KCI Trailhead Student Feedback #1
SESSION 1
“One encounter that really impacted me was the time we spent with KCI. I spent time with Jessica, and just hearing her story broke my heart. The fact that everyone, or a majority of people, have this false narrative in their minds is so unfair and judgemental to them. Most people aren’t even thinking of this consciously, but it still shows up in the judgemental looks that they get or even just the comments that we make mentally are overall unfair.” - Georgia
“The thing that stood out to me the most was the baseline human desire to be heard and seen. To be treated with dignity as a human being. KCI showed me that that’s often more important than food or clothing. Everyone wants an El-Roi.” - Ava
“I would say that the homelessness and sociology visits/lecture inspired me and gave me a greater awareness of what the world needs. I just felt like I was at a loss for how to help, and now I feel much more empowered.” - Savannah
“KCI caused me to have a different view of homelessness. I used to think that homelessness was a smaller issue that only affected people with mental disorders, but that isn’t true.” - Blake
“The homeless activity pulled on my heartstrings. I judge a lot of homeless people, and now I know I need to be more graceful and helpful.”
“The presentation about the homeless was very eye-opening. I was ignorant to the hurt and pain that this community was experiencing, and now I’m more aware of how cruel our world is.” - Gabby
“Visiting Westmont Downtown and spending the morning with KCI was truly life-altering. Living in Santa Barbara, I’m fully aware of the homeless problem, but my view on homelessness was changed by the morning. To be completely honest, when walking downtown, I cross the street or walk quickly when I see homeless people. Through this experience, I learned not all homeless people are mentally ill or have addiction problems. It made me realize how blessed I am to live in a warm home and not worry where my next meal is coming from. This experience with KCI was truly so special and a super, super eye-opening experience, specifically hearing from those with lived experiences.” - Anja
“Learning about the state of the world, like immigrants and homeless experiences and sociology made me very interested in service to the underprivileged. Breaking down various stereotypes is also now way more important to me.” - Lydia