Study hall check-in
by Patrique Harris, Ministry Community Director
Recently, our GYVOAT (Greatest Youth Volunteer Of All Time), Michael, hosted a small study hall for our Youth Club teens. We shared some Pollo Ranchero from a spot down the street, Pollos El Junior, and hit the books. Even Michael benefited from the study time. Sure, he helped tutor math, but he also had his atlas in tow to brush up on Caribbean geography for the daily Globle game (try it!). Honestly, I benefited from the community study time too because it gave me the perfect inspiration for this article.
If you’re a friend of mine, you know I love a good check-in question. Listening is one of the best ways we can love and support the people around us, and sometimes all it takes is asking a simple but meaningful question. While the teens snacked and worked through homework, I asked a few of them two simple questions: What’s bringing you joy? And what’s been hard lately?
Their responses were honest, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt. I really enjoyed hearing their voices, and I wanted to share some of their responses in this article. Teens use a ton of filler words, so I lightly edited their responses for readability while trying to keep their personalities intact.
“The first few months of the school year were going pretty nicely, pretty chill. Then, around mid-October up until now, school has been so stressful. I feel unmotivated. I feel like not doing my work. I feel like going home, sleeping, and doing nothing. On Sundays, I bed rot (Gen Z for staying in bed all day) so bad actually. It’s really unhealthy. I get some work done, but I don’t get all my work done.
The bonding with my cross-country team is really nice and fun. And the meets are fun too, after the racing part though. Because when you’re racing, you’re just tired. But after that, you feel like, ‘Oof, I did that,’ and then you feel good, and then you want to go home and shower.
I really liked winter break and spring break. I enjoyed this spring break because I mostly hung out with Angie. I love hanging out with my friends. Just not worrying about school makes me happier.
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““I think what’s bringing me the most joy is the amount of optimism I have for the future. Just looking forward to being done with school, being able to work, going out in the summer, and being surrounded by my family. Parks too. I’m ready to go there.
What’s been hard? Honestly, nothing, bro. Life’s been going pretty good right now. Probably just the stress, I know I’m gonna feel for finals, but I feel like I’m getting my stuff done correctly right now.”
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“Something that’s been bringing me joy is my nephew, Oliver. He’s so stinking cute. Sometimes it can be annoying because he’s a baby, and I’m still getting used to him, but he really does bring me joy. He just smells so good, and after a stressful day of school, going back home and giving him hugs and cuddles makes me happy.
And then actually spending time with my friends. We’ll have moments where we’re just laughing, and I really take that in because school’s been really stressful. When you get time to laugh and feel joy, it feels good. Then, you have to go back to doing work.
Just spending genuine time with my friends, playing games, playing around, having our fun while we can.
What’s been hard? Oh my goodness. School and sports. School’s the worst, I can’t lie, especially at Sumner. Once you catch up, it’s always something else. They don’t give you a break. I kid you not, they act like they’re the only class you take. It’s one thing after another.
Sometimes, yeah, I procrastinate, but still, it’s just too much. They do a lot with assignments, and then with sports, you have to stay locked in there, too. It’s also hard when people are being annoying, especially adults in sports. It makes you not want to stay sometimes. But some people want you to stay. A team you have to be there for, too. So it’s stressful in so many ways.
And then your family not really understanding how stressful it can be. Nobody in my family has gone to Sumner, so I really don’t think they’d understand. I know they probably had their own stress in high school, but y’all don’t understand Sumner. It’s just a different type of stress.
Trying to balance school and sports together while also trying to enjoy life or push through is hard. I know it’s only like two or three weeks left, but it feels like it’s gonna take forever. The longest two or three weeks ever. Yeah, and I feel like I need a chiropractor too.
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“It’s hard because life can feel like you’re missing out on certain things, or you’re not being the best at something you used to enjoy. Sometimes there are weird people in your life who are like, ‘Why are you even doing that?’ And it’s like, you don’t even know me.
School can be really fun at moments. I’ll tell you that. But I also hate school sometimes because, oh my gosh, you dread going. You have to wake up so early in the morning, stay there until the afternoon, then come back home and do homework. Are you serious?
But I enjoy hanging out with my friends, talking to my friends, just laughing, and being a happy person. What else can I do?”
In many ways, I can relate to these teens. The stress of life feels tightly woven with the beautiful joys. It reminded me that even in hard seasons, there will still be moments that make us feel connected and at ease.
I hope after reading this, you check in with someone this week. Ask them what’s bringing them joy. Ask them what’s been hard. Then really listen.
Key Dates in 2026
Trimester 2:
New Volunteer Orientation: Interested in serving with immigrant and refugee kids, youth, or adults in KCK? Come learn more about Mission Adelante and the work we do on Saturday, May 16th at 9am. Register here.