Endorsements

The Young Women on the Move program is now endorsed by the USD 500 school district for its mentoring program. Please read the letters from Addye Hawkins, Director, Office of Equity for Student Achievement, and Susan Engelmann, Executive Director of Teaching for Learning.

---

"Young Women on the Move as an organization has come into the school and partnered with me on a number of occasions to address some very intense psychological, emotional and resource needs of our female student population.  They have literally come to my rescue when there was just no possible way that I could be totally present in several places at once.  There just is no way to measure the value their services have been to me and the Wyandotte High School student population!"

Sincerely,
Twoanna N. Hammond, MSW
Social Worker,Wyandotte High School

---

"I'm looking forward to having a Mentor so I can have another positive person in my life!"

---

I would like to thank you for your support of Young Women on the Move. Since you help support this program and with your donations, I have learned how to control myself and talk to people more respectfully. I now know how to have patience and handle difficult situations better. If you keep supporting this program, it would help a lot of girls that are in my situation.

---

Young Women on the Move has made me a better person because they have helped me become a respectful person. They always told me I have to respect myself in order for others to respect me. Thank you for helping more girls learn how to respect themselves.

---

Because of Young Women on the Move, I have learned to be honest to myself and others and how to control my attitude. If it wasn't for Young Women on the Move, I probably would be I so much trouble with my parents and school. And I just want to say thank you for always listening to me whenever I'm having problems. I feel very much appreciated.

---

I would personally like to thank you for your donations, time, and support. Because of Young Women on the Move, I learned to speak in front of a crowd of people, and to not build too much anger up, just let it out. I learned that regardless of the situation, be honest, respectful and appreciative. Also, the best way to make friends is to open your mouth and speak out loud!

---

Because of Young Women on the Move, I have learned a lot and really appreciate your help and support. I've learned to do things differently as far as attitude, patience, and just basically everything. Young Women on the Move taught me to be more open and talk in front of crowds of people, and to also be outspoken. I've learned to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Self-esteem is a major part that the young ladies deal with. Young Women on the Move put glows on our faces and taught me to appreciate others as well as myself. It also motivated me to go to college and be somebody in life. Thank You!

---

Young Women on the Move helped me tremendously over the last few months. I have never encountered a group that I could relate with on a personal level as this. They have taught me that there is always a silver lining behind a gray cloud. I would like to thank them for their time, for coming to our school to talk to us about life skills and what to expect in the real world as a woman. I would also like to thank them for their encouragement towards my goals. They have never given up on me. They've given me a shoulder to cry on when I needed someone to understand and to be there. They don't judge you for being who you are but take your good qualities and help you enhance them. Thank you Young Women on the Move, for everything!

---

I want to thank you for all that you do and have done for me and YWOM. This program helps me to listen and help others. So, thanks with all my heart and all of me.

---

Young Women on the Move has helped me to just be me and not care what others think. It also helped me to become confident and to love who I am. It teaches you a lot about yourself and a lot of things you would love to know about. I love how I started to love who I am. I got to meet different people, and I had great opportunities. Thank you for helping us help more girls.

---

I want to say thank you for your support, donations, and time. Young Women on the Move has taught me so much. It has taught me that you can have so much in common with anyone no matter the race, age, or lifestyle. I learned that early on in this program. I was going through a lot of problems with school, home life, boys and everyday drama. I thought that no one could ever understand me especially not our instructor Cherie, with me being black, her being white, and me being way younger than her. At first I was afraid to open up to her because I was afraid that she was nothing like me, but when I finally did open up to her, I realized that we have so much in common, that she understood me, and what I was going through. Also in this program, I met a wonderful individual like Cherie. She is a different race, but my experience with Cherie opened my eyes in realizing just because we look different doesn't mean that we are not alike. I would have never thought I would have a lot of friends out of my race. Both of these individuals accepted me and liked me for me. I know this would not have happened if it wasn't for this program. I think Young Women on the Move program has helped me out a lot, and I feel that it will help many other girls. Once again thank you. You are greatly appreciated.

