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Before I started coming to Lookout Mountain Conservancy, I wasn’t doing much of anything. I wasn’t really putting effort into school, or myself. I didn’t care about grades. I was helping at home, but I wasn’t pushing myself to do better. I was just... stuck.

I wouldn’t call it laziness- it was more like I didn’t see the point. I wasn’t around people who were trying to go anywhere, so I didn’t think I had anywhere to go either. My time was just filled with nothing. No direction, no structure, and definitely no purpose.

I heard about LMC from Quintez. He told me about this place where you work outdoors, learn real skills, and get to be part of something. I wasn’t sure at first. But I came for those first three volunteer days, and that was all it took. I liked being outside. I liked the people. It felt good to move, to work with my hands, to have people teaching each other instead of just talking at you.

From that first day, I realized something I hadn’t in a long time: I liked learning.

Being surrounded by people who actually wanted to teach you something, who wanted to see you succeed, it was different. I felt like I walked into a new type of environment. People were patient, encouraging. The energy was just better. It started to feel like a family.

And I needed that.

I started picking up skills pretty quick. Asean showed me how to use a hatchet right, something so simple, but it felt good to be taught and trusted. Quintez taught me how to weedeat, and Hector? Hector teaches everything. I learned from everybody. How to do the boulder wall, how to fix up a garden, how to plant strawberries. I used to not know anything about how to grow food, and now I know how to stack up planting boxes and build strawberry towers. I lost mine, but I remember the day we were all in the greenhouse, vibing, building our own creations. That kind of stuff sticks with you.

It wasn’t just the work, I was learning how to do things, but I was also learning how to be someone. Someone better.

That’s when I started changing how I moved through the world. I started caring more about school, locking in with my classes. There was one point where I almost got held back because of a class I failed. That was the wake-up call. I told myself, “Nope. Lock in.” And once I joined LMC, I had a reason to try harder. I didn’t want to miss out on anything out here. So I worked harder in school so I could keep coming.

It’s wild to say, but this place helped turn me into a better person, someone I can be proud of. I started teaching others the way people had taught me. And that made me feel good- like I’d really learned something. It’s one thing to be able to do a task. It’s another to teach someone else how to do it. That means you understand it. That means you listened.

LMC also taught me how to build better relationships, like how to recognize who’s really for you and who’s not. I’ve had people in my life who didn’t want the best for me. People who hated instead of helped. I even had a so-called friend try to steal from me once. It ended in a fight. That’s when I realized; don’t be cool with everybody. A real friend won’t pressure you into dumb stuff. A real friend motivates you. LMC helped me surround myself with the right people.

And they gave me chances to try stuff I never would’ve done before.

Like job shadowing. That’s when I really started figuring out my future. I’ve always been into drawing, and I still go home after work and draw or make music. I’ve even thought about tattooing. But after doing some job shadowing, I realized I want to be an electrician. I like puzzles and figuring things out. Working with wires, solving problems- it feels good. It feels like something I can do for real.

I even got to talk to a construction worker during one of the job shadows. He broke down how much money you can really make in that field. It was way more than what’s listed online. That got my attention. It made me realize how important it is to talk to real people who are doing the work, not just looking stuff up on Google. LMC gave me access to that.

And it gave me access to experiences that went way beyond work.

Carolina Point? One of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Ice skating- cut my hand open, still had a blast. Paddleboarding, biking races, group events like the shrimp boil- we weren’t just working, we were building relationships. I remember one woman at a meeting we went to. She sat at our table and shared her story, said how sometimes your goals don’t work out at first, but you keep trying anyway. That stuck with me. Because that’s what I’ve been doing. Trying anyway.

That’s the thing. I used to give up easy. If something didn’t work the first time, I just moved on or did nothing. Now, I try harder. I keep at it. I know trying harder gives me a better chance of making it than if I give up.

Even outside of work and school, I’ve grown. I’m not scared of animals the way I used to be. I used to stay in the house all the time after getting bit by a dog as a kid. But now, I’m outside all the time. I like bugs (not snakes though, they can stay far away). I want to dig trenches and chop wood. Greenhouse work is cool, but I like the stuff that makes me feel active. I feel like I’m doing something with purpose.

And I’ve come to care more about the environment too. If we don’t take care of the planet, the food gets worse, the water gets worse, everything falls apart. Being out here made me more aware of that. It’s not just dirt and trees. It’s connected to everything.

LMC helped me build that awareness. Helped me build confidence. Helped me learn to lead.

I used to think I’d end up bored, flipping burgers, doing something I hated. Now, I have a plan. I want to be an electrician. I want to study stocks and trading. I want to keep drawing and making music on the side. 

But most of all, I want to keep trying harder. Because I’ve seen what happens when you do.

To anyone thinking about joining LMC, I’d say this: it’s not just about helping us. It’s about how we can help you. You’ll get opportunities, skills, and people who actually care. You’ll get a chance to learn, not just how to work, but how to grow.

It’s not always easy. But it’s worth it.

And yeah, it takes time. But like that woman said at the meeting: the time will come.

-John