Mehrin poses for her YK716 Grad Photo on Buffalo's West Side.
In 2020 I graduated from the Youth Konnect 716 winter Youth Leadership Academy. As a new member of the Buffalo community, I wanted to partake in a program where I would not only broaden my knowledge and skills of public issues and service but also develop the social skills needed to connect with people of Buffalo and beyond. With this program, I was able to bolster my growth personally, socially as well as academically with the various types of workshops that range from restorative justice to substance use prevention. These workshops tackle important social issues and promote discussions among the youths to reinforce in-depth knowledge of their community. The workshops also provide space and encouragement for the youths to share their voices which is a critical factor that prospers new perspectives of the leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, this program is led by facilitators who are genuinely interested in supporting youth leaders with skills that they would find helpful not only in their academic and professional aspects of life but in their personal aspects of life as well.
Upon successfully graduating from this certificate program, I was able to walk away with tremendous knowledge in leadership and communication skills as well as a passion for making changes in my community. Moreover, I was awarded a scholarship to attend CADCA (Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America) National Leadership Forum where I mastered more skills needed to uphold community engagement programs to target and resolve specific issues in my community. Furthermore, I received scholarships to attend professional training regarding restorative justice.
The support of the members of YK716 didn’t stop upon graduating, rather they continued to support me and fuel my passion for social work. I wanted to partake in Harvard’s SPARK program that allows newly admitted students to pursue public service in their hometown. Therefore, I reached out to the project coordinator, Alessandra Duarte, to request to be a peer leader and co-facilitator of the summer academy. Without hesitation, she guided me with completing my SPARK application in achieving this opportunity to serve the community that has contributed tremendously toward my personal and social growth.
Mehrin co-facilitating the YK716 ATOD Substance Use Prevention Workshop at
Providence Farm Collective.
I always have been passionate about public service and believed in its power to change our society for the better. By being a co-facilitator and youth peer leader, I was able to observe how important it is for us to be involved in community projects to support the underrepresented groups who greatly rely on our contribution to foster growth. To positively shape our community, each of us should engage in community service to make small changes one step at a time to shape our society into a better today and tomorrow!
Mehrin is joined by YK716 Facilitators Alessandra Duarte and Moira McJury from the West Side Youth Development Coalition and Katherine Pessecow from Community Canvases.
Want to Join YK716? Apply here: tinyurl.com/youth716