Terriana Waters shows leadership for the next generation

D0 you remember that student in your classroom who seemed like a natural born leader?  Well for YLLC-Easley, that student is Terriana Waters.  It is no surprise to other students when she wins an award at the center, such as the “Most Respected Student Award,” voted on by her peers and Youth Life volunteers.  She has also been leading in the amount of YLLC bucks, which are used as incentives for hard work, since the beginning of the school year.  Terriana’s hard work is proven when she makes the honor roll in school for getting all As and Bs.

“..She seemed a little leery and reluctant with us at first, but she is very much a positive attribute to our group now,” says her teacher at YLLC-Easley.  “She is a great leader, because she takes all aspects of our program seriously and fulfills her responsibilities.  Not only does she work hard on her school and program work, but Terriana even volunteers to do extra work or chores around the center.  The students know she makes the right choices, which is why they voted her as the student who displays the most respect.”

Leadership doesn’t come natural to some.  For some, it takes time and practice.  Whether born or made, we must start taking a closer look at the next generation of leaders.  After all, they are our tomorrow, too.  Don’t you want to make tomorrow better?  

To volunteer with students like Terriana, register today.

Anthony Wright is a “delight to have in the classroom.”

Anthony Wright, November's YLLC student highlight

Anthony Wright, this month’s student highlight, moved from Memphis to Nashville this year.  Although moving cities can be difficult for anyone, he has easily adapted and made a great deal of friends in a short time.

“[Since attending YLLC Kirkpatrick,] he’s starting to open up from being shy,” says Keatrice Wright, mother of this sixth-grader at Bailey Middle School.

Not only is he coming out of his shell, Anthony demonstrates a maturity like few other kids his age.  The eldest of three children, he takes great pride in ensuring his sister and brother are home safely before he arrives at the center each day.  Anthony is also extremely helpful and respectful to all adult figures who walk into the Kirkpatrick center.

Acting responsible hasn’t stopped this YLLC student from just being a fun guy to be around, though. You can always find him dancing and telling jokes to his peers. Anthony Wright is this month’s YLLC student highlight, because, according to his YLLC teacher, “he is simply a true delight to have in the classroom.”

Numbers don’t lie

The staff of YLLC are very focused on enriching academic experiences for at-risk youth in Tennessee.  When we’re zoned in on the positive outlook YLLC brings to students, we sometimes forget why we do what we do and what the alternative for many of these students might be without the help of programming.  We at YLFT do what we do to combat the negative statistics surrounding at-risk youth like ours.  Without the assistance and encouragement from our programming, staff, volunteers and donors, at-risk students can be lead down a regressive path that turns its back on any motivation for academic achievement.  Sometimes it helps to put this perspective in a numeral format.  Allow me to provide you with some statistics that emphasize why we do what we do.

• A report by Mr. James Alan Fox, dean of Northeastern University’s College of Criminal Justice in Boston, says that violent juvenile crime triples from 3 to 4 p.m., the hour immediately after school, compared with 1 to 2 p.m. when school is still in session.  Read more.
• 26% of school-aged kids, more than 1,000,000 in grades kindergarten through fifth, are on their own after school, says Afterschool Alliance.
• Far more than Tennessee’s other 95 counties, Davidson was ranked second statewide for juvenile court referrals at 8,748 next to Shelby with 13,713, according to a study by Tennessee Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
• In 2008, Tennessee had the nation’s fifth-highest rate of black homicides and domestic violence related murders, according to the Washington D.C.-based Violence Policy Center and the FBI.  Nashville, with 42 black murder victims, had a rate higher than the state’s average, and in 2009, its rate rose to surpass even Memphis’.

The numbers do not lie.  While it is critical that students receive proper education, it is also important to emphasize why after-school programming is needed in this community.  Not only do crime rates drop when there is a vast improvement in the classroom, there is also a sense of pride and accomplishment.