Marito a STOKED Los Angeles youth visits NYC
Sometimes the routine of life can be monotonous. Eat, sleep, work, eat, go home.
Luckily some of us have the means and opportunity to jet out of town and visit different cities. You come back energized and the change of pace adds more perspective to your life.
You got a breath of fresh air.
What about the young person who’s never left their neighborhood, their city, or this country?
The few miles between home, school, and the occasional visit to a relative on the other side of town often defines their world.
It dawned on me… STOKED is literally expanding the geographical boundaries of students by taking them to different locations in our programs. Then I thought about it a bit more.
The students in STOKED for more than 2 years tend to take opportunities to travel.
They are often the ones who choose to go away to college and end up joining programs that enable them to visit places such as Ghana, Japan, or Italy!
So it was no surprise that Marito, a 17 year old Los Angeles Stoker ended up in NYC for a few days.
Fresh off a 10 month youth exchange program in Turkey (he was 16 at the time), Marito needed a place to stay for a few days in New York. I hooked him up with long time STOKED supporters Dan & Allison Bealey who live in Brooklyn.
Quick side note: Dan is our longest active volunteer and was the 2009 Volunteer of the Year.
Marito’s brother Kevin is a Stoked Alumn. When Kevin went off to college, Marito jumped right into the STOKED community as a freshman in high school.
He got a mentor, snowboarded, skated and surfed and even made a magazine with STOKED and Nike one summer. He’s got a bright future ahead of him.
He is set to graduate high school this next year and go to college.
Check out pictures of him in NYC. A very big thank you to Dan and Allison for opening their home and looking after Marito for 4 days!
Marito on his 30 mile bike ride day to Coney Island
Marito at the Brooklyn Bridge
Marito on the Staten Island Ferry
Marito with Dan and Allison Bealey at dinner on his last night in NYC.
Awesome write…I am going to share this on my blog! I am going to raise as much money as possible for you as I train for the NYC Marathon this November. I am Stoked to share what you guys are doing. Congrats on a great trip Marito!