 when I took the Leadership Los Alamos Class. I was teaching the Assets in the schools, the community, to anyone who would listen. The 40 Developmental Assets are the building blocks that help young people become resilient as they grow. Please look up their work with the Search Institute.

One of the things I taught was that you may never know when you touch a life, but if you are lucky you might. Just prior to the end of the year, a former Community Asset Award nominee found me at the center and shared their journey. I won’t go into detail, but the simple fact was at a low moment in their life they found the award in a box.

They believed that if someone had that faith in them, why couldn’t they have the same faith in their own self? Yes, I cried a bit, but I think that was my heart growing so big, something had to come out.

So, what lives did our Asset winner touch and they might not know it yet? LAHS teacher Lynn Ovaska recently shared a goal to let people know they meant something to you, or thank them, so here I am.

Carol Carter came to New Mexico from New Zealand. She was here to help a friend that had a major health issue. The goal, to transition her friend from hospital to home care or hospital bed to death bed, it was up to her friend. She saw her friend through some very hard times, but led them to a path of healing. It took months to get things in an insane COVID crazy world to a semblance of normalcy, with the help of Ambercare, private care and the senior center. It was the most amazing display of friendship I have ever witnessed in my 54 years. So even though she is home in New Zealand and her friend has now passed away after even more struggle, the love of friendship, commitment and caring wins.

So, who made a difference for you or your kids or your parents? Don’t waste the chance to let them know. Make Mrs. Ovaska’s goal and that of her students and prove to them – we can learn from their work. Then find someone to nominate this year and let us know at www.cya-nm.org.