Rise Above Anonymous

After building the portable tennis court, I signal one of my eleven-year-old students to come and play. He returns every ball over the net despite having a racket with two broken strings. The uneven concrete does not hinder him from speeding around the court while jersey drips in sweat.

The boy gave it his all.

After quickly jumping up and down because he won a point against me, the boy ran over to me, asking, "are you proud of me?

I grin—that's a question I would have asked at age 11. Like the boy, my 11-year-old self didn't need professional tennis nets, the fanciest rackets, and stellar court surfaces to cultivate his love for tennis.

He rose above.

Today—after 8 years of receiving free tennis lessons—I'm eager to serve the program that enriched me by building tennis courts, creating lesson plans, uplifting the next generation of lower-income New York youth, and being the role model my 11-year-old self would have looked up to.

But on this hot summer day, I looked up to the boy and his resilience—his love for tennis.

My smile grows as I tell him:

"Yes, I'm proud—proud because you rose above.