During the winter break, the George Mason University wrestling team visited The House Student Leadership Center, a non-profit organization that is an originator and provider of pre-teen and teen out-of-school time programs. The team had a very encouraging experience and certainly left a positive mark on the lives that they impacted that day.
Helen McCormick started The House, Inc. Student Leadership Center in 2005 with the mission to give direction to students that will protect their future and influence, and its programs ensure that all young people graduate from high school with college access and workforce readiness. The Center's initiatives work to improve health, education and employment outcomes for disadvantaged students.
Going on 10 years of service to the youth, The House has been recognized by several organizations.
America's Promise has featured The House in their 100 Best Communities for Young People in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The House was also acknowledged as “One of the Best” high-impact non-profits of the year according to The Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington, specifically for its drop-out prevention and mentoring programs. In addition to those prestigious honors, The Potomac Health Foundation presented The House Student Leadership with its Innovative Award for the developed education and fitness curriculum used in community centers and public schools to combat childhood obesity.
George Mason has partnered with The House through the University's Diversity Research and Action Center and the School of Nursing. Mason LEADScholars and the L-team join the work of the Center through its annual “National Capital A Cinderella Ball”, honoring children living with a disability or life-threatening illness from military families. The First Lady, Michelle Obama, is the Chair of “National Capital A Cinderella Ball.”
When Mason Wrestling visited The House on Jan. 11, the team got involved with a program called out-of-school time. Out-of-school time offers students a variety of ways to interact with each other and enjoy their time at the center; considering students have access to a café, den with fireplace surrounded by high-definition televisions, laptops, video gaming systems and several sport courts.
The team aided in the center's activities including homework assistance, meal prep and team play. The Patriots also gave a wrestling demonstration to the students at the center.
“The team's mentoring time and wrestling demonstration was an opportunity for them to share their personal and notable team accomplishments,” Executive Director of The House Todd McCormick said.
Redshirt junior Luke Ludke fully embraced the experience and enjoyed his time at The House.
“It was great seeing how much of an impact we had and how much fun they had interacting with us,” Ludke said.
The Patriots were even able to get students who were usually more reserved at The House to engage with team members during a variety of activities.
“It was great playing with the kids and seeing them have fun playing basketball and dodgeball with us,” redshirt senior captain Vince Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez was yet another Patriot who cherished his time at The House. He has served as the team's captain for the past two seasons and understands how important it is to lead by example. The Fresno, Calif. native, and his teammates not only positively impacted the students, but also provided a helping hand and impressed the everyday staff members.
“I think the staff was appreciative, and us going there to help out meant a lot to them,” Rodriguez said. “College athletes are great role models for kids because to be a college athlete you need to get good grades and have a good social life.”
Mason's experience at The House was a win-win for all involved. Even though the Patriots were the ones brought in to provide support and messages of encouragement, the team also learned from the experience.
“I think if something is going wrong with my life, big or small, the best thing to do is communicate with others,” Ludke said. “There's always a light at the end of the tunnel and if you fight through your problems, things will get better.”
