Assistant Editor's Letter

As I sit writing this today, thinking back on how the 8 of us (including myself) was given this amazing opportunity in our life to become apart of a RC publication for a youth magazine. I can't help but be amazed and thankful to know that i am truly blessed by our Lord Christ himself to be where i am today, to be apart of window of opportunity that will open many more doors to come in my lifetime. As well as my partners who have also been awarded this outstanding opportunity of a lifetime. When will this ever come again in the the duration of your life? Who knows, it might not ever! Being offered a chance to be apart of a publication like this could be the key that unlocks the door to our world, it could uncover paths hidden by our past mistakes, or hidden by what we would define as our failures in a certain time of our life. It could possibly be our wings to our dreams, as much as it is to others. An open window of opportunity to do what we love in day to day life, but work with others who also share our same passion for writing, but with our own style thrown into it. Slowly, making our dream become a reality step by step. Right then and there, we all made a decision that we were not consciously aware, that we were making. When it became clear to us, that decision was made to go after what we wanted, to take a risk and challenge ourselves. To chase our dreams and turn them into a reality, this was our test. Our leap of faith. How much faith did we really have inside ourselves, to take a hold of the steering wheel to our life. Be in charge of our own futures and not let other road blocks, life hurdles, paths darkened by tragedy and past regrets factor in and corrosively mold our future which is clay, ready to be molded in the hands of its master. We all made the Leap! Just with that being seen and done, we all overcame something big, we proved to ourselves that, we; Albert, April, Jose, Mirtha, Wayne, Eileena, Gio, and i, Essence all have something to offer the world.

As we all went through the interview process, first meeting who'd be our future leading partners of it all; Aude Cabaldon, our publicist and Cheryl Rhodes the one in charge of it all. we presented our talent and skills, as proudly and maybe with a dash of shaken nerves as we could all the way down to the handshake, we gave it our best! Now, all that was left to do was wait for the call to see if we made the cut or not. It was only a couple of days, but those days felt like weeks! Cheryl and Aude made their decisions pretty quickly and started making phone calls to the lucky 8 who had made it out of 17 other people! Those lucky people were: April Garcia, Gio _____, Mirtha Galvan, Albert Ramirez, Wayne West, Eileena Chavez, Jose Carrilo , and me ... Essence Evans. It was amazing to receive that call and hear that i and my co-participant who also goes to my center made it. The feeling was amazing, it was indescribable. We got right to work the following week, and didn't waste no time getting down to business. We all met one another and seemed to click instantaneously. A bond was spawned, a bond like no other. Our diversities from our different life styles, areas of where we lived or interests brought out incredible ideas and results from within us and our collaborative brainstorms. We we great together as a group feeding off each other and supporting each other with our ideas even down to constructive critiquing. We were there for each other and was there to lend a hand without a second thought in a heartbeat. It was a blessing how our paths crossed and how the Lord brought each and everyone of us together to create something beautiful and that will be useful to other youths our age.

Going through these weeks were phenomenal! We all found our strengths and strengthen our weakness with the help of Aude, Cheryl, guest speakers, and one another. Wayne West became the Editor, I, Essence Evans became the Assistant Editor, Albert Ramirez became our Art Director, Mirtha Galvan in charge of Advertisement, and our writers April Garcia, Jose Carillo, and Eileena Chavez. We all wrote and helped each other with everyones task. We learned about our magazine and the terms and layout structures. We learned valuable concepts and key points of life that we'd probably never have the chance to learn anywhere else until later on in life. Getting to know one another and become closer, not only as a team but as a family. The pilot family of LeapRC, the ones who started it all, and will continue to work and thrive with it to the end if given the chance.

Of course, can't go without saying a couple of things about what wonderfully, amazing leaders we had through it all. Aude Cabaldon, who is helping us 8 youth's dreams become a reality, who is assisting us in help laying out our look for the magazine. Giving us his great guidance and helping us bloom into wise young adults. Leading us in the right direction where you never lose sight of the light because its always shining. Yes, shining showing us our way on our paths, but not only that light. The fire inside our hearts, burning with the passion to write and help make a difference in our community. To be the select few to stand up in our community and make that change, take the chance to be something great! As well as Cheryl Rhodes, this women is something else. Cheryl is an inspiring, brilliant women who i am blessed to have met and who is definitely apart of the people i thank God daily for allowing into my life. Cheryl is compassionate and admirable in every aspect to working and starting her own family business which is currently still thriving at its best! Wow, Cheryl is the match to our fires, we have all the materials, talent and knowledge we need to be successful creating this magazine, all we really needed is a little push in the right direction to get us going. Or in this case that one spark to light our fires and get our souls burning with the passion we've always had inside of us. That ember was just waiting for the right person and opportunity to bring it out of us.

