Neziah

"If everyone had more patience, communication would be so different in this world."

By Students of NYC

June 3^rd, 2025

"I work at Doral Health and Wellness clinic on Eastern Parkway on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. There are a lot of elderly people there, and sometimes they need extra assistance. I can see the adults I work with as they try to stay calm, think internally, make sure they don't get frustrated. They do a good job of it. But for me, being patient comes so naturally. I don't have to regulate myself; it's just instinct. If they don't get the question I'm asking? It's okay — I'll just break it down, give examples. If they don't know what a medication is? It's okay — I help them look it up to see exactly what it does. When people need more, I always want to be the one to take the extra time. To give them what they need.

Honestly, I think I learned patience from my mom. She’s a family nurse practitioner and I always listened when she would call her patients to introduce herself. Sometimes they don’t understand who she is, why she’s calling. But she is always calm. They ask a lot of questions, and she explains herself until they are comfortable. It’s a small thing, but I noticed.

If everyone had a little more patience, communication would be so different in this world. People respond quickly off of what they immediately feel, and it's not always good. That causes another response, and it can go back and forth. But if people took time to try to understand, things could be received differently. Someone may be wrong to me, but they're right in themselves. They feel right in their answer. Who am I to say that because I think something is wrong, it’s wrong? That's someone's feelings, even if they are different from mine.

Some say I do too much, but I never feel that way. On Tuesdays I take swimming classes. On Thursdays I attend YWCA meetings. I founded my school's Heart club — I'm the president — and I hold those meetings on Mondays. But my favorite thing to do is to volunteer. I find the opportunities myself on this website called New York Cares. At the New Jewish Home in Manhattan, I do manicures on the elderly residents. I volunteer at Luv Michael, which is a place that helps connect autistic adults with jobs. I set up a Winter Wonderland for an elementary school last year. Honestly, it's the look on people's faces that I love most. The way their face lights up. When I finish with a resident’s nails, they just look so happy. It makes me feel like, oh my gosh, I need to keep doing this.

My little sister is only 6. Every night, she comes in my room to sleep. Honestly, I love it. She’s advanced for her age. She even skipped a grade. Every summer before school starts, I print out little worksheets for her. Sometimes I make them myself. I love teaching her. We do math, reading, anything to keep her engaged so she’s ready. I feel responsible for her. Not just when it comes to learning, but also teaching her right from wrong. And not just because of how much I love her. But, because she’s next, you know? She's next."