Before I Die, I Want To...

I've always been an advocate of people making their dreams a reality. The other day, I had the pleasure of attending an exhibition at U of M Dearborn. This exhibition featured over 200 polaroids; each showcased an individual and what they wanted to do before they died. The exhibition was put on by Steps Toward Change. STC is made up of students interested in being proactive about their namesake. One of those students is Carlos Espinoza (pictured below). "The purpose of the organization is to be a medium for change; change in mindsets, opinions, etc." They were inspired to do their own chapter of The Polaroid Project by creators: Nicole Kenney and KS Rives. They wanted to find out what motivated people to take action in their lives. They posed the question, What Do You Want To Do Before You Die? and they sought to find it out. While the website covers broader areas, U of M Dearborn is a melting pot of people from various backgrounds and, Carlos mentions, most have similar goals and ambitions. The polaroids, although displaying different subjects, had an overall unification; each person has a goal and they want to achieve it. I asked Carlos what his favorite "Before I Die" was, "Before I die I want to be able to look back at my life and say to myself...'it was worth it'"and don't we all?What's next for Steps Toward Change? They're raising money by having a few fundraisers and collecting donations. The purpose? To earn money to buy toys for children that have cancer through a bigger organization called The Bottomless ToyChest. If you'd like to know how you can help, attend upcoming fundraisers, or if you'd like to make a donation, shoot me an email: chelseakirchoff@gmail.com.