NJROTC assisted with Poway Kiwanis’ annual event, “Holiday With Heroes,” hosted at Poway Community Center. The students worked alongside current and retired service personnel, pageant winners, and other affiliated organizations to help distribute gifts and spread Christmas joy to low-income families. Cadet Chief Petty Officer Julia Cheon (11) said the amount of people willing to give back to their community warmed her heart.
“This made me realize that there’s a lot of people who do truly want to help others,” Cheon said. “There were so many people there, it just made me have faith in the community because they all came here to help these families in need.”
Cheon said that when she was young she was in the same shoes as the kids who attended this event.
“When I was a kid I used to attend these events because I couldn’t afford many things, so when I saw [the] kids, I could empathize with them,” Cheon said.
Cadet Cory Ngyuen (12) said it was heartbreaking to find out one boy’s story.
“From the stories I heard about him, it was very touching,” Nguyen said. “His brother is a bit older, [and] was going through depression; he was having suicidal thoughts. I was a bit terrified for the kid because he’s being surrounded by this. So, I was hoping to offer just a day to have fun because he’s only a child and he shouldn’t have to deal with that.”
This was an experience that Ngyuen and Cheon would not forget. They thought the whole event was endearing and it brought joy to the both of them.
Two kids whom Ngyuen and Cheon worked with were shy at first, but then started warming up to them.
“At the beginning, we were picking out presents and I made small talk with him trying to get him to slowly open up. Eventually, he said he wanted to get this gift for this secret person and I asked him who it was. He said, “Do you promise to keep a secret?” And I said, ‘yeah,’ and he said, ‘it’s you,’” Ngyuen said.
To keep the kids engaged, Cadet Emerson Budde (12), the assistant drill captain, turned the experience into a fun game for the young boy she was working with, ensuring he had a joyful time. “I made it a game because he wanted to turn everything into a game. So when I needed him to stop or slow down, we made pinky promises. I offered him alternatives or set up other activities where he could still expend his energy and have fun,” Budde explained.
During this event, Cheon spent quality time with a young boy who was picking out gifts for himself and his family. They also decorated cupcakes, ate dinner, and played tag together.
“When we were eating dinner, we got a bunch of popcorn and I started throwing it in my mouth and then the kid would do it too,” Cheon said. “I thought it was a good bonding experience and the kid said that he had a present for me.[Then the boy said] close your eyes, [after that]he grabbed a bunch of popcorn and put it in my mouth.”
Participating in this event the cadets realized how grateful and lucky they were. This was an eye-awakening experience and the event gave an open heart for Budde.
“I feel like it’s like such a blessing and just helps you realize how lucky and fortunate you are and it’s a privilege to be able to be a light in these kids’ lives and worlds,” Budde said.
Cheon and Ngyuen wanted to give the young kids’ an experience they will never forget.
“I won’t forget the kid and I hope he doesn’t forget me,” Ngyuen said. “Because going in there I felt a bit awkward because I was missing some of my uniform stuff so I was kind of worried and stressed; however, when I was just with the kid, it kind of left my mind and I was more focused on him because overall he was such a nice and loving kid and I really just hope things get better for him.”
