Program News 2001
Giving Back by Coming Back: Former Resident Finds New Role as Mentor in our Program
For the past few months, Michelle, a poised and attractive senior at Syracuse University, has been working part-time at St. Helena's, one of our two long-term residences, while completing an internship as a salesgirl in the showroom of a New York City dress designer. She has been able to cultivate a special relationship with the young women at the residence, because, as she states, "it was not too long ago that I was in the same position that they are in."
Michelle grew up with no father and a caring mother who was a registered nurse but whose schizophrenia caused her to lose her job and housing. As a result, Michelle bounced around among various family members and shelters for several years. When she came to our residential program as an early teen she was untrusting and angry and had already been moved from three other programs because of her behavior. Even though she refused to follow basic rules, her potential shone through and our staff sought ways to break though her resistance and build on these strengths. We helped her to recognize her academic interests and talents, facilitated her transfer from a large public high school to a smaller, private high school and also arranged for her to receive intensive academic tutoring after school at the residence where she lived.
Nonetheless, Michelle continued experiencing many fits and starts through adolescence. After a brush with the law-including one night at the Spofford Juvenile Center in the Bronx-Michelle's attitude changed, and she began to positively engage our staff. In time, she became a model resident and consistently succeeded in school where she was an honors student and won academic awards. After school, she tutored children at a local youth service program and, with our help, secured part-time employment each summer. Michelle had always enjoyed drawing and making clothes and with our assistance was able to obtain an internship position at Glamour magazine and a scholarship to take summer sewing and art classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She is now majoring in fashion design and retail on a full scholarship at Syracuse.
Michelle is particularly well equipped to mentor and serve as an inspiration for the young women at St. Helena's because she has experienced the same things that they have but has "successfully completed the program, gone to school and made it in the real world." She also feels that she delivers a powerful message by choosing to come back. "With Good Shepherd I always had a great support system to help me through the rough times - and I still do," says Michelle. "It's important for the young women to see the value of this in my life and to know that this same support system will always be there for them too."
October 1, 2001
