...are on the pages of Reader's Digest.
Reader's Digest finally printed the article about the Kentucky Horse Park Mustang Troop in their April 2007 issue. I spent two summers working with this group of kids several years ago. My time with them began in 1996 and I volunteered off and on with them until...I think it was summers 2001 and 2002 when I completed two internships, one as an assistant riding instructor and the other as Mustang Troop coordinator. I traveled with them to President Clinton's inaugural parade and have been to numerous other parades and events.
I'm extra proud of this article mostly because of Rodriguez Smith. His story is told at the end of the article and, to me, he is one of the best success stories. Rodriguez is an amazing person who has persevered his surroundings. He did have some rough times in his late teens but came right back with a determination to be a functional part of society. He now is married with four children and works as a groom at Claiborne Farm. I haven't seen him in a couple of years but I'm very proud of Rodriguez. He was just knee-high to a grasshopper in 1997 and it has been a joy watching him develop into an amazing adult.
There are several other troop members who have families, careers, and college diplomas. It makes all those "tough" days worth it when you look back and reflect on the pitch fork fights and goofing off.
2 comments:
Hey, I don't generally have much of an opportunity to read Reader's Digest, but I was at my grandmother's at the end of last week and lo and behold, she had just received her Reader's Digest! It was a cool story. That's cool that they put that in there, and cool that you got to help out with that!
I read the article..NEAT PROGRAM!
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