A Refuge of Peace and Love

 

A Refuge of Peace and Love

As a fifteen-year-old kid at a Catholic school, I’ve discovered that true heroes are all around me, and can lie in places you don’t expect. President and Mrs. Carter supply the definition of what a hero is, and what changing the world is all about. Over the course of my life, I’ve heard what a great impact the Carter Center has had on people, and so I decided to sit down with some of the staff members there and palpate that impact. 

First, I (virtually of course) sat down with the educational program assistant “Samantha Long” who had nothing but great things to say about President Carter. She said that the Carter Center strives for peace, and a safer environment for our world. Of her extensive background experience with the Carter Center Samantha proudly confirmed that she enjoys being a problem solver and seeing the progress being replicated in over 80 different countries.

The progress that has been accomplished over the years at the Carter Center has been very extensive—especially to teens across the globe. Samantha shared how their volunteers have a big role in the center, including hands-on work, which turns out is consistently a sizable amount of the work. Volunteers have left a great impact with different service projects, and just being a good neighbor—especially during these difficult pandemic times.

 Mrs. Carter has worked with perhaps her prime focus with mental health for over 50 years, and has been struggling to provide all people the right to mental health care. She has (with an apparent consensus) been the most active First Lady out of office in history, and has done a legendary job in the process. Mental health has been a major issue over the years in our country, but Mrs. Carter has made the proper steps to make the world a better place—through her work in that cause.

 

Samantha mentioned that after President Carter’s election loss in 1980, he used the term “retired”, which means that he decided to go his own way. He has been a great ambassador to the state of Georgia, where he has also served as governor—which of course led to his run for President. He also was in the Navy, and was the captain of a nuclear submarine.

President and Mrs. Carter have had—as husband and wife—a nonpareil relationship with each other for over 75 years, and both are still active in their shared and individual endeavors. President Carter is a big fan of swimming, and continues to do his strokes. He has won three Grammy’s, and won his most recent one in 2018. He is also author of 26 books—and still counting, which has been a monumental achievement in his peerlessly diversified life. One thing Samantha said that will remain imprinted in my memory me, was that he has had no regrets with what he has done over his life. At the end of the interview, Samantha affirmed that she feels that it’s a great organization, and is abidingly proud of having been involved in the work that has been accomplished.

 

Next, I “sat down” with “Sarah Yoss”, the Center’s associate director of health projects. She has been working with different projects, including projects in Liberia, Nigeria, and Sudan. When she describes how she finds her past and present work at the Center so gratifying, no doubts linger in the mind of her audience. The mental health program is one of the top programs at the Center, and is continuing to help more and more people every day. Sarah confidently explains that The Carter Center’s mission is to build hope, through public health and peace-building efforts, and to make that hope an inspiration to the world.

 

One thing that both of these wonderful ladies confirmed to me was how President Carter remains so passionate about his faith. He still teaches Sunday school at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. Samantha said that families and friends go as early as 4:00 AM to hear Mr. Carter speak.

President Carter has, by virtue of how he lives his life, encouraged and motivated me to go the extra mile, and to never hesitate with what I do. His faith has inspired me in so many ways--including getting involved in faith projects in my Catholic community and marshalling that involvement throughout my community helping the homeless.

 

I do not know President and Mrs. Carter, but they seem (because they virtually are) lovely people. If there are verily any authentic heroes among us today, those people are the Carter’s.