TagOne Youth. Infinite Hope.

by Stuart Adams26 years oldAlameda, Calif. I was enrolled in the fire academy and working as an emergency medical technician when the coronavirus pandemic hit. With a local outbreak, I was transporting people confirmed to have or suspected of having COVID-19 on each shift. With a grueling schedule, I often slept at the ambulance station. Every time

by Nhi Truong30 years oldPompano, Fla. As an international student from Vietnam studying in the United States, I really struggled with low self-esteem, and because of the language barrier, it was hard for me to connect with others. I felt like no one understood me, not even my aunt who helped me move to the U.S.

by Briana Bell18 years oldDallas Recently, I was scrolling on Instagram and came across a petition advocating for large dancewear companies to make ballerina pointe shoes in various shades of brown for Black people and other people of color. Pointe shoes are typically European pink and made for white ballerinas. The petition only had a few signatures,

by Cameron WashingtonLos Angeles When I started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in 2008, I had just gone through a breakup, graduated from college and felt the mounting pressure and expectation to get a job. All the while, I was at a loss as to what my future would hold. I was searching aimlessly for some sense of purpose and

by Shreya Khuntia29 years oldWashington, D.C. I am an infectious disease epidemiologist, which is like a disease detective, and work at a health department that works closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fighting on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, I talk to a lot of people who have the coronavirus and try

by Dion Moore26 years oldWashington, D.C. The first time I went to nursing school, I was just seeking a career to sustain myself. Because I was struggling financially and wasn’t serious, I flunked out. The second time, about one year later, I realized that the only way to graduate from my program was to understand my mission

by Joyce Wang24 years oldCupertino, Calif. In my final semester of college in 2017, I had a full-blown manic episode. I had been introduced to Buddhism a couple weeks earlier by a fellow student, who told me that I could activate my Buddha nature by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. I remembered his words during my episode and began chanting.

by Manav Mehta27 years oldChicago I grew up praying to external deities to solve my problems. I often begged for my wishes to be realized instead of taking action myself. When things didn’t happen in my favor, I’d call myself unlucky and blame others for my unhappiness. My girlfriend, on the other hand, was hopeful and

by Tajai Turner30 years oldMilwaukee When I became a licensed funeral director and CEO of a funeral home, I began longing for a strong spiritual foundation suited to my new lifestyle. Last year in June, I found the SGI online and attended an introductory meeting in Milwaukee. I was attracted to the modern-day application of the

by Megan Veirun27 years oldPearl River, N.Y. When I went away to college, my anxiety started to peak. Recognizing that mental health was a stigmatized area, I was drawn to study it. I’m now a registered nurse proudly working with the psychiatric population, while teaching an undergrad nursing course. I just celebrated my one-year anniversary as an

Our efforts to awaken one youth after another have not been deterred by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the banner “One Youth. Infinite Hope. More Than Ever!” SGI-USA members are focused on enabling 6,000 young people to begin chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo right now in these uncertain times to collectively elevate the life state of humanity. Unlocking the

by Koji Cassetta27 years oldDetroit When I first picked up the bass at 14, I knew I wanted to play music for life. But I struggled with self-confidence as I pursued my dream to go to a top music program. I went to community college for four years and barely got through an algebra course that

by Jasmine Pogue33 years old Baton Rouge, LA. I was 15 when my mom died from cancer. I tried to understand and reconcile what had happened. Around that time, a friend told me that by chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, I could reconnect with my mom’s life. I wasn’t seeking spirituality, but a few years later, I accepted her invitation

by Niel Chuang 34 years oldFullerton, Calif. The year I moved from Taiwan to the U.S. for school was the darkest of my life. It was 2006 and, for the first time, I faced so much uncertainty and self-doubt. I began missing school assignments and failing courses. Quarter after quarter, things piled up until my

by Shirsa Udgata27 years oldPhiladelphia I used to hate myself because of how much I was compared to my sister. My relatives would always say: “Look at your sister. She’s so great. She’s amazing at her studies.” Things got worse for me when I moved to the United States in 2015. I had zero friends and even

by Oscar Villaseñor 22 years oldTucson, Ariz. In March, I celebrated my third year as an SGI member, and I feel so fortunate and amazed by what my Buddhist practice has done for me. Before encountering Buddhism, I had spiraled into a depression and isolated myself from everyone, including my own family. My mom’s friend

by Lauren Patterson22 years oldTorrance, Calif. I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder when I was 9, which left me feeling so small and miserable. It got to the point where I didn’t want to leave my house, because I felt that people saw me as a joke, just a waste of skin. In high

by Bethany Davis32 years oldCave Springs, Ark. One day in 2013, my brother was found unresponsive after overdosing. My dad and I chanted Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for him, as if our own lives depended on it. No one thought he was going to make it, so we were amazed when he woke up to the call of

by Bryant Ríos-Niño23 years oldStamford, Conn. I fell in love with skateboarding, yet used it only to escape life during my lowest point at age 17. I was struggling in school and was surrounded by bad influences. I got into smoking and started rebelling against my parents. I had grown up in a family that practices