What They're Saying

Participants speak out...

“Sometimes when I want to give up I think about Inside Out and I keep going."
 - Beverly



“The Program changed my heart and taught me that we are all the same. Nobody is better, but each is amazing in their own way."
 - Tramaine



 “Inside Out is my second family. The family that doesn't fight when something goes wrong."
 - Gladys



“I used to be afraid to read or give an oral report in class, but the workshop taught me how to open up. Inside Out has helped me control my actions."
 - Amanda


“I learned I can do a lot of things well that others had told me I was bad at."
 - Katie



“I was so excited I came to school every day...I learned to not hate myself...I learned I am not dumb...Inside Out isn't just a group, it's a family and it's made me not ashamed of expressing my feelings and showing my talents."
 - Brandon


“I realized that there's actually stuff to live for and not using violence."
 - Roxy



“[Inside Out] gives everyone a chance to know what it feels to have friends."
 - Minh-Thuc


“I realized I needed to see the world not only with my eyes, but with my heart as well."
 - Cris, Mentor


“I jumped in the middle of that circle and yelled my name. It felt amazing. I will always remember that day as the birth of the person I am today."
 - Willie, Inside Out graduate, age 20



“It inspired me into a love affair with the arts and writing."
 - Walter, Inside Out graduate, age 20


“See in Inside Out, we're family. When someone's down, they're always willing to give a hand.... Inside Out is the bomb.” 
– Myeasha


“I learned…that when you use your mind, your dreams come true, and an actress never, never quits.” 
- Joi



“My experience with Inside Out is like a wonderful miracle. I feel welcomed and cared for there like one of the queen’s sons.” 
- Virak


“Being here in the mountains and working on plays made me see things in different ways. One person I saw differently is myself, and it was for the best.” 
- Cameron

“I learned to explode with ideas and speak what I feel.”
 - Patricia



“I got to show a "me" I never knew. I feel good every Wednesday because I know I'm going where friends are, to something that loosens me up.”
 - Keyona


"I learned that I am not dumb."
- Anonymous, from post-program survey



“I really realized all my dreams. Now I have more self-esteem in my daily life. I look forward to waking up in the morning.” 
- Monique


“I knew I could write, but I thought that my talent ended there. Oh how I was wrong! This program gave me the sense of art that I couldn't find on my own. Joining Inside Out was probably the best thing that I've ever done!” 
- Daisy



“Inside Out has helped me become a person that I like… I was at times too boisterous, and this has helped me control my actions, learn how to share my ideas and speak out in a good way.” 
- Amanda


“This program has taught me how to become a better person and it has helped me express my feelings in a healthy and safe way. I know for a fact that Inside Out has changed people for the better. Kids who felt that they didn't have anybody to talk to or anyone to listen to them have turned their lives around because they realized that they did. Thank you, Inside Out, for making me the person I am now: a responsible, self-loving soul who cares about helping others come Inside Out.”
 - Rachael, Alumni Mentor