After working until 1:00 a.m. Wednesday night, I crawled out of bed at 5:00 a.m. on Thursday morning. I needed to get some work done before going to a 7:30 a.m. CYAR meeting over at what I knew would be a hot room at Manual. Prominent in my mind was a large brief due by midnight that I knew would keep me and my associate working late again. I also knew I was going back to Manual for a 12:30 p.m. lunch meeting.

I decided to take the bus to the school. We only have one car. My wife, Lisa, needed it and was still sleeping, and it would give me time to get some work done while someone else drove.

My bus arrived at the Tabor Center stop. On got Sam, a student at Manual. I know Sam. I dropped my work, waved to him, and he came back and sat with me.

“Hey Tarek, you going to Manual?”

“Yep.”

I told Sam he would get a great new mentor, and even if he didn’t, I had his back, just like everyone in our cabin and everyone at CYAR.
I met Sam at my launch course in October 2008. He was in my cabin. He helped make the cabin rules. He helped enforce the cabin rules. He helped clean the cabin. He had a crush on a girl at the retreat, and they would take walks around the grounds during free time… with chaperones following closely… but not too closely.

Sam had a really bad experience when he was a young boy and continues to face extremely difficult challenges. Sam is outgoing, he is social, and he has your back no matter what. Seriously, no matter what. He listens and he follows, he talks and he leads. I have seen him fairly frequently over the last three years, in community workshops, at school, and now on a random bus. Sam is almost always “on the court.” As I always tell him, “Sam….you are the man.” My mentee Theron thinks Sam is one of the best people he’s ever met.

For the remaining 20 minutes of the bus ride, we talked about how Sam made it to his senior year, how time has passed so fast since we first met in the cabin (Sam picked the bunk above mine), how he has been babysitting 2- and 3-year-olds this summer and one little boy follows Sam around everywhere, how he has been in ROTC for three years but doesn’t want to join the military and “get killed,” how he has all the “standard” classes, but gets to take some electives, how he wants to work for his uncle’s computer company when he graduates and then go to college (but “not far away Tarek, I want stay near my family and people like you guys”).

We neared Manual, and after the only pause in our conversation, Sam blurted out, “I need a new mentor.” (What?!! His mentor David was mentor of the year, and I’ve hung out with David enough to know he is a great guy.) “He’s moving.” Oh. I asked where. Sam couldn’t remember, “California…or Maryland.” It didn’t matter where David was moving, just that he was.

As we got off the bus, I told Sam he would get a great new mentor, and even if he didn’t, I had his back, just like everyone in our cabin and everyone at CYAR. He turned his head, looked up at me, and said calmly, “I know that”…with a smile and look in his eyes that said yes, he absolutely knows that.

I told him my meeting was in Room 127. He walked me there, pointed to it and said that’s where your meeting is.

“Have a good day, Sam.”

“You too, Tarek.”

–

That’s why I’m with CYAR. That’s what we do.

He took the first big step. He joined CYAR’s Steps Ahead program as a freshman at Aurora Central High School. At the launch course in the mountains, away from the turmoil, Salvador met James D. They formed an instant connection, and Salvador gained a mentor. Salvador could feel things changing, because he “knew he (James) wasn’t going to let me fail or go down bad paths.”

James faced a very common challenge facing mentors: creating lines of communication. “He was very shy. He wouldn’t talk. I had to really work with him on opening up and expressing his views and opinions.”

James then took a big step. He took Salvador to the outdoors and exposed him to activities he’d never experienced. They went fishing. They hiked Red Rocks and Dinosaur Ridge. They built trust. Salvador opened up to James, and James opened up to Salvador.

Salvador learned healthy outlets for his stress and anger and began to thrive. He stopped doing drugs and quit his gang involvement. He went to class, and his grades climbed dramatically, achieving A’s and B’s to raise his GPA to well above 3.0.

Salvador is now a junior at Aurora Central. He takes classes at Pickens Technical College and holds down two jobs. He is a leader in the Touchstone program, and takes pride in using his experiences to positively impact others.

“I see some people who really need help. Being a leader gives me a great opportunity to help someone out.”

Salvador is ready for his next big step: he plans on attending college after he graduates next year.

And he did.

