Habitat for Humanity
My journey in the land of Habitat for Humanity started in freshman year (2009-2010.) The NOVA Habitat Club did not exist at that time, but students were invited to help out in several groups at the Veles building site. I am the only freshman I can recall from that build, relieved only at the presence of a quiet sophomore amidst the upperclassmen. I silently marveled at the distinct personalities that constituted our group; we were a mixture of playful, hardworking, hungry, lazy, thirsty, pedantic and sweaty. In the midst of it all, we laid foundations for sidewalks and stairs, exchanged high-fives and laughs, and shared the same heavy drowsiness during our bus rides home in the heat.
As a sophomore, I found myself with helmet, gloves and shovel in hand, once again at the Veles building site. My group members had changed and were inevitably subjected to my silent comparison of team spirit in year one and year two. The second build was just as fulfilling as the first, but in a different way. I realized then, on our last bus ride home, that I’d been infected with the Habitat Bug.
It follows then, that I immediately jumped at the opportunity of forming the first-ever Habitat club at our school (and in the region.) Under the careful guidance of Mr. Kutzy, the club established a cabinet with respective committees and partook in several small projects in the spring of 2011. Members actually wanted to participate, share ideas and attend meetings. In truth, I must have been appointed secretary because I was the only one who wanted to write, but that suited me just as much as it suited the others; the club was on a roll.
Junior year. My role as note-taker and book-keeper remained. Yet, a change came upon our club as more and more students joined. We started encountering the problems of larger organizations. We had to start thinking harder about rules and attendance, how many absences would be tolerated? How many people could really be allowed to join? As a result, we had to abandon our cozy meeting space in Mr. Kutzy’s office (room 306 back in the day) and move to a larger classroom on the first floor (the legendary room 101.) Still, the Habitat Club spirit that we fostered in sophomore year continued. With our first president Bojan Srbinovski, vice president Tifani Uzunovska and treasurer Kristina Karatoli, we fought hard to turn our club into an official campus chapter. Although this goal was not fulfilled, we were content with the fact that we could still exist as a club that conducts projects in cooperation with the Habitat office in Skopje.
Senior year. I found myself in Bojan’s shoes as new faces replaced the ones that had come and gone. Yet the transition was not as tough as I thought it would be. Though I continued my introverted thoughtful ways, I found that I had gained confidence as a responsible leader. I could finally handle the aura of expectation when all eyes and ears were turned to me as I explained the nature of our subsequent projects. My experience turned Habitat in a sort of comfort I didn’t find elsewhere. Though our club was left without a mentor mid-year, I found comfort in the fact that I could handle the unexpected. I had a team to support me and lots of members who were just as excited to participate with the coming of spring as they were on day one.
Today, I am a retired NOVA Habitat Club president and graduating senior in a month’s time. I am confident that our new cabinet consisting of Simona Sarafinovska (president,) Kala Netkova (vice president,) Mishel Mucunska (secretary,) and Nick Matlievski (treasurer,) will do a wonderful job leading their fellow team-members into new Habitat projects alongside the traditionally established ones. My only hope is that the Habitat Bug keeps spreading from generation to generation and that all members gain experience at a building site. It is only when shovel comes to hand that true strength of character reveals.
As a sophomore, I found myself with helmet, gloves and shovel in hand, once again at the Veles building site. My group members had changed and were inevitably subjected to my silent comparison of team spirit in year one and year two. The second build was just as fulfilling as the first, but in a different way. I realized then, on our last bus ride home, that I’d been infected with the Habitat Bug.
It follows then, that I immediately jumped at the opportunity of forming the first-ever Habitat club at our school (and in the region.) Under the careful guidance of Mr. Kutzy, the club established a cabinet with respective committees and partook in several small projects in the spring of 2011. Members actually wanted to participate, share ideas and attend meetings. In truth, I must have been appointed secretary because I was the only one who wanted to write, but that suited me just as much as it suited the others; the club was on a roll.
Junior year. My role as note-taker and book-keeper remained. Yet, a change came upon our club as more and more students joined. We started encountering the problems of larger organizations. We had to start thinking harder about rules and attendance, how many absences would be tolerated? How many people could really be allowed to join? As a result, we had to abandon our cozy meeting space in Mr. Kutzy’s office (room 306 back in the day) and move to a larger classroom on the first floor (the legendary room 101.) Still, the Habitat Club spirit that we fostered in sophomore year continued. With our first president Bojan Srbinovski, vice president Tifani Uzunovska and treasurer Kristina Karatoli, we fought hard to turn our club into an official campus chapter. Although this goal was not fulfilled, we were content with the fact that we could still exist as a club that conducts projects in cooperation with the Habitat office in Skopje.
Senior year. I found myself in Bojan’s shoes as new faces replaced the ones that had come and gone. Yet the transition was not as tough as I thought it would be. Though I continued my introverted thoughtful ways, I found that I had gained confidence as a responsible leader. I could finally handle the aura of expectation when all eyes and ears were turned to me as I explained the nature of our subsequent projects. My experience turned Habitat in a sort of comfort I didn’t find elsewhere. Though our club was left without a mentor mid-year, I found comfort in the fact that I could handle the unexpected. I had a team to support me and lots of members who were just as excited to participate with the coming of spring as they were on day one.
Today, I am a retired NOVA Habitat Club president and graduating senior in a month’s time. I am confident that our new cabinet consisting of Simona Sarafinovska (president,) Kala Netkova (vice president,) Mishel Mucunska (secretary,) and Nick Matlievski (treasurer,) will do a wonderful job leading their fellow team-members into new Habitat projects alongside the traditionally established ones. My only hope is that the Habitat Bug keeps spreading from generation to generation and that all members gain experience at a building site. It is only when shovel comes to hand that true strength of character reveals.
Bisera Djundeva