I guess you can say we all learned something new about ourselves and found out another piece of information about ourselves that has possibly put us a step closer to our goal than we have yet to realize. We sometimes go through life focusing on what we wish we could've done, instead of realizing and being blessed for the things we have, the things we've gone through and the people we currently have in our lives. We over look the simplicities in life, when what we have is all we need to be truly happy in life. As the old saying goes "you never really appreciate what you have, until its gone." Once it's gone, it's too late to go back and have regrets, wishing on things you would have wanted to do differently or say the things you wish you would of had the chance to say to someone. Do it now, say it now. Don't wait until the last moment to start living your life, chasing your dreams or being true to yourself. Stop lying to yourself now, face your fears, say what you need to say. Love who you need to love, become who you need to become and be the one person you can be proud about when you lay head to rest day to day. Start today, that door won't remain open for long until it is closed and locked forever. This magazine was all about taking a chance, and teaching you to follow you heart and aim to make your dreams a reality. Take that extra step, take that LEAP! We, the LeApRC never aimed for failure, never prepared to fall from the stars in the sky, which accompanied our life dreams. Oh no, don't tell us the sky is the limit when there's footprints upon the moon. The sky was our limit, we aimed for the moon and we surpassed it as we enjoy our view amongst our stars. Living our life to the fullest. Not stopping there, this is only the beginning, only the pilot program. Don't confine us only to explore the universe around us, when there's other galaxies begging to be discovered as possible resources to put to use.

My life long dream, as a person in this lifetime is to help someone or make a difference in someone's life. To be their guiding North star, when the sun has set on a the day when they needed the sunshine most in their life. To lead them home, when they are lost and have drifted off their path of life, where their ambitions and self-worth as a person has become increasingly hard to see through the fog of the storm that is raging within their mind. To ease the aching pain and fill the void left in their heart, left by careless person. I, Essence Evans, to be that light, the helping hand above their self- dug hole that they've fallen too deep into to see their worth as a person, and for me to remind them of it. My dream, to be that sigh of relief, at the end of a tragedy or hardship ensuring them; everything will be okay. To shine like the north star that will lead them back to the doorstep of the home they were so frantically trying to escape, and welcome them, for they have been missed in their absence and that they do belong in this world. Aspire to resemble the promising sun, that will once again rise before you, illuminating your dreams, to enlighten your once darkened skies of life. To show compassion and lend my time to help direct and lead you back to your life's path, where you share your walk with God, realizing he never left your side to begin with. Inspire to be the reason behind your strength, that helps you climb out of the hole you once dug yourself to lay, as you fill it up with stepping stones of accomplishments, never again to stumble down that hole again. Even something as small as lending you my time with an open ear and heart, being the last thread in your line not to break. Or to ceasing your downward spiral, calming the raging storm within your mind helping you realize the true beauty of your life and capabilities. I would know, i as a person would have fulfilled my life long dream and potential as a person in this lifetime. I, Essence Evans, would had lived up to the meaning of my life as one of God's children.

This may be the first publication of LeapRC, but it will not be the last. To help change the outcome of our fellow youth's future and help better their resources with helpful information straight from their peers, while raising the statistics into achieving a better education for our age group is what keeps the fires lit, fiercely burning within our souls to continue writing and serving our community as best as we only know how to. It's been an honor to work with each and everyone of these brilliant and compassionate people. Knowing that our time is winding down and this eye opening adventure is coming to end, i wouldn't have wanted to walk this path with any other people, but them. For i am not leaving this experience empty handed, (as i'm sure neither are they) i've picked up wisdom. I've picked up a different view of life in general, as well as a different view of my own. We've created unforgettable memories, cleared our skies of grey and of who we will become in this world. Strides closer to a clue, to what difference we will make in this world, and who we'll become!

We all are armed with new life skills, strengthen weakness, broaden horizons, sharpened skills, perfected talents, and a new, intense flame burning within us, along with persevering motivation to get us through any hurdle life has to throw our way! No one's goals or dreams are out of reach, for all you have to do is get to the top of the mountain of excuses, dig deep inside yourself, brush the ashes off your heart, find that ember burning within, and LEAP! You'll have no choice but to fly!


Our wings, are our dreams, and on toward the sky!





By Assistant Editor,
Essence Evans





Near the end this program is eh .. but cheryl was amazing. i was overly nice writting this.