RIGHT: Victoria Dillard (CENTER ROW, LEFT) and Stephen Powell with mentees at a Healthy Lifestyles QuickStart tennis event.
Volunteerism is one of life’s greatest rewards; true happiness is obtained when you can figure out a way to serve others. After hearing my friend Stephen Powell, the executive director of Mentoring USA, share all the wonderful components of the organization’s mentoring program, I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved with the youth in my Harlem community. My desire to create dialogue around personal identity, life choices and self-esteem seemed like a perfect fit for Mentoring USA. I wanted to share [the wisdom that] life has given me so far. My goal was to give young adults tools to navigate their lives through my own personal narrative.
I attended the Dance Theatre of Harlem from the age of four all the way through high school and into a professional career. My own mentor, Arthur Mitchell, had a goal to introduce ballet to youth in Harlem, and most critics thought the effort would fail. Arthur instilled in his dancers pride and ownership of our beautiful identities. For me, as a young girl, there was never a desire to be or look like anyone other than the beautiful women I saw in rehearsal—more mentors. Pride, discipline, diligence, cultural awareness and respect became the creed we lived by as young ballerinas. Coming from that kind of foundation gave me an advantage when I went out into the real world of acting, performing and theater. I had confidence, not only in my ability and training, but also in who I was. It made me stand up and stand out.
Children need more than to just be exposed to life’s various opportunities; they need a guide, a mentor, to help them process and work through challenging moments. There are so many avenues a person can pursue to enrich his or her life, so long as that person is given an opportunity coupled with proper guidance.
Steve invited me to join Mentoring USA at an event where it was introducing the USTA’s QuickStart tennis format to youth in Harlem. The children warmed up, were given instructions and immediately had an opportunity to play. Their eyes lit up as they returned serves and volleys. It instilled confidence and sparked curiosity about something they may have never considered before. More important, the children left the activity understanding that sports can be used to build character, improve academic performance and decrease the alarmingly high rate of childhood obesity.
Mentoring is a labor of love that requires reflection and inspiration. Get involved—our future leaders need you. Call 212-400-8294 or visit mentoringusa.org for information on how you can help.
