Paying it forward is one of the
greatest ways to make a contribution to the success of our youth as well as our
nation. My name is Tamarea Parker. I am a sophomore at the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte majoring in mathematics with a concentration in
statistics. I grew up in the West End community of Durham, North Carolina and I
have definitely faced my share of adversity and hardship. It was not easy
growing up seeing so many people my age turn to crime and violence as an outlet
from the lack of guidance and financial struggles they faced. Many of the young
women I grew up with were victims of teen pregnancy and a lot of the young men
were victims of the jail cell. A lot of us grew up without one or even both of
our parents in our household. The lack of worthy role models in our community caused
many to follow in the wrong footsteps and end up in the same cycle as previous
generations of young people in the West End. Partners for Youth is striving to
break this cycle; I am living testimony to the fact that this organization has
the power to change it all.
More
than any other aspect of my life, I can honestly say that becoming a member of
PFY was the greatest contribution to my desire and hunger to achieve greatness
and make a positive impact on the world. Partners for Youth taught me that just
simply living and doing well for ourselves isn’t enough. Our service to those
in need around us is the rent we pay to live here on Earth. As a student of
PFY, I was serviced by a team of individuals who dedicated their time to
contribute to my academic prosperity as well as my overall success. This team
consisted of a tutor, school-based mentor, job-based mentor, and a home-based
mentor. These people helped me on a daily basis by providing me with the tools
and knowledge that was necessary for any high school student. The routine
tutoring sessions that were held led me to seek supplemental instruction when I
went off to college. Even if I am doing well in a course, PFY showed me that no
matter what, there is always room for improvement. I strive to stand out in
every classroom I enter and I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it. As
a student of Partners for Youth I was encouraged to step outside of my element
and attend field trips doing things like hiking, canoeing, rock climbing, and
even sitting around a campfire bonding with my peers. These were all things
that growing up I thought I would never experience. On the various trips we
went on, the main focus would be team building and experiencing new things. I
am so used to being a fish out of water and loving every experience that one of
the first offices I visited on campus was the Office of Education Abroad. I am
currently in the process of taking a trip to San Ramón, Costa Rica and just
simply the idea of going is so mindboggling for me, but my will to go and
experience a different culture is surely a result of being a PFY student. The
laptop and textbook scholarship that I received at the end of this program was
one of the greatest blessings because as a student in high school I had no idea
how expensive those things would be. I was a young person who saw no monetary
value in the things that I possessed and I took having these amenities for
granted because it wasn’t money out of my pocket. Partners for Youth taught me
the importance of budgeting money, valuing all that I have, and also making
investments to ensure future financial success. Even as a graduate of the
program I receive continuous support from every person that I’ve met throughout
my years of involvement with Partners for Youth, and it is this support system
that pushes me forward day to day. I am so grateful for these people in my life
words could never explain.
This is only half of the ways
that Partners for Youth has helped my life and contributed to my success. This organization has helped so many people
before me and will continue to touch as many lives as they can for as long as
they are capable of doing so. I hope to someday start a nonprofit of my own to
support orphaned young women and provide them with the same guidance and
structure that PFY placed in my life. I know the importance of paying it
forward and I plan to do exactly that for the remainder of my time here on
Earth. I am the growing investment that Partners for Youth sent out into the
world and I am ready to touch as many lives as I can. PFY is an amazing
organization that is contributing to the success of the Durham community. Every
day these people are investing their hearts, time, and money into young
individuals that are striving to succeed. Why not invest in an organization
that is truly making a difference?
Follow this link. Donate TODAY! -> http://www.partnersforyouth.org/
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