Mentoring our StreetLeaders

StreetLeaders

Crossover Community Impact

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Mentoring our StreetLeaders by Courtney Wright

Being asked to dance as silly as possible to a song about the multiples of 3 is not what I expected when I applied to be a StreetLeader for Crossover Community Impact (CCI). CCI’s IMPACT Kids, after school and summer enrichment program is a great way to get youth involved in the community by teaching and mentoring students at Hawthorne Elementary. I began working as a StreetLeader at Crossover my Junior year of high school. I showed up to the interview with no idea what to expect because I had never been interviewed for a job before. During my interview, I was asked to do something that was uncomfortable and seemed unnecessary, which was to dance as goofy as I could to a song that sang the multiples of 3. I did not realize how big of an IMPACT dancing to that song would have on my life and the life of the students I was mentoring. Crossover brought me out of my comfort zone to do some things I would not imagine doing, like hiking in the woods for 3 days with no bathrooms or showers, being an active member in my community, or even drinking coffee in the middle of the day. Lol, thanks Leah!

To be able to teach and mentor elementary kids is meaningful. A lot of them do not have a positive role model in their lives, and to be that person they decide to look up to feels honorable. Although a huge part of Crossover is to help the students grow academically and spiritually, this program not only has that effect on the kids but also on the StreetLeaders and staff as well. We benefit from this program in multiple ways. These benefits are not the traditional employee benefits a job might offer like paid vacation time or life insurance, but the benefits are much more valuable and useful for our future!

I think Crossover is very essential when it comes to a Streeleader’s high school career. Jeremy Williams, the StreetLeader Coordi-

Coming back to Crossover as a College Intern has opened my eyes to all the things Crossover has taught me throughout my high school years working as a StreetLeader.

-Courtney WRight

nator, makes sure that every StreetLeader is signed up for the ACT exam, which is required for college. He also makes sure StreetLeaders have books and materials to study before they go in to take this vital test. Grade checks are conducted throughout the semester which determines whether or not we can work; I think that is an important way to hold the StreetLeaders accountable to pursuing excellence. Leah Pickard makes sure that StreetLeaders use and are aware of every resource available to them. It’s clear that Crossover cares about the StreetLeader’s education, so much so, that they are very flexible when it comes to calling into work because of something school related.

Coming back to Crossover as a College Intern has opened my eyes to all the things Crossover has taught me throughout my high school years working as a StreetLeader. Crossover does an amazing job at teaching leadership skills and building character within each one of us. Crossover equipped me for college with basic skills that I did not learn elsewhere like the importance of stress management, punctuality, and organizational skills. I was taught to accept constructive criticism through monthly evaluations even. Crossover has taught me to be the best version of myself to help others; especially the students in the IMPACT Kids program!

Courtney Wright is an inspiration in her own right. She has worked as an exemplary StreetLeader, and she has returned to work as a College Intern to encourage the current High Schoolers to mentor and tutor the IMPACT Kids exceptionally in the way she was trained. Her love for the students is evident in the way that she pushes them daily to be the best version of themselves.

If you would like to learn more about the StreetLeader program, please go to http:// crossoverimpact.org/youth-jobs/.

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Crossover Community Impact