“
“People don’t feel so alone anymore,” Alli- son adds. “Even if they don’t go to events, they know they’re always welcome and they know people still care about them.” The original five founders see these inter- actions and fill with pride. It’s been this way since the beginning. “At that first event, I think Ben and I hugged at least six times because what we envisioned and what actually happened came together,” Dalton Nelson says. “This is really important to us.” Prior to the September event, the now 15 members of Moving Forward hosted a school assembly in the high school auditorium. Nearly every member spoke about the impor- tance of the group and how it’s there to help students in times of need. To a person, the five founders admitted it was scary to stand in front of their peers — more than 500 of them, actually — and tell their story. But it was necessary to spread their message — one of hope, and love, and har- mony, and a belief in each other — for every- one to hear.
Once we graduate, we’re passing this down. It would be incredibly hypocritical if we continue leading after we’re gone because this needs to be student driven. We
”
can’t do that when we’re not students anymore.
—Ben Melody, Gilbert High School senior
“I’m an introvert,” Ben says, and immedi- ately the other four original members admit they feel the same way. “If you would have asked me even eight months ago if us five would have been standing up in front of the entire school ... no chance. But we had to do it to get our message out there.” “My heart is pounding every time I talk to a new person, but we do it because we care,” Weston Congdon says. “So many friend groups talking and hanging out, it’s so cool to have so many people together at the same time.” The all-senior founders are determined not to see the group fade into a memory once they graduate. For them, Moving Forward would be a failure if that happens, which is why
they’re taking steps to teach the younger members how to lead. Ben is also putting to- gether an action plan to keep Moving For- ward, well, moving forward. “Once we graduate, we’re passing this down,” Ben says. “It would be incredibly hyp- ocritical if we continue leading after we’re gone because this needs to be student driven. We can’t do that when we’re not students any- more.” Dennis and Allison know it will be daunting to follow in the footsteps of their predeces- sors, but they also know the cause is too im- portant to let the challenge be intimidating. “The dream that Ben has created is abso- lutely beautiful,” Dennis says. “I don’t know
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