Student of the Month - Ashley Fortenberry
Volunteer of the Month - Christina Arnett
Ashley Fortenberry
Ashley Fortenberry
Student of the Month
Another late Monday night and Ashley Fortenberry couldn't sleep. Her head swam instead with words and rhymes. So Ashley did as her muse demanded: she leapt to her desk and wrote until the poem before her captured her thoughts and feelings. Only then could she lay her head back down on her pillow and drift off.
"It was spur of the moment and it just came to me. I had to write it right then—or else," relates Ashley, this month's Step Up Student of the Month and recent poetry contest winner.
That night, Ashley put her pen to paper to channel her feelings for Step Up and capture in words how the organization had changed her life. Little did she know then where her poem, "What Step Up Means to Me," would lead her.
"The poem is about being free and finding a place where there is no criticism or judgment," says Ashley. "If something's going wrong in my life, Step Up helps me find solutions without ever blaming me for the problem. They see me eye to eye."
Ashley says she first found this kind of freedom participating in Step Up programs such as the Dove Self Esteem workshop, Mother's Day Goddess Day, the SAT Prep Class and the Bay Area college tour, sponsored by Crystal Light—just to name a few. But it was in Step Up's poetry class where she finally found her true voice.
"I would have never pursued poetry if it weren't for that class. I like writing, because I get my feelings out," she shares. In class, Ashley was known for maturity and wisdom beyond her years. She was quiet, but never shied away from controversial topics or deep issues.
"She always has an emotional urgency behind what she says and writes," confirms Mataji Booker, Ashley's poetry teacher. "She reminds me of a young Maya Angelou or Alice Walker. She finds a way to say what she wants so it sticks in your head. That's the mark of a great writer, artist or visionary."
When Ashley finishes a new poem, she tapes it to her bedroom door. But for her, it's still not done. A poem is only finished when she can perform it. "I feel like if you read my poem, you won't understand it. You won't clearly get my emotions," she explains. "But if I say it out loud and you hear it, then you'll feel it."
As winner of the Step Up Poetry Contest, Ashley was slated to perform her poem on stage at the 5th Annual Inspiration awards at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Intelligent, fearless and always up for a challenge, Ashley knew there was only one way to honor the opportunity: practice. "I was going to recite it from memory, instead of reading it," she explains. "So I practiced it so much that I was really ready by the time I got up there."
When it was her turn to take the stage, Ashley took a deep breath and blew the butterflies away. Then she scanned the room for a quick nod of assurance from her mom. "I kept looking for my mom, but I all I saw were these celebrities. They were everywhere and so close to the stage, I couldn't find my mom," she recalls.
Ashley didn't let the moment derail her. She stepped up, in a big way: "I just started. I could feel everyone's emotions and it was overwhelming. I felt like they couldn't believe a teenager wrote that. It felt great."
Ashley's performance was one of the highlights of this year's Inspiration Awards. Decked in a Hale Bob dress and surrounded by Step Up members, guests, sponsors and participating teen spoken word performers, Ashley felt the power of her own voice making an immediate difference in the world. She says it was a day she will never forget.
Each Step Up Student of the Month recipient receives either a laptop or a scholarship that furthers her goals related to one of Step Up's tenets: career opportunities, life skills, self esteem and empowerment, and health and well being. Besides the prestige of being Student of the Month, Ashley received a brand new laptop so she could capture her poems—at any hour, anywhere.
"I was really happy when I won the contest. I thought I would get a certificate. But then Maya Paley made me shut my eyes and she came back with a big box. I opened my eyes and saw 'Compaq.' But I didn't know what it was. Everyone started screaming laptop. It's a laptop. I thought computers would say 'Dell.' I couldn't believe I got a laptop," gushes Ashley.
Ashley has a wicked sense of humor and is quick to point out that if Step Up wasn't in her life, she certainly wouldn't have all those orange t-shirts in her closet. Humor aside, Step Up has made a lasting impression on this young lady—and she's supremely grateful. "I appreciate every member of Step Up, because they've shown me they care about me," she says. "Step Up has helped me to see what I want to do with my life."
Ashley hopes to attend Cal State Long Beach where she will major in social work. "I want to make a difference in someone's life—just like Step Up did in mine. I don't just want a job. I want to like what I do. And I'm the type of person who wants to help people in need. Just look at the economy—the future's going to need someone like me," Ashley smiles. "Thank you Step Up for helping me." If you would like to read Ashley's award winning poem, please click here.
Christina Arnett
Christina Arnett
Volunteer of the Month
Dr. Christina Arnett has been an active Step Up member and volunteer since June 2007. After being introduced to the organization by her sister, Christina has enthusiastically taken on roles in Teen Programs and on the Women's Health Committee.
As a model member of Step Up, Christina has organized a series of three healthy-cooking Goddess Day events dedicated to teaching teens about nutrition. In addition to her contributions to Teen Programs, Christina is also organizing the Wellness Bag Delivery party with fellow Step Up Member Kat Ruiz.
Christina shares her Step Up experiences:
When did you join Step Up? How did you learn about us?
I joined Step Up in June 2007 after attending the Inspiration Awards as a guest of my sister Mary. I knew how involved with the organization she was but it wasn't until I saw the presentations at the Inspiration Awards that I realized how Step Up is a unique opportunity to join like-minded, professional women in a meaningful philanthropy.
My desire to make a difference in the lives of women in my community is fulfilled by working directly with the teens during Goddess Days and by utilizing my knowledge as an ob/gyn on the women's health committee. But what has been a truly unexpected pleasure is getting to know the dynamic and inspirational women who make up Step Up – it's an honor to count them among my friends!
What has been your favorite Step Up event so far and why?
In April, Kristen Baldwin, the New York Teen Programs Coordinator, and I organized a series of Goddess Days that were fantastic! Step Up partnered with Young Culinary Masters, an organization dedicated to teaching youths about nutrition, to create hands-on cooking workshops focused on healthy alternatives to favorite foods. Step Up volunteers and the teens prepared healthy Caribbean and Latin dishes that we then enjoyed together.
In my opinion, these experiences emphasize one of the most valuable gifts we give by volunteering with teens–the example of successful and dynamic women who care about their community. Hopefully we inspire them to reach their full potential and become the next generation of women philanthropists.
I'm also very excited about an upcoming event – the Wellness Bag program delivery party at New York Presbyterian – Weill Cornell Medical Center. Kat Ruiz and I lead the Wellness Bag program in New York creating bags full of beauty products and comfort items for women in the hospital receiving treatment for cancer. I am delighted to be a part of demonstrating our enduring support for the women in our communities who need us most. I can't imagine a more appropriate way to volunteer!
Throughout her time with Step Up, Christina acts as a shining role model for other members and the teens. Teen Programs Coordinator Kristen Baldwin says of Christina at the Goddess Days events, "She was so organized, diligent, and wanted to make sure everything was perfect for our teen girls and members at each event. Her desire to give back and help both women and girls is a constant source of inspiration for me." A stellar example of Step Up's brightest!
Thank you so much, Christina, for Stepping Up!
