By Joycelyn Albright, EEW Magazine Contributor
I had been given an opportunity to mentor at-risk teens two summers ago through a community pilot program. The directors of this professional experiment were researching the impact of mentorship and counseling on low-income urban youth. When I was first approached with the idea of becoming a part of it by a fellow colleague—she and I had been running a Life Enrichment Coaching program together for several years—I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
I felt so excited, like I would be doing something else productive and meaningful with my time. The commitment was only two days a week for a couple hours. I was even given the option of which days and times I would volunteer. With a flexible schedule and a great cause, I was optimistic about the possibilities.
Then I met the kids.
They were a tough bunch, not at all what I had imagined in my mind. Of course I knew these youth participants would need lots of love, guidance, patience, and understanding. But I had no idea the program participants, for the most part, had no desire to be involved. Their parents and guardians had signed them up in cooperation with the local school system to enroll some of them.