Robert (No Kidding)
Peer educator Robert has been a vital component of the No Kidding program since 2009. He really
believes in and enjoys the work of the No Kidding program. Robert's love for his son fueled his
determination to be the best father he could be. As a result, he made a conscious decision to leave
an "at risk" life behind and begin anew. Since then, Robert has enÂrolled in Austin Community College
to pursue a degree in busiÂness & music management and aspires to someday own a music production
studio. Robert has far exceeded the expectations of staff and has galvanized his peers. The No
Kidding staff relishes in the fact that Robert is disproving society's belief of what a teen father
looks like, saying that "he shows everyone that change is possible." Robert is perceived by his fellow
peers as not only being an outstanding father, but a fantastic person in general. One peer said
"he keeps it so real it seems unreal."
We often hear about how being a mother is the hardest job in the world. Imagine being a mother at
the age of 17. Gisela, a mentor in YouthLaunch's No Kidding program, knows just how difficult being
a mother at such a young age is.
"Being a first time mother has been really hard for me. Since my son was born I've learned a lot.
There have been plenty of times when I've reached out to others for advice.
"I've been with the No Kidding program for about three years. When I first heard of the program I
was really interested in it. I was was not only excited that I was going to get paid, but because I
was going to be able to share my experiences with others about being a teen parent. As time
progressed, I started to learn from my co-workers. I started to feel that I was not the only one
going through a rough time being a young parent. I started seeing the program as a support group.
"When I feel down and uncertain of myself, my fellow co-workers always make me feel better. I love
working with the No Kidding program. I've learned public speaking skills, how to set goals and push
myself to improve, and how to get involved in the community."
Michon rejoined Urban Roots in 2010 after withdrawing last year with a broken leg sustained during a
neighborhood football game. As a tenth grader at LBJ High School, Michon has a variety of interests,
considering a future in everything from piloting airplanes to playing basketball. He loves invigorating
activities, which makes Urban Roots a really great fit for him. Michon was elected by his peers to
receive the "Blood, Sweat and Tears" Award"; they say, "he is always putting out 100% while being positive about it at the
same time." Urban Roots staff adds that Michon takes initiative and works hard with a great attitude
even when weather conditions arenÕt ideal for farm work. "Even while working diligently, Michon is
always flashing his bright smile and encouraging teamwork," says Leigh Gaymon-Jones, Urban Roots Program Specialist.
Maria is not your typical teen parent. Maria became pregnant at the age of 16 and nine
months later gave birth to an adorable baby boy named Adrian. Shortly after, Maria joined YouthLaunch's No Kidding:
Straight Talk from Teen Parents program to help educate her peers about the realities that come
along with young parenting. When asked why Maria wanted to be a part of No Kidding, she replies
"A lot of teens don't think about the consequences. Life is not picture perfect, not glamorous.
It's not cute taking care of a baby; it changes your life. I like the attention we receive from
students. We can change someone's life by going and speaking."
Maria has worked hard in No Kidding, working her way from peer educator to mentor and into the
new program position of Senior Mentor. In this new role, Maria supervises a team of mentors and
participates in scheduling and assessing presentations. She helps lead meetings and trainings, and
is a liason between the peer educators and staff. Maria currently attends ACC and just received
her acceptance to transfer to Texas State University in the fall to pursue a degree in Social Work.
Dancey has been a dedicated Community Educator with YPC for two years. A 2009 graduate of
Austin High School, Dancey currently attends the University of Texas at Austin. She is a positive
influence on her peers and students, leading best by example during presentations, team meetings and
service projects. This year, she supported newly hired Community Educators through friendship and by
sharing her experiences while also taking on a leadership role during team meetings. "Dancey is an
excellent public speaker and a great role model, both for other Community Educators and stuents we
see in the classrooms," says Laura Maher, YPC Program Specialist. Dancey looks forward to graduating
in 2012 under the Liberal Arts Honors Program with a major in Government.
Annie arrived to the interviews for Urban Roots and sat in the circle with an open seat on either
side of her, reading the book she had brought. That day, Annie told us that she usually connected
with adults more than youth her own age. The first couple weeks of the program, Annie continued to
be quiet, realizing that she was very different from the rest of the youth. As the program continued,
Annie began stepping out of her shell and reaching out to the others. She became eager to share her
interests with the other youth and learn about them as well. By the end of the program, Annie had
formed a tight bond with all of the youth of the program, was regularly stepping outside of her
comfort zone, and was confidently leading "Compost 101" workshops for adults and farm tours for
middle school groups.
"Normally I don't care what others think, but I cared here. I wanted these
people to be close to me. Things are growing; relationships along with the
crops. I'm learning more than I thought, but in a different way than I
expected. The orientation made me realize I was part of something larger
than a job on a farm. I knew it was different. I've learned how to talk to
people even if we have nothing in common, even if we don't have the same
likes and dislike."
April is an exemplary peer educator who has been with No Kidding for over two years. She personifies
for her daughter and other teen mothers what a phenomenal, empowÂered young woman can do when she
believes in hard work and dedication to the well-being of others. April did not allow the challenges
of being a teen mother deter her from meeting her goals. Instead, she became more determined.
In addition to her work with No Kidding, April works part-time and attends the University of Texas
at Austin. She is a Senate of College Council Representative and a member of the Social Work Council.
