Three Girls One Goal, Changing A Neighborhood

Three Girls One Goal. The goal? To take back the neighborhood of one of, if not, the worst neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Lower Price Hill. The girls are three students I mentor in the Step Ups Program through the Community Learning Center at Oyler High School who planned to make a change.

The change was part of the girl’s final project. They were asked to identify a problem and present an idea of how to solve it and impact their community. During a conversation one Wednesday morning the girls discussed some of the challenges they face daily. Shootings, drugs, violence and prostitution were just a few of the hardships these teenagers had in a sense become numb to, witnessing these acts regularly.

Mentoring is a tough gig. You are often paired with students who are uninterested, meaning it’s unlikely you will see evidence of your mentorship pay off. That day though, discussing with the girls their circumstances I had a breakthrough. It was the most moving mentoring day I have had, and I have been a mentor for about a half dozen or so programs prior to Step Ups.

From that day on these girls took off. Together we decided to put together a quick video telling the stories of what the girls go through and introducing how they planned to make a change in their neighborhood.

(Precious, the third young girl I mentor was sick the day we shot the video. She told her story during the presentation and she didn't dissapoint.)

Then the girls decided to make an oath. “ I (your name) refuse to let the streets take over my mind. I refuse to let my address determine my future. I promise to keep my head held high and try to make a change.” For the service project the girls would ask their school and community to take the oath and pledge to act.

Today those three students gave their presentation. I felt like a proud mother watching her child’s first dance recital. I was glued to the three young women as they presented their idea with such pose and passion. For these young girls the road has more uphills than down.