Looking out the windows of Chicago public housing, some see a bleak picture of despair. The ‘projects’, as they are often known, are viewed as over-populated minority communities, plagued by crime, inadequate education, and insufficient employment opportunities. Leslie Welch, however, saw a different vision — of hope and possibility for herself and her community.

As an adolescent, Leslie struggled against feelings of being unneeded and unloved. Yet, she did not allow despair to have the final word. She got involved in a youth development program organized by the Chicago Area Project. The program encouraged young people to take control of their surroundings, by speaking their minds and maintaining a positive attitude.

Through the Chicago Area Project, Leslie was invited to an Imagine Chicago focus group in 1993 to test the viability of the intergenerational interview process. "I remember she asked all the tough questions," recalls Bliss Browne, "and I realized her leadership could help us think through the answers." Bliss asked Leslie to lead the youth forum the following week which field-tested the interview questions. Leslie saw Imagine Chicago as a means to fulfill her goals to go to college and help her community move beyond oppressive socio-economic limitations.

It was also around this time that Leslie found inspiration in a deep faith. Prayer, along with church and community organization leaders, became a support system for her. They helped her sustain a spirit of hope as she pursued her dreams.

Despite her strong commitment, Leslie faced challenges every day. "The environments that I lived and worked in were completely contrasting. I would go to some lofty office of a multi-millionaire and have a conversation that would open the possibilities. Then, I would go home to a two-flat with a ‘For Sale’ sign in the front. My family was struggling, and I could see drug dealers all around my neighborhood. It was hard."

Leslie, however, was not one to give up. Her faith and her work with Imagine Chicago enabled her to develop a sense of responsibility to her community. She made deep connections with her interviewees, and began to understand that isolation which separated people from different walks of life also restricted possibilities in her community. Leslie started having informal conversations with her own family and neighbors, harvesting seeds of possibility wherever she went. She discovered conversations were powerful and effective tools: "If civic leaders and ordinary citizens don’t talk, the process is not going to work. We have to talk to each other."

As she continued to contribute to her community, Leslie accomplished one of her goals: she went to college. The challenges of college life did not hinder her involvement as a young leader. Her unwavering commitment to work for the common good resulted in her being invited to serve as a member of Imagine Chicago’s founding board. She developed and ran workshops on Appreciative Inquiry, so that other young people could also have strategies for asking positive questions. She traveled to Baltimore and Dallas to help launch Imagine projects in those cities.

Leslie also served as co-chair on the national board of Youth as Resources in Chicago for two years, working with city leaders to develop policies and initiatives that directly incorporated young people into leadership roles in the life of a city. Interacting with political and civic leaders might intimidate some young adults, but Leslie’s strength and spirit prepared her to sit at the table and engage in powerful conversations.

Today, as Resource Development Coordinator of the Chicago Area Project, Leslie continues to motivate and inspire hope in the people and places she touches. She believes that if individuals maintain a sense of possibility, and continue to engage in dialogue with one another, positive changes will emerge. "It’s not about who has more money or who has less money. It’s about people. When we talk and listen, other people can identify themselves in us. We’re not so different."