April graduated in May from the School of Social Work and is returning this summer to pursue a
graduate degree, which she intends to complete in one year! April has earned the reputation of being
a strong presenter and a great mentor for other peer educators. "April has accomplished a lot of her
goals and hasn't let being a teen parent affect them."
Born and raised in Sinton, TX, Ethan was introduced to YouthLaunch through being awarded the YouthLaunch
Scholarship for Outstanding Service. His dedication to the Sinton community, particularly with veterans
and the elderly, garnered media attention, local recognition, and eventually, statewide recognition through
the YouthLaunch scholarship. Ethan adds, "I feel that service and volunteerism are not things that
we are made to do, but things that we do naturally because we know in our hearts that they are right."
Upon moving to Austin to begin his freshman year at the University of Texas, Ethan applied for and was
selected to be a Community Educator with Youth Partnership for Change's underage drinking awareness
and prevention program. Ethan joins a team of youth inspired to make change in their community
through education and outreach, helping YouthLaunch continue to offer empowering service opportunities
for Austin area young people.
One of YouthLaunch's key goals is to empower young people to set and achieve high goals for themselves.
Matt has been in our program for one year, and completed countless presentations while simultaneously
completing his Bachelor of Science in radio, television and film from the University of Texas. In
June, Matt was able to pursue his passion when he was hired as an intern with the Walt Disney company
in Los Angeles. No Kidding strives to provide a support network for the Peer Educators so they continue
to set and accomplish their goals, despite the many struggles they face as young parents. We look
forward to hearing about Matt's adventures as he begins his career in the film industry!
Chris is a tall, quiet young man who was one of the first Urban Roots farm interns. During his first
weeks on the farm he kept to himself, but it was clear that he was dedicated to his job and his peers.
As a youth development program, Urban Roots works to transform the lives of young people by engaging
them in direct community service. This transformation became very visible in Chris. In April of 2008
he was part of a crew running a farm stand at a festival in east Austin. The shy, hesitant high school
student was nowhere to be found. Chris had become confident in his ability to describe the produce
and Urban Roots, and had been walking around the market, talking to people about the program and the
produce. When asked at the end of the summer if he had accomplished personal goals he had set for
himself at the beginning of the program he said, "I came far. I feel like I can talk to anybody."
Since Chris finished the program in July of 2008, he has begun getting more involved in school. He
has taken on leadership roles in many different activities including Eagle Scouts, the LBJ Fire
Academy, and is serving as the president of Keystone, where he is planning to hold a basketball
tournament to raise funds to help the homeless. In September, Chris decided he wanted another shot
at Urban Roots and applied to be an Assistant Crew Leader. He began his second go-round of Urban
Roots in early October.
Alicia
When Alicia found out she was pregnant at the age of 16 she was told by many family members and
friends that she was not going to be able to make it. They told her that her baby's dad was going
to leave, that she would not finish high school and she would struggle all her life. Alicia decided
that instead of letting that get her down, she was going to work harder to prove everyone wrong.
Alicia joined the No Kidding: Straight Talk from Teen Parents in 2004 along with her daughters father
Corey. She felt that it would be a good positive outlet for their family to learn, teach and grow.
After serving as a mentor in the No Kidding Program for 4 years Alicia got married to the father of
her daughter and later graduated with honors from Texas Lutheran University. Alicia was inspired to
take her peer education work a step further and become a full time teacher.
Jaime joined Youth Partnership for Change (YPC) as a community educator in December 2007. Jaime listed several reasons for wanting
to join YPC, including that he knew first hand what it was like to deal with alcoholism in his family.
Because of this experience, Jaime felt that it is was his responsibility to persuade other young
people not drink. Jaime has truly been a leader for YPC. This year he helped to revise the YPC
presentation, helped interview new staff, and has now taken on a new role as a YPC Mentor. In
addition, Jaime just recently graduated high school early and now is a part time student at Austin
Community College, and if that is not enough he was just hired on as AmeriCorps member at Communities
In Schools (he found out about this opportunity through a YPC training) at Norman Elementary.
Sohini, a Youth Partnership for Change Community Educator, has been actively involved in Girl Scouts
of the USA for several years. She was recently recognized for her extraordinary leadership and
community service and was one of 10 Girl Scouts in the Nation to receive the Women of Distinction
Award by Girl Scouts of the USA. The Women of Distinction award is the highest national honor in Girl
Scouting. Sohini was chosen for the award from a pool of over 100 applicants who had already
received the Gold Award. The Gold Award is only awarded to five to six percent of Girl Scouts ages
14-18.
Raymundo was one of the youngest youth farm interns with Urban Roots. He quickly befriended all of
the other interns and loved to play our team building games. He was a hard worker and always quick
to ask the farm manager questions. However, at the Austin Farmers Market downtown, Raymundo was
distant with the customers and leaned on his co-workers to run the market. When his crew sold Urban
Roots produce at the WIC neighborhood clinic in east Austin, Raymundo became a leader for his team.
Other crew members struggled to interact with the predominantly Spanish-speaking customers.
Raymundo, however, shined. He enthusiastically translated English and Spanish to interns and
customers and modeled excellent customer service and math skills. It was clear that the rest of his
crew came to see Raymundo in a new light that day and in turn, he had found a way to empower himself.
