They restored my faith in our youth.
Just a week ago I excoriated the miscreants on their e-bikes who defied authority – and the law.
This week I had the privilege of sitting on a panel with a group of young women from the Boys & Girls Club of the West Valley.
Not rich. Not spoiled. Not from Calabasas, but Canoga Park.
They were invited as part of the club’s “Smart Girls Program” that encourages girls to focus on health and wellness, self-esteem and body image, preventative education on substance abuse and early sexual activity, relationships and social skills.
We talked a lot about self-respect, dreams and goals.
When asked about their mentors they mentioned their abuelas, their mothers, fathers and teachers.
They see their parents working two jobs to feed the family. Some are being raised by a grandparent.
No one there had a $2,000 e-bike. One had started her own home-based bakery in junior high and was selling her goods at a local store to help make ends meet.
Several were in AP classes. They all were aiming for college, with CSUN as their target.
They were concentrating on school, and used the Boys & Girls Club after-school program as a place to study, to meet friends, to be safe.
With the panel they talked about peer pressure and social media, about how they surrounded themselves with “besties” who in turn, inspired them. They praised a favorite teacher who helped them along the way. One admired a father who was always there for every child. One said the head of the Boys & Girls Club program was her mentor, bringing the woman to tears.
It was refreshing to see such a smart, capable, respectful group of teens, interacting with adults on a big stage.
I was inspired by their answers once they opened up in front of a room full of adults.
They were honest, interesting and inspiring.
They were excited about the promise of the future, and because of them, so am I.
