Empowering Refugee Youth to Thrive.
Thrive Center Stories: Shannon
By Nara Shin
Shannon Price is Youth Empowerment Assistant at Thrive Center. Shannon recently graduated from college and started her new journey with Thrive International to empower refugee youth groups in the Spokane community. Today, we talked to Shannon to learn more about her journey and passion for her job empowering refugee youth.
How would you describe the culture at the Thrive Center?
I'm incredibly proud to work here. And that's because of our staff; they're more than willing when you ask anyone for help. They also live out their values and are passionate about serving and trying to mobilize this community within this building, the larger Spokane community, their families, their friends, and their churches. I also watch these adults live out their joy and talent differently. And seeing it benefit this community is like, "wow, like this actually happens." The staff, I think, is probably what inspires me the most but then as a part of this community.
What is your favorite part about working at the Thrive Center?
My favorite part about my job is getting to speak with the youth and just being a listening ear to them. I think it brings me joy to know that I can make someone feel heard. Listening to their issues allows me to understand better and then also have more fun building trust and joy in ourselves by sending each other TikToks or whatever it is. I think that's the joy that I have. My favorite part of my job is to watch them grow, feel more comfortable in themselves, and get excited about their futures. That's what I am looking for.
What is an unforgettable memory with kids you have had at the Thrive Center?
I think the one that sticks out is the soccer camp last year when Thrive International had just started. We didn't even know that we had a budget until the last minute, and then we found out that it was a huge budget. Then, we put together a soccer camp working with USL Spokane, which connected us to Park USA, which donated 100 carbon-neutral soccer balls. The USA military women's team came and played with us, which is a moment I will never forget. I saw all of these scrimmages happening when these women had already learned the names of these kids whom I was still mixing. They're like, "go get it, go get it," encouraging them. That was so cool to see.
How has working at the Thrive impacted your life?
Mark (executive director) is a great example of someone who has taken the time to get the right education and build the right relationships. He knows what he's doing. But he also is crazy because he's always willing. I think I've learned that if you're willing to put the work in, and you have a team of people willing to put the work in, there's a great chance that something amazing will happen. I grew up volunteering at the food pantry, but I never saw a community coming together and solving an urgent need. And so it's awesome to watch that happen and be a part of it through the amazing example. And I hope that I get to be a part of that happening for the rest of my life.
Why do you think Thrive is meaningful in the community?
Thrive is meaningful because we are an example of a community responding to a need and solving it as a community. When I was still over there to learn about the right people and community involvement, I realized using the connections like USL has happened here. Doing all of these things and building connections allowed Thrive to be what it is and be impactful in the community.
What do you hope for in the future regarding these refugee kids and the Ukrainian-Russian war that is happening right now?
I really hope for our youth programs here. Most kids are from Sub-Saharan Africa because we're heavily connected to a Swahili-speaking church. I hope to see more kids involved in the program long term. It can be those who have come from Ukraine or have been displaced by the war. I'm excited to see those kids grow long-term. That's my hope. I hope that as the youth program continues, as we have more diverse members, kids are empowered and look at their future with bright eyes instead of despair.