Serving Within My Community

StreetLeaders

StreetLeaders work as counselors, tutors and mentors for our elementary age students within the Crossover Kids program.

Pictures above: Takia in action with Crossover Kids

by Takia Jones Serving Within My Community

Iwas first introduced to Crossover about five years ago, while I was a sophomore at McLain High School. Ms. Solomon, the current principal at Hawthorne Elementary School, is the one who introduced me to Crossover. She is a family friend, and she told me about the StreetLeader and Crossover Kids Programs. She mentioned that they needed more high school students to work in the STEMbased After-School program, so I contacted Crossover for an interview. Shortly thereafter, I was accepted into the StreetLeader program!

Picture above: Takia with friends from CBC’s VIBE program

I loved working for Crossover as a high school student because they made sure I was on top of my grades. The Crossover staff also made sure that I was signed up for the ACT exam while providing me with the proper ACT prep. The staff helped me transition to Rogers High School since it has a college attendance component. We went on leadership trips, received on-thejob training, and were consistently mentored by the staff and volunteers, who would also tutor us if we ever needed academic support.

If I were to describe Crossover, I would tell someone that within Crossover you will meet some of the most loving people that really care about you. Crossover does everything in their power to make sure that you have what you need to be successful in school and in life. I have watched as Crossover has tried to serve the community firsthand in numerous ways. One example that stands out is the way the intern house project started.

The Crossover staff learned that some of the college students wanted to move out and be on their own but needed the means and support to do so. Less than a year later, a male intern house was

opened and one of the male college staff moved in with his mentor, Demarco, who runs the house. Demarco provided support through Bible studies, helping him attend church regularly, and helping him with academics. Demarco was able to continue the mentoring relationship that started when this young man was a high school student and StreetLeader into his transition into early adulthood. This stands out to me because in any other job this young man would have been expected to figure things out on his own and to navigate this process by himself. However, at Crossover when the staff hears about a need, they seek to find the best way to help you and those in the community to meet that need. Presently, a girls’ intern house is being built with a similar mentoring program for young women too!

I am currently a part of the college staff at Crossover, and I enjoy it because I have the opportunity to share my own experiences with the StreetLeaders. The high school students look up to all the college staff, and they often ask about our experiences when we were in high school. Though it was not long ago, I like to tell them about the choices I made and how I could have done things better. Continuing

to serve as a mentor in this program where I was mentored has been such an encouragement to me. I believe this is the role I now play in making an impact in north Tulsa; my community.

crossover does everything in their power to make sure that you have everything you need to be successful in school and in life.

-<takia J.

Takia Jones is a life-long north Tulsan and graduate of Will Rogers High School who works as the 4th grade Lead Teacher in the Crossover Kids After-School program. Takia is a valuable team player and can be trusted with any task. Her strong work ethic has resulted in her recently becoming a full-time Pre-K Teacher’s Assistant at Hawthorne Elementary School where she has served for the past 5 years as a StreetLeader and College Intern.

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