---

Thank you for everything you have done to support us. It has been so fun. I hope we can have this organization again next year. I am planning on coming back. I like Young Women on the Move and I've learned how to control my anger and my attitude. It's fun, and all the other girls in the future should come.

---

Young Women on the Move is a great opportunity for women to become empowered. There are so many problems in this year, and with your help, we can expand our organization to help other women, Because of Young Women on the Move, you begin to see the true meaning of respect for yourself and for other girls, alike but also different from yourself.

---

Young Women on the Move has changed my life because I was the type of girl who would not share any of my thoughts, what I felt or went through in my life. I've learned to be more open to people. If more girls join this group then it can really make a difference in their lives. I think young girls would respect themselves and who they are if they can see what Young Women on the Move is all about. Thank you for supporting Young Women on the Move.

---

Thank you for being here to help Young Women on the Move. I was a girl that did not know how to deal with fighting with my grandma. I always downgraded myself. Young Women on the Move has helped me through everything and made me a better person. I was excited to make me a life plan and get my grades up. I can do anything because I believe in me.

---

Thank you for Young Women on the Move. In YWOM I learned to be a lady and to have a positive attitude. I learned to have manners, too.

---

Thank you for donating for Young Women on the Move. Your donation is appreciated a lot because every girl will be able to come back next year. Since you donated money, the girls that come next year will learn how to do better in school.

---

Thank you for supporting Young Women on the Move. Doing this helped me become a young lady and to think of others and myself in a positive way. So thank you again for all your support.

---

Thank you for all that you have done for Young Women on the Move. All the tings we have done have shown me that being a better person will help me go through life as a hard working person.

---

"I want to work on my weaknesses which are that when I get around other people I get shy, and I want to be more motivated."

---

"Sometimes I'm not motivated because I'm not challenged. I love to be challenged!"

---

"I like Young Women on the Move because I know everyone cares for me. We can share our problems with each other and the staff. We're there for each other."

---

"I know I need to get myself together. I'm not the person I'm supposed to be. I want to study and learn and not get into trouble. It helps to know that the YWOM staff believe in me and see my real potential."

---

"I joined Young Women on the Move because I want to be somebody!"

---

"We get to do a lot of cool stuff! It's fun!"

---

"Throughout the program I learned to do something that I though I would never learn in life. This is a problem I have been having all my life and that is self-esteem."

---

"My experience with the organization Young Women on the Move has been a success. If it wasn't for Young Women on the Move I would have given up in school."

---

"I like Young Women on the Move because I know everyone cares for me. We can share our problems with each other and the staff. We're there for each other."

---

May 16, 2006
Ameisha Hunter

I Am a Smart, Strong, Educated, Successful Young Woman!!!

My experience with the organization Young Women on the Move has been a success. I have learned and even experienced so many things. I was able to go on several educational field trips and listen to several good speakers. I can honestly say that we have accomplished a lot. I know most of us girls couldn't have done it without Miss Mary Beth's help.

I feel like this program is preparing me for my future and teaching me how to grow up to be successful, educated, talented, and a strong young lady who knows how to carry herself. The reason I can say that is because I am learning all kinds of skills such as health, nutrition, money management, decision-making, communication skills, career motivation and educational skills. They also taught me things I will probably go through in my future, how to deal with certain situations, and what to expect in life in my future.

Throughout the program I learned to do something that I though I would never learn in life. This is a problem I have been having all my life and that is self-esteem. I learned how to build my self-esteem, self-confidence and basically my whole self. The Six Pillars of Character have helped me to do this. The Six Pillars are citizenship, respect, trustworthiness, responsibility, fairness, and caring. Not only have I learned and experienced a lot of new things and explored careers, I have found people I can talk to about anything.

If it wasn't for Young Women on the Move I would have given up in school and still played in the halls. I could have ended up with a baby and all kinds of bad things, maybe worse. Now I am making better grades. I care about my schoolwork and I am not really worried about boys like I used to. I actually feel better about myself on the inside and the outside, mentally and physical.

This is the final essay written by Ameisha Hunter, age 14, and read by her at the Young Women on the Move year-end celebration. She will be in the 2006-2007 sophomore class at Wyandotte High School.