Willa's Membership Matters. Here's why.
What inspired you to become a Step Up member?
Becoming a member of Step Up was inevitable after seeing the unwavering and devoted members' participation in the program. I started off as a liaison at Carl Schurz High School and was amazed to see the number of women who volunteered their time to guide and inspire these girls. These amazing women worked to help build the girls' confidence, made them become more career focused and goal-oriented, despite obstacles. When I retired after thirty-five years of teaching I knew I had to continue in some way. Becoming a member of Step Up and working with the girls of Step Up would give me the opportunity to continue to give back. My daughters were fortunate enough to have people in their lives to help them reach their potential and I knew I had to continue helping other daughters out there.
How has being a mentor changed you?
Being a mentor has challenged me to see life differently. Since I have retired from teaching, my life's goal of working with young people has changed. I no longer consider it just a "job" to work with young people, but a mission, one that was given to me for the sole purpose of being an important part of what could be the pathway to success for the special group of young women in Step Up.
Mentors and mentees learn from each other. What is one thing you learned while being a mentor at Step Up?
I have always believed that we should not mistake our situation with our condition. I learned that no matter what condition you are in, it is not permanent. While being a mentor, I learned that there are many shoes we haven't walked in and we shouldn't take anything for granted as far as our girls in Step Up is concerned. I learned that these girls are willing to be challenged to reach their personal goal no matter what. We have the opportunity to show our mentees that no matter what you have gone through, we are there to guide, nurture and motivate them to become professional women.
Be inspired like Willa and donate to become a Step Up member or renew your membership. As a member you have the opportunity to mentor Step Up teens as often as you can and help our teens become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women!
