My name is Lila Diane Hart and I am 13 years old. I am an eighth-grade