As the emcee of a gala, you have to be ready for anything. I was not ready for this. As I was crossing the ballroom to get backstage, I was stopped by one of our guests who was sitting with one of the Hispanic College Fund Scholarship winners. “Show her,” he said to the young woman. She took out her wallet and showed me a picture of her mom. Her mom’s face looked familiar. “You look a lot like her,” she said. In the darkened room, I tried looking closer and could see that we had a similarly-shaped face and long hair. “My mom died of cancer,” she said. “I’m so sorry,” I said, “your mom must have been very proud of you.” In that moment I felt her strength and vulnerability.
Just one day before I was working on the script and interviewing a young man who was going to perform at the gala. I wanted to know about his awards and why he had chosen to learn to play the clarinet. In that conversation he shared with me that he buried his mom in August of this year. His dad had died of cancer. I could not contain my tears. He said, “It’s okay.” Every fiber of me wanted to shout, “it’s not okay!!” It’s not okay that someone so young has lived through such grief and crisis in such a short time. But I composed myself and listened and encouraged him.
Yesterday, I received an email from a young woman who has been working in a restaurant for a year in order to afford college. She wrote to tell me that she had withdrawn from school. Her dad has been diagnosed with lung cancer. My heart sank. How can this be happening? Only a month ago she excitedly told me that with her savings from her job and scholarships, she had been able to enroll at a local university and she could not wait to start classes. Now, everything is on hold and the future is uncertain.
I am overwhelmed by the amount of grief and pain our young people are carrying. And, I know that we will continue to meet students who are losing their parents way too early or facing some sort of crisis. It’s time like these when I wish I were ultra wealthy so that I could pay for their education and secure their futures. But, I know that having the money to go to school, though it would be a huge relief, would not come close to filling what they really need – a loving adult who will be there to listen, to encourage, to guide, to wipe tears and celebrate triumphs. This week I’ve heard the message that our young people need mentors. They need adults in their lives who can be their coaches and champions as they navigate through crisis and strive to stay on track to go to college and become adults.
A few weeks ago I wrote about how I felt my life needed to be rebalanced. My rebalanced life will definitely include being in the lives of these young people as a mentor they can count on. I pray that you will be open to mentoring one or two young people in your life. They need us right now.
Much Love
Yaya Speaks 