Sarah Muwonge

I had the honor of being a teen scholar at the House of Peace during my last two years of high school. Being involved in the House Peace has deeply changed my life in many ways, and fortunately for myself, I am still able to see the effects it has on my life.

I have always been involved in different youth programs; however the House of Peace Teen Leadership program was the first program to really challenge me to step out of my comfort zone. Before the program, I was very shy in front of large groups and therefore struggled with the idea of getting in front of groups of people to present them with non-violent ways to solve their problems. However, after learning many of the leadership skills teenagers are taught in the program, I was able to find my voice and be comfortable with public speaking.

Now, I am able to get in front of lecture-sized class rooms and speak without getting intimidated by the crowd. The public speaking skills I learned at the House of Peace have even inspired me to take on Communication as one of my majors at the University of St. Thomas-Minnesota. In addition, being a teen leader has changed the way I interact with others. Instead of being passive-aggressive while experiencing an issue with a project member at school for example, I am able to take the skills that I used to teach to younger children and put them into action. It definitely is a blessing to see the non-violent ways to solve issues that were seemingly outdated to those of us in the program, are definitely useful for both young children and adults.

In addition to conducting skits for middle school-aged children, participating in service- projects allowed me to see just how many people in the community need to be helped. It made me realize how many young children need a positive role model to look up to, and how many of these young children unfortunately do not have any positive role models. This realization helped to instill in me the desire to help and motivate others. I now look forward to one day receiving my juris doctorate degree, in order to bring justice to those who deserve it. I also strive to be a positive role model by inspiring others to improve their lives in positive and non-violent ways with techniques I learned at the House of Peace.