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By Joycelyn Albright, EEW Magazine Contributor
I had been given an opportunity to mentor at-risk teens two summers ago through a community pilot
program. The directors of this professional experiment were researching the impact of mentorship
and counseling on low-income urban youth. When I was first approached with the idea of becoming a
part of it by a fellow colleague—she and I had been running a Life Enrichment Coaching program
together for several years—I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
I felt so excited, like I would be doing something else productive and meaningful with my time. The
commitment was only two days a week for a couple hours. I was even given the option of which days
and times I would volunteer. With a flexible schedule and a great cause, I was optimistic about the
possibilities.
Then I met the kids.
They were a tough bunch, not at all what I had imagined in my mind. Of course I knew these youth
participants would need lots of love, guidance, patience, and understanding. But I had no idea the
program participants, for the most part, had no desire to be involved. Their parents and guardians
had signed them up in cooperation with the local school system to enroll some of them.
I quickly found out the true feelings of the reluctant enrollees. “This is stupid and I don’t even want
to be here,” one teen girl said while smacking her teeth and folding her arms. Instantly I felt
intimidated, but I didn’t let it show.
I said a prayer and put on my brave face. Then it occurred to me. I had done my homework and knew
all the tools and techniques to break down walls of defense, and really get through to these kids. So
instead of running away from the challenge, I prayed, and implemented the knowledge I had gained.
As the weeks and months passed, I was beginning to make some real headway with a few of the
dedicated ones. Not everyone was responsive, but there were some clear standouts in the bunch.
But I couldn’t seem to shake off feelings of discouragement and failure. Even with some success,
things just weren’t going as well as I thought they should be going. In my coaching endeavors, I was
used to great success rates, overwhelming positive feedback, and testimonials of how my advice and
recommendations had helped change lives for the better. Instead, I got bad attitudes, lackluster
responses, and only a small number of loyal, compliant youth.
For every 2 or 3 teenagers who really seemed to be growing and evolving, there were 5 or 6 that
weren’t. Some days, things would go amazingly well and other days, I felt like I was taking two steps
backward.
It was hard.
Even my friend and colleague who brought me into the process eventually dropped out. We laugh
about the irony of it now, but back then, it was a big blow that appeared to be confirmation that this
was a lost cause.
Here I was all alone… or so I felt.
But God encouraged me. The Holy Spirit within would not let me give up. With the help of the Lord I
stuck it out to the end. I had no idea God was setting me up for the wonderful blessings of the
diligent, reserved for those who have stick-to-it-iveness.
When I sat down with the directors of the program for a final evaluation, I was stunned to discover
my group had the highest rate of achievement program-wide! I was later brought on as a paid
consultant to the organization—a surprise bonus and a tremendous financial blessing.
Sticking things out is so important, but many people lack the dedication and commitment to hang in
there when times get hard. What about you?
Here are a few questions you should ask and answer:
When you ask the above questions, give yourself honest answers. Then pray for improvement in any
weak areas, so you won’t block yourself from receiving the blessings reserved for the diligent. Leave
a comment here or email jocelyn.albright@eewmagazine.com.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Jocelyn Albright is an EEW Magazine staff writer. She received her coaching certification from
Coach Training Alliance (CTA) and collaborates with educational institutions across America to help
at-risk youth, and teach the principles of successful coaching to adult educators. Jocelyn is also
passionate about developing training and coaching curricula for high-powered motivators,
ministries, and nonprofit organizations. Contact her at Jocelyn.Albright@eewmagazine.com.
I had been given an opportunity to mentor at-risk teens two summers ago through a community pilot
program. The directors of this professional experiment were researching the impact of mentorship
and counseling on low-income urban youth. When I was first approached with the idea of becoming a
part of it by a fellow colleague—she and I had been running a Life Enrichment Coaching program
together for several years—I immediately jumped at the opportunity.
I felt so excited, like I would be doing something else productive and meaningful with my time. The
commitment was only two days a week for a couple hours. I was even given the option of which days
and times I would volunteer. With a flexible schedule and a great cause, I was optimistic about the
possibilities.
Then I met the kids.
They were a tough bunch, not at all what I had imagined in my mind. Of course I knew these youth
participants would need lots of love, guidance, patience, and understanding. But I had no idea the
program participants, for the most part, had no desire to be involved. Their parents and guardians
had signed them up in cooperation with the local school system to enroll some of them.
I quickly found out the true feelings of the reluctant enrollees. “This is stupid and I don’t even want
to be here,” one teen girl said while smacking her teeth and folding her arms. Instantly I felt
intimidated, but I didn’t let it show.
I said a prayer and put on my brave face. Then it occurred to me. I had done my homework and knew
all the tools and techniques to break down walls of defense, and really get through to these kids. So
instead of running away from the challenge, I prayed, and implemented the knowledge I had gained.
As the weeks and months passed, I was beginning to make some real headway with a few of the
dedicated ones. Not everyone was responsive, but there were some clear standouts in the bunch.
But I couldn’t seem to shake off feelings of discouragement and failure. Even with some success,
things just weren’t going as well as I thought they should be going. In my coaching endeavors, I was
used to great success rates, overwhelming positive feedback, and testimonials of how my advice and
recommendations had helped change lives for the better. Instead, I got bad attitudes, lackluster
responses, and only a small number of loyal, compliant youth.
For every 2 or 3 teenagers who really seemed to be growing and evolving, there were 5 or 6 that
weren’t. Some days, things would go amazingly well and other days, I felt like I was taking two steps
backward.
It was hard.
Even my friend and colleague who brought me into the process eventually dropped out. We laugh
about the irony of it now, but back then, it was a big blow that appeared to be confirmation that this
was a lost cause.
Here I was all alone… or so I felt.
But God encouraged me. The Holy Spirit within would not let me give up. With the help of the Lord I
stuck it out to the end. I had no idea God was setting me up for the wonderful blessings of the
diligent, reserved for those who have stick-to-it-iveness.
When I sat down with the directors of the program for a final evaluation, I was stunned to discover
my group had the highest rate of achievement program-wide! I was later brought on as a paid
consultant to the organization—a surprise bonus and a tremendous financial blessing.
Sticking things out is so important, but many people lack the dedication and commitment to hang in
there when times get hard. What about you?
Here are a few questions you should ask and answer:
- Am I walking the walk or am I simply a talking head, motivating others to do things I
don’t do myself?
- Am I prone to quit when things get tough or do I push ahead and see things through to
the end?
- Am I too easily discouraged when my endeavors don’t produce the results I want?
- Do I slip into depression and throw in the towel over perceived failures?
- Do I need to be more loyal and committed to the causes I feel God has chosen me to
work toward?
When you ask the above questions, give yourself honest answers. Then pray for improvement in any
weak areas, so you won’t block yourself from receiving the blessings reserved for the diligent. Leave
a comment here or email jocelyn.albright@eewmagazine.com.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Jocelyn Albright is an EEW Magazine staff writer. She received her coaching certification from
Coach Training Alliance (CTA) and collaborates with educational institutions across America to help
at-risk youth, and teach the principles of successful coaching to adult educators. Jocelyn is also
passionate about developing training and coaching curricula for high-powered motivators,
ministries, and nonprofit organizations. Contact her at Jocelyn.Albright@eewmagazine.com.
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FEBRUARY MARCH 26-APRIL 9 EEW MAGAZINE
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