Fall 2015 Edition of Inspired Magazine.pdf

If I Don’t Do It, Who Will?
COMMUNITY
“If I don’t do it, who will?” This is what ran
through my mind when I decided to begin
speaking out about Tourette Syndrome.
My name is Ian Weiker. I am 16 years old
and am currently attending University High
School in Carmel as a junior. Even though
I live in Indianapolis, I grew up in New
Jersey and only moved here in the summer
of 2014. I have participated in service for
much of my life and have only gotten more
involved since I moved to Indy.
I grew up knowing that service was
important. Doing what you can for your
community and the people around you
is necessary because they do so much
for you. My first experience with service
was in third grade. The father of my best
friend was in a severe car accident.
My family and others in our community
created a fundraiser, ML Cares which
held a Super “Bowl-a-Thon” fundraiser,
where children, and adults, raised money
by getting sponsors to pay a certain
amount per game. My friend and I went
in front of the Board of Education and
asked for the community’s support and
awareness, which we thankfully obtained.
With everyone’s help, we raised over thirty
thousand dollars to cover some of the
medical costs for the family.
Through Boy Scouts and a post-Bar
Mitzvah program at my synagogue in New
Jersey, I participated in multiple service
projects. I have de-weeded and replanted
many areas in the town I grew up in. I
burned audio books onto CDs for the blind
or visually impaired and put on concerts
for the residents of multiple elderly homes
in New York City. These all were important
and I felt like I was making a difference
doing them. But all of these were just me
following a group, and even though I cared
about these activities, they were never
made out of my own ambitions and values.
Ever since I moved to Indiana, I have gone
off on my own and started to forge my own
path.
I was bullied from an early age. I
have ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, and
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Asperger’s. I was also bullied because I was
very far ahead of the pack in elementary
school in intelligence. I suspect some of my
bullies were jealous. This lasted until eighth
grade, when the principal finally stepped in.
Bullying can occur anywhere and I was once
bullied for the oddest of reasons. One summer
I attended a weight loss camp, and while there
I was bullied because I was “skinny.” Just
imagine it, a group of overweight kids making
fun of the one kid who’s at least somewhat
less so. It seems impossible, but that’s what
happened.
This past year University High School held
a program called “Year of Service” where
every student participated in a service project
throughout the year. We broke into groups and
I ended up in a group by myself because no
one else was interested in my project. I was
discouraged at first, but I worked extra hard
nonetheless. I became a Youth Ambassador
for the Indiana Chapter of the Tourette
Syndrome Association. This is giving me the
opportunity to speak at different schools and
youth groups and raise awareness about
Tourette Syndrome. One unique thing about
University is that anyone is allowed to present
at our daily morning meetings or weekly
assemblies. This past March, I presented a
40 minute presentation on Tourette Syndrome
in front of my entire school of 300 people. It
was well-received and many people talked to
their families about it afterwards, spreading the
word even further.
Back on the subject of bullying, my newest
service project is just getting started. I am
excited to set up a hotline or mentoring
program/group for kids being bullied,
especially those with learning or social
disabilities, but anyone is welcome. In this
coming year, I hope to do this as my new
Year of Service project and hope that you will
join me in this endeavor over the next year.
Oftentimes, people avoid service because
they think someone else will do it. I am just one
example of the success of the reverse. I, and
hopefully you, will continue to think, “If I don’t
step up, who will?” My program’s working title
is STEP UP AGAINST BULLYING.
IAN, 16
Grade 11
University High School
Carmel, IN
Kids Speak 23