More Than a Mentor

by Sian O.

In 2016 the Boys and Girls Club gave the Immokalee community the opportunity to integrate and provide hope to young people. They opened their doors to help reach the hearts and minds of every young person across our small town. The Boys and Girls Club is a positive place where any circumstances as far as, who we are and where we come from, don’t determine our access to experience or opportunities.

The Club’s mission statement is: “to empower all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.” The Club provides many experiences that assure success within reach of every one of us that enters the doors. The Club makes sure all of us members are on track to graduate from high school with a plan for our future, demonstrate good character and citizenship, and live a healthy lifestyle.

Personal growth does not happen alone; there are certain people who come into your life and change the way you see yourself and your future. It is often someone that guides and believes in you before you fully believe in yourself.

For me, that person is Ms. Angelique. Someone who has played a major role in my personal growth journey by opening doors to new experiences and opportunities. MS. Angelique embodies all the qualities the Club strives to demonstrate, helping individuals like me grow into more confident, responsible, and caring people.

Ms. Angelique Viau helped me get out of my shell when I joined her program that focused on empowering young women. I wasn’t shy, just content with my own company. I didn’t realize it, but she helped me branch out and befriend the other bright, young women in the Club.

To this day I will thank her for helping me be more approachable and not opposed to talking to people at the Club. Ms. Angelique taught me that saying hello, goodbye, or have a great day never hurt anybody.

I didn’t always see my full potential, but having Ms. Angelique in my life changed that. Due to this, I became more confident in myself and my abilities. I started to see I was capable of more than what I was doing and once believed; I began taking initiative in ways I hadn’t before.

In our interview she mentions that after her supervisor petitioned for her to oversee the middle school class, acknowledging that they need some guidance, she saw a significant shift in their demeanor and confidence. Ms. Angelique builds a safe and reliable connection because it is something she is not new to, but true to.

Being a part of the Boys and Girls Club has also played a major role in my development. Through Ms. Angelique’s leadership within the Boys and Girls Club, I was able to experience opportunities that not only shaped my personal growth but also allowed me to give back to others.

Ms. Angelique also mentions that Junior Women of Initiative (JWOI), a program she spearheaded, allowed her to apply her own ethics and teaching skills to a wider and older range of young women. She was able to bring in mentors pursuing different careers. Ms. Angelique invited the person who shaped her to grow into the captivating woman she is, her mother.

She went directly to the source and had Ms. Angela Taylor come in and talk to a group of girls including myself about what it is to be a young woman going into this wide world and just wanted to give us some words of wisdom as she did to her very own, Ms. Angelique.

Ms. Taylor expressed that there is a need for programs like Passport To Manhood, Smart Girls, JWOI, Art Club, Music Club, and an Upcycling Club to help members grow in a structured environment to find their identity, build life skills, and promote mental well-being.

She reflected on a personal time growing up when she did not have these tools to be able to speak effectively so she would come off as aggressive instead of assertive.

Ms. Taylor says, “I am glad to be able to pass that onto you guys because I wasn’t taught that when I was growing up.”

Ms. Angelique has had such a positive influence, I now strive to continue that same cycle of support and pursuit, helping others realize their full potential just as I was once encouraged to do.

It is true the Members here are rising adults but we are still young; growing and learning, and we have someone here at the Club that acknowledges that and a lot of other organizations should strive to achieve that.

The lessons I have gained from this experience go far beyond the present moment. Ms. Angelique has reshaped the way I approach challenges, relationships, and opportunities in my life. I now understand the importance of using what I have learned to create a meaningful change, not only for myself but for those around me. As I continue to grow, I will carry these values with me, allowing them to guide my decisions and influence the kind of impact I hope to make in the future.