Dominoes:  Helping Young Adults Make a Difference

Dominoes inspired me. It reminded me of two important truths. First, everyone can contribute to a project or a team. Everyone has something - often something unique and beautiful - to contribute, to give. The person from whom I expect the least oftentimes makes the biggest impact. The other very important truth that Dominoes brought back into mind for me is that someone's wounds and struggles are not something to be pitied. Pity has no place on a team. Dignity does. Further, I was reminded that struggle is a gift. It shapes, forges, sharpens and makes us more resilient, more creative, perhaps more resourceful. Someone who's come through tragic or unfortunate life experiences (like many of the character in Dominoes) may have acquired the superpowers of wisdom, strength and enlightened perspective.

Losing my mom to cancer when I was fifteen forced me to grow up quickly. It pushed me to become more independent and to think about life and purpose at a much younger age than most. At eighteen, I left my home to pursue college abroad, unsure of my academic path but determined to grow, challenge myself, and learn. When I arrived, finding a small Latino community from my hometown made that transition easier and showed me the power of belonging. That experience motivated me to give back, which led me to help build and later lead a Latinx student organization focused on supporting students navigating a new environment. Today, that same desire to give back continues through the work I do building a tool designed to help students learn more effectively.  Reading Dominoes helped me connect all of these experiences in a meaningful way. It reinforced that making a difference isn’t about having everything figured out, but about taking intentional steps, caring for others, and allowing small actions to create momentum over time. It’s a story that encourages reflection, gratitude, and purpose, and it makes you pause and ask how your own actions fit into a larger chain of change.

Dominoes is a versatile story that can be read as a personal reflection on what it means to inspire change and how to do so, or used to foster thoughtful discussion and written response in classrooms, book clubs, and youth or community organizations. The level of detail given to each character makes it clear how their unique upbringings shape their motivations to become difference makers, helping readers understand how background and lived experience guide the choices people make when trying to create change. This story challenges readers to consider their own role in creating change while also encouraging empathy for the many different ways people can be driven to make a difference.

"In both academic and professional settings, individuals navigate unique challenges shaped by their personal experiences. I came to realize that I often approached situations from a single perspective, without fully appreciating the complexities faced by those around me—particularly my peers. Dominoes broadened my perspective by illustrating how deeply varied backgrounds and life experiences influence the way people think, act, and engage with the world. As a direct result of applying these insights, I experienced measurable professional growth. Within a year of reading this story, I was promoted twice and asked to lead two highly visible teams. Feedback from leadership consistently highlighted my ability to bring diverse team members together around a shared vision, foster alignment, and support individuals in contributing their best work. This story has significantly strengthened my effectiveness as a leader and contributed to my development as a more thoughtful and empathetic professional."