It’s My Life

I am ready for the world. I am a strong leader. To be a leader you have to know how to serve and discipline yourself to walk the life you preach about. I grew up around and under the influence of strong powerful leaders. Most of them were women. I was raised in church which has helped shape and mold me into the young man that I am. Church has had a positive effect on my life. When I was about nine years old I truly accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I desired to become a leader when I was ten years old and my Bishop saw and felt the anointing on my life and ordained me as a youth minister at ten years old. I even realized then that I was ready for this calling.

God has truly been testing me and molding me to be a strong leader still until this day. I’ve realized over the past few years in my life that most of our difficulties in life as leaders come from not trusting in the Lord to lead us or being spiritually led. Instead we try to plan too much and do things our way. I feel in my heart that I am ready for the world. The Peers Project has helped me realize that the youth really needs strong leaders…leaders that aren’t just preaching to them, but are getting on the same level as the youth…really trying to understand their hurt and struggle and why they think violence is the answer to everything. This program has allowed me to see different environments and sit in the midst of these kids who, on the inside are crying for help and seeking someone to really love them. They need someone who can show them that they can trust somebody. That’s why I’m ready for the world, because I know my purpose and calling. I’m willing to pay the price to help somebody. Nobody promised us that the road we travel would be a smooth and easy ride, but if we come together in unity and strive towards the mark I believe we can reach success. Nobody is perfect, but if we can be in peace with ourselves and help support our brothers and sisters, we can make it.

By: Mike Williams

 

It’s My Life Campaign


            In today’s society it is almost impossible for a teenager to abstain from drugs, sex, and alcohol. The world’s view of drugs, sex, and alcohol makes us believe that it is okay to participate in these risky behaviors. We get constant views in the media of sex and drugs. Especially in the music that we listen to and what we watch on television.

 

Even though many teens are participating in these risky behaviors a majority of them are not. I am in the majority. I am ready to face the world despite the many temptations that are presented to me every day. Many African American teenage females such as myself are the victims of the worst stereotypes. Many people believe we are doomed to fail since given the fact that the majority of teenagers have to drop out because we have a high rate of pregnancy.

 

I am ready for the world because I have been faced with many temptations of society and I have made the decision to be different. I surround myself around people that want the best for me. This whole summer I worked with Peer’s Project to help mentor people my age and younger and to help them to choose to live a healthier lifestyle like I did. Therefore I am ready for the world. 

By: LaSeptra Campbell , Tindley High School Juniorlasaeptra

It’s My Life

chaseThe PEERS Project has partnered with Radio One to share the stories of several teens and how they choose to live healthy lifestyles. You can hear these stories at: www.youtube.com/peersproject

PEERS has thousands of teen leaders like these around the state who are choosing to avoid risky behaviors. For the next four weeks we will share their stories here.

As a child we were pushed on the swing by our mother, father or a parent figure. For me it was my mother whom always pushed me on the swing. “I’ll give you one underdog then you got to swing by yourself: Ready… set…go,” she shouts as she pushes me as high as she could, and then makes a sudden run under me. Then to the park bench she goes to watch her “little birdy” swing by herself.

Learning how to swing by yourself without that head start of an underdog can be rough at first, but once you get the swing of things it seems pretty simple. You have to learn to be ready for the world even if you don’t feel as if you are quite ready yet. Learning to push yourself can seem as if one of the hardest challenges in the world, but in the end all you really have is yourself and your own two feet to lead you, or swing you as high as you wish to go.

Joining the Peers Project has made me realize that I’m not alone. I may have struggled to push myself as high as I could but I did it, I succeeded. There are many kids who went through or are going through the same things. You’re never alone. I’m ready to jump off the swing and walk by myself. Therefore I am ready for the world and whatever it has to offer for me.

by: Chase-Marie Rider, 17

Former PEERS Project Student Heads to Purdue University

Graduate Shares Her Experience in The PEERS Project

peers teen leaderWritten by Shea Cattelier

After being a part of The PEERS Project the past three years I have learned a lot about myself and the limits I have chosen to set for myself.  And, as I move toward college, and the new experiences that await, I will carry the same set of values I have had for myself throughout high school. The PEERS Project has taught me the value of goal setting and the amount of courage it takes to achieve those goals.  As college approaches I am nervous about the academic rigor and whether my past 13 years of education have prepared me enough for the untethering that is college. However, I know deep down that I am the same driven young woman who joined PEERS because of its great values. Because of that, I will continue to thrive in the world around me without worrying about succumbing to peer pressure as I go to Purdue University.

Y.O.L.O.
yolo, peersproject, goals, media, peer pressure
You Only Live Once

Have you ever heard of the term or saying, “YOLO”? YOLO means, “You Only Live Once.” Kind of dumb isn’t it? I agree. Well people first started hearing YOLO when Drake, a hip hop artist, first said it in his hit song, The Motto in late 2012. When people, such as teens first heard it, it became very catchy. It was also being played a lot on the radio. Which is how the media gets your attention by repeating those catchy jingles.  It was more directed towards teens. Teens began to use YOLO as an excuse for everything. For example, a teen could hit a car in a parking lot and think it would be okay. Then that’s when they yell the term, YOLO. Basically YOLO means do everything to the extreme because you might not be alive to do it tomorrow. That term was taken  way  out of control. The term also figured out its way to be apart of every sentence in someway. YOLO was a daily and frequently used word once it was first heard in Drake’s song, “The Motto”. The term YOLO was then featured on clothing, hats, and even phone cases. This was all in the hands of teens who thought it was so cool and began to come more popular.

If you do use the motto YOLO make sure that you are truly ceasing the moment through making good choices and not living once to just choose destructive behavior. A bad choice could not only affect your life forever but could also hurt someone else…even death.

Guest blog by: Jalen, 17 years

The Power of Standing Up

A young PEERS’ mentor from Elkhart Community Schools  speaks from her heart and the power of the PEERS Project message. She recently texted this message after being involved with the PEERS Project and standing up for what she knew was right. This decision led to a positive choice which will affect her life forever. Had she not stood up for what she knew she needed to do, although the relationship ended, she might have been the girl which got pregnant and might have had to drop out of school and not obtain her goals of going to college. She stood up to catch her dreams for the future.

abstinence, peersproject, indiana, peer facilitation, teen positive influence network