Lives Changed

Speeches from the 2010 Breakfast of Inspiration and Influence

T.J. of the Transitional Housing Program	Teondria of Girls Inc. at the YWCA
Stephanie of Domestic Violence Support Groups	Maria of GED® Preparation Services

Strong, Smart and Bold

Destiny

Teondria

“Whatever we talk about in Girls Inc. stays in Girls Inc.” said Destiny who is a sixth grader at Jere Baxter Middle School. Morlunda Brooks, the YWCA’s Director of Youth Services, wants the girls in Girls Inc. to feel comfortable talking about their feelings and problems, so she and the other leaders always work hard to listen without judgment. “We encourage the girls to also speak with their parents about the issues they face,” says Morlunda. Both Destiny and her fellow Girls Inc. group member, Teondria have participated in Girls Inc. for the past two years. Teondria explained “If something happens and my Mom is not available to talk, I know my Girls Inc. leaders will help me figure out what to do. If I am having problems with boys, they help me.” The girls are learning to be “strong, smart and bold”, and Destiny and Teondria are already smart young women. Both of the girls love to read and Destiny told us she wants to figure out a way to lower prices so people can have better houses and cars.

Congratulations Cecilia!

Cecilia came to Nashville three years ago with her husband who is a bank manager. Cecilia grew up in Acapulco, Mexico where she had completed elementary school and middle school but married after middle school. She learned a lot of English doing hotel and restaurant work in the popular tourist town. When they moved to Nashville, they had a three year old son and Cecilia stayed home with him. This fall when he started school, Cecilia began looking for a job using her service industry experience and her bilingual skills. She quickly realized that her lack of a high school diploma made it hard to find a job. Her neighbor told her about the YWCA GED_®Preparation classes, not far from her home. She called the YWCA Adult Education program, enrolled in the YWCA Antioch class and made a commitment to attend classes every day. It was not long before her teacher told her she was ready to take the Official Practice Test to confirm her preparation was complete. Cecilia recently passed the GED_®Test earning her Tennessee high school equivalency diploma and she is ready to find a job. In over 10 months of classes she increased her reading ability by 5 grades levels and her math by 2 grade levels.

"The YWCA GED® program is helping me achieve my goals."

Shaye Lavender is a mother of five children; ages 12, 11, 7, 5 and 1. She enrolled in our GED® program because she wanted to better herself and her children. She has been in the YWCA GED® preparation classes for one month, attending on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays.

Lavender said the YWCA staff is extremely helpful, "The teachers showed me how to answer questions using a step-by-step system," she noted.

She also likes how the students help each other out, working together to prepare for upcoming GED® tests. After she obtains her GED®, she wants to work in the field of criminal justice, particularly in the juvenile system.

"Having a diploma will give me a sense of accomplishment," said Lavendar.

Today I Woke Up Beautiful! ~ A poem by Domestic Violence Survivor Mary Jones

Today I woke up beautiful!
My eyes twinkled as I passed the mirror that once reflected an ugly girl.
Skin too brown, face and smile not perfect. If only my nose were smaller.
Look at those bony arms and where did those hips come from?

To read the rest of Mary's poem, please click here.

"Girls Inc. is all about preparing us for the future (by teaching us how to make good decisions and take healthy risks). I'm proud to say, I'm a Girls Inc. girl."

Hello, my name is Kiah. I'm currently a 7th grader at Ewing Park Middle School. First, I would like to give all praises to God. I feel very lucky to speak to you today. It is an honor for me to represent the Girls Inc. at the YWCA.

To read the rest of Kiah's story, click here.

"Seeing the sign about free GED® classes at the YWCA

awakened my dream for me."

It is a privilege to be here in America, to have wonderful opportunities, to have life, hope and a future.

My name is Fatima. I am from Rwanda, Africa. In 1994, I was 15. I had a loving family and had the financial means to go to school. And as most teenagers, I was carefree, with little responsibilities. I loved school and looked forward to my future--finishing high school, going on to college and having a career.

To read the rest of Fatima's story, click here.

"In Girls Inc. we talk about growing up as girls and the
problems we may face....I love Girls Inc."

My name is Justine and I'm 11 years old. I'm originally from Washington State. I moved to Nashville, Tennessee, four years ago with my family. I joined Girls Inc. to get away from the boys in my classroom because they get on my nerves. Girls Inc. is a great place to be. I have to say, I love it. In Girls Inc. we talk about growing up as girls and the problems we may face. Since I've been in Girls Inc., I've been able to make new friends and spend time with my old friends. It is so much fun. I love Girls Inc."

"The GED® preparation classes are making me feel confident."

Shinque is a 32 year old single mom and is currently a student in our GED® program. She is working hard to be able to pass the exam.

"The GED® preparation classes are making me feel confident," explained Shinque. "I had taken the test before but my YWCA teacher makes me feel confident and understand that no question is dumb. My self-esteem is much higher," she concluded.

"I wasn't going to graduate from high school so this GED® helped me get a job..."

Rio's father is from Mexico and his mother is from the UK. He was born in England and came to the US at the age of 12. He didn't do well in high school and found himself still in 9th grade at the age of 17. He could not see himself there for 4 more years, so he left high school. He came to the YWCA program where he earned his GED®. He is now working at a coffee shop with plans to go on to college and study business.

"I wasn't going to graduate from high school so this GED® helped me get a job so I can save money to go to college," explained Rio. "I plan on going to a two year tech school and then on to a regular college to get my degree," Rio concluded.

"The GED® preparation class helped me find a job."

Sandra was born in Bogota, Columbia and came to the US in 2006. Sandra wanted to improve her reading, math and language skills in order to be able to get a job. She enrolled in January and improved her language skills 3 grade levels. Sandra was able to pass a required exam to be hired at Macy's Department Store as a sales associate. Sandy remains in our program and is continuing to advance toward her GED®.

"The GED® preparation class helped me find a job. I've also improved my English and sharpened my mind in math, reading and other subjects," noted Sandra.

"YWCA GED® preparation has been like a form of mentorship for me"

David is 20 years old and he enrolled with the YWCA in March and took his GED® test in May. David earned a GED® and scored a high score of 570. David is interested in the field of music and is working in the music industry. He plans to further his education, and his score of 570 on the GED® qualifies him for the Hope Lottery Scholarship.

"YWCA GED® preparation has been like a form of mentorship for me. It is set up to help you with the specific things that you need to improve on before you take the test," explained David. "It is a great opportunity for someone who didn't graduate from high school. It prepares you for higher education so you can go to college or right into the work force," he concluded.

"I proved to myself and others that I am smart"

My name is Jenifer. I have had to overcome a tremendous amount of obstacles in my life to be where I am today. Being a product of a teenage pregnancy and the resentment that followed, from my mother, set the tone for my early years.

My mother blamed me for “ending her life” just as I was beginning mine. Situations in my life went from bad to worse and I suffered emotional, physical, and sexual abuse from family members.

To read more of Jenifer's story, please click here.

"I will not be a statistic"

My name is Tamika. I had what you would call an unstable family life growing up. My mother was on drugs and had little time or interest in me. Tamika, the little girl, was sad. Tamika, the teenager was angry----Angry at the mother who spent all her money and life on drugs, even selling my new school clothes for drug money.

To read more of Tamika's Story, please click here.