My name is Ben Shay, and I'm the program manager for GOAL's Youth River Expeditions. What keeps me motivated to show up every day is knowing that what we're doing here at GOAL is saving lives. What we do is therapeutic. What we're doing is preventative mental health care, creating connections for kids. We're creating safe spaces. We are aligning young people with mentors who have their best interests in mind. When I show up every day, it's knowing that every program that goes out is creating the environment for kids to thrive and for kids to grow and kids to prosper.

Kids in wild places get to play. They get to explore. They get the sense of curiosity that doesn't exist in the world of digital landscapes. I think that wild rivers and the canyons we explore create the best environment for kids to explore that curiosity and connect on a very real level.

We need to support the next generation of young people to better our own world. If my small part that I can play in that is being a positive mentor for new kids on the river each year, that gives me a sense that I'm doing what I need to do. At the end of every trip, at every take-out, I feel confident that each kid on that trip is going home happier, healthier, and in a better place than they were at the start.