What's in a role model?

Three and a half years ago, I embarked on a journey. Simply said, it was to work my way out of a job. I was a substance abuse prevention coordinator at the time, and I wanted and needed to start a group for youth who were willing to help out. We began meeting one a week (even during the summer months – their choice!). We were small at first, mostly a group of 4 young men and a young woman, from a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, but who all know one another quite well. These young men were between 15 and 16 years old. They were a little green then, but over time, our relationship grew, and they began to take the lead. The young woman was a little older than the young men, at 17, and she was their voice of reason. From the beginning, I was adamant that whatever we did, they came up with the ideas and helped put plans together. I’d help them, coach them along, and remind them what the group’s overall goals were, and sometimes we’d stumble. But we always got right back up again.
Over the next 3 years, things changed. We grew in numbers. I changed full-time jobs, but continued working with them. We met challenges. They all finished high school, and some don’t even live in the neighborhood any more. We’ve developed, and our programs and projects have changed over time.
They’ve all gone on to either college or working full-time. Yet every week, these five young adults come back to the small office we started in, and lead the other 14 youth through project planning and implementation. They guide them, they facilitate the meetings, and most importantly, they inspire them. They’re excellent role models. Yet they are all drastically different. “F” is very creative and can’t be on time for anything. Yet a few weeks ago, he called me to say that I was late, and he was early. “J” takes on a lot of responsibility, but has learned out to delegate. “A” still struggles with his role with us, but is the calming presence, learning how to not take constructive criticism personally. And “D” has learned that he can’t do it all himself. And our young woman, “L”, has blossomed into an even more responsible adult, who does all the background research and (successfully) applies for grants for the group.
Last week, these 5 young people said to me “You’ve worked your way out of a job.” And I have. I’m still there, providing some of the logistical support. But they do the planning. They come up with the proposals. And they role model for the younger ones. They tell me that I’ve had a profound influence on their lives, I’m their asset role model. And the tears welled in my eyes. And I realized it was quite the opposite. They didn’t work me out of a job, they worked themselves into a job, and they became my role models.