Working with Dan, Bradley raised his grades from D’s and F’s to C’s.  But he didn’t know he hadn’t fulfilled his potential yet.

Bradley looks back now, just weeks before his graduation from Manual High School, and sees how much his expectations have changed.

“Before I didn’t have a planned course or destination,” he says, “but Dan showed me that you could turn your life around. You could fight against the odds.”

“I tried to instill in him that he is the only one that can change his course,” Dan agrees. By helping him define and set goals for school and life, Dan empowered Bradley to take control of his future.

“We made correlations between the decisions he was making and the end result,” shares Dan. “He took it on wholeheartedly and has made great strides in accomplishing his goals.”

After graduation, Bradley will attend Community College of Denver and is setting his sights on a business degree.

I didn’t really connect with others, especially adults. Manual High closed their doors so I was forced to go to North High School. I was harassed even more by kids at North and then my grades began to fall dramatically. I started fading away from everyone and didn’t see myself graduating high school. When I was first introduced to Colorado Youth at Risk’s Steps Ahead program, I wasn’t into it at all. The program manager, Martha, was so persistent on me joining; she practically called me every day. I finally agreed to attend a meeting and decided to attend the launch course. The morning of going to the mountains, I wanted to back out but the staff persuaded me to pack my clothes and go.

I obtained so much knowledge and insight from the launch course. I was introduced to many new perspectives on life that I was unable to see before. I was able to “empty my cup” and get in touch with my emotions and ended up crying a river telling my life story to a bunch of strangers. I was also able to understand how the negative thoughts about myself were affecting my success in life.

I created an everlasting family of support and bonded with people I never thought would be possible. Having completed the Steps Ahead program and becoming a member of Touchstone, I can now see my future is full of endless possibilities. No matter the circumstance, no matter what the obstacle, I know I can and will persevere through it.

My past is nothing but the past. I live in the present, and dream of my wonderful future yet to come. I know I am a strong young woman that can endure anything thanks to the support of my wonderful CYAR family. Several mentors throughout the years held me accountable for my goals and actions and have helped to mold me to be the woman I am today. I am now a leader amongst my peers. I am a Daniels Fund Scholar and a proud member of the Dean’s List at Hastings College, majoring in Peace, Justice and Social Change. CYAR’s program has inspired me to carry on with my great work ethic and has allowed me to achieve remarkable things.

Vanessa
Steps Ahead and Touchstone Youth

I realized that CYAR is not only changing our immediate future, but generations to come.At CYAR we learn how to communicate and relate to each other without interference from our judgments. We learn how to be straight and real with one another and to be truly authentic. They set the stage called “safe space,” where everyone can share about their experiences and open their hearts to each other. Having a community of people who have my back and have supported me has been such an amazing gift.

The first day that I went to pick up my new mentee, her Mom gently said, “Juli doesn’t need a mentor.” Just two months ago her mom said, “I’m so glad that you were Juli’s mentor!” I love Juli’s family values, her tender heart and her willingness to help others.

Juli graduated in 2008 and has earned her certificate to be a CNA and is currently working in home healthcare. She and I have been through some difficult times together; the loss of my mom last summer and her sister in February. We have created a life-long friendship and I am so blessed to have her in my life!

My other mentee, Vanessa, was a young woman who had some challenging circumstances in her life. Her new dedication to her education and being successful is just awesome. While doing homework and filling out applications for scholarships late into the night, we created a wonderful friendship that will last forever. The day that Vanessa graduated from high school, her little nieces were playing ‘go to college’ and pretending to get their diploma. It was then when I realized that CYAR is not only changing our immediate future, but generations to come. Vanessa earned the Daniels Fund Scholarship and is currently enrolled in Hastings College. She is so inspiring!

I signed up to become a mentor and was surprised that the two young women I was paired with inspired and challenged me to grow and learn during some challenging circumstances in my life. I now am able to be more self-expressed and make powerful choices in my life. I have revitalized all of my relationships in my life, but most of all I am at peace with who I am. I’m so inspired by both of these beautiful and amazing women and this organization. Since becoming a mentor, I have completed CYAR’s year-long Leadership Training Program (LTP) and am now a certified facilitator. I actually get up and speak in front of people! This has been an incredible journey, and I am so grateful for this experience.

Sue
Mentor