Lindsay Jungers

My name is Lindsay Jungers, and I was a scholar at the House of Peace during all four years of high school.  My involvement at the House of Peace greatly affected me and continues to do so.  Before becoming a teen leader, I was very shy and definitely didn’t have the leadership skills that I have today.  After learning that my involvement at the House of Peace would entail leading workshops and performing skits in front of others on how to solve conflicts, I was a bit unsure if I would be up for completing these tasks. However, after learning various leadership skills and much practice, I was much more comfortable speaking in front of others and leading groups. This is such a valuable skill that I continue to use on a daily basis whether it be through class, interviews, or various organizations.  I am so much more comfortable speaking in front of others and have no problem taking leadership roles. In fact, I am a social co-chair for Powers Knapp, a scholarship I received to attend the University of Wisconsin Madison, and this role requires much communication and leadership activity.  Being able to speak well and lead others are qualities that are very important today. I believe I possess these qualities, and I am so very grateful to the House of Peace because I know without them I probably would not have attained them.

Besides gaining personal qualities, the House of Peace also helped me to realize the importance of helping others.  The House of Peace gives a great deal back to the community from giving food and clothing to the less fortunate to offering health and legal services.  Volunteering and giving of yourself is so important.  I continue to be so inspired by the House of Peace’s act of giving that I volunteer my time today and will continue to do so in the future.  During my time as a teen leader, I was also able to see the immediate effects of our workshops. Through our workshops we taught youth how to solve conflicts without using violence. Violence is such a major problem in society, and if we are able to change even one child’s decision to use words instead of violence, then I believe we have made a great impact. After our workshops, I was able to see how greatly we had affected many of the people there, and I knew that the next time they faced a conflict, they would think about our workshops. Through these workshops, we are changing the ideology of children and their ways of communicating, and I believe they are potentially saving lives that might have one day been lost to the hands of violence. Violence will probably never be entirely eradicated, but because of the House of Peace and other similar organizations, I believe huge strides are being made to effectively decrease it.

Throughout my four years as a teen scholar at the House of Peace, I received so much, from communication and leadership skills to the knowledge of the power of giving, not to mention the relationships I formed with those at the House of Peace that will last a lifetime.  I know I would not be the same person I am today if I had not been a part of the House of Peace, so for this and much more I am forever grateful.