Rufus is a jack of all trades, but if he had to choose his 'thing' it would be friendships — and EXPLO has been just the place for him to find lasting ones, based on authentic connections and common interests.
I never really know how to answer when people ask me what my ‘thing’ is. I read a lot, I wrestle, I dance, I’m a theater geek…
I think what probably sets me apart most, though, is that I value relationships above anything else. I love hearing other people’s stories. The most interesting and amazing things to me are human complexity and the strengths and weaknesses that can be found in ordinary people.
At EXPLO, it feels like I’m able to get an authentic taste of who my peers actually like. Teenagers are teenagers living their own experiences. They’re not trying to represent something unique or special about where they come from or who they are — they’re just themselves.
The ones I’ve grown closest to here, I’ve mostly met by chance. I just seem to run into them. That’s kind of a unique thing to this place. It’s a hub full of all of these incredible personalities. You’ll run into someone, strike up a conversation, and you’ve somehow managed to find your best friend.
Jill Luoma-Overstreet