Posted on November 21, 2014
Source: Nathalia Gibbs
When I joined Generation Tomorrow, I had already imagined what I’d be doing. I could see the impact that the program could have on communities in Baltimore, and I was so excited to be part of that. Helping out at events such as Testing for Turkeys and attending the Bridging the Gap Symposium let me understand how HIV and HCV are part of Baltimore’s story. Despite all of this, I still didn’t quite understand Generation Tomorrow. However, little by little, I began to finally see the smaller picture.
Being one of two undergraduate students, I always found it intimidating to sit around lectures with all these “adults” – some of them already professionals. However, their opinions and experiences have been invaluable in understanding more about Baltimore and the people who make up these communities. Because of my lack of experience with HIV and HCV, I was nervous about building trust with clients, but after a wonderful reality check lecture from Jordan White I felt so much closer to the cause we were working with.
My first day at OWEL, I walked into my orientation and received one of the biggest hugs I had felt in a while. With all that warmth and love present, it was so easy to see how much more there was for me to learn. There was a whole life beyond the finger stick and test result – a life that I wasn’t really a part of before.
The first person I ever tested at the Health Department looked back at me before heading to the waiting room and said “If it’s positive, don’t call me back. I think I might cry.” And that’s when it hit me that what we did wasn’t entirely about Baltimore. It was about each person and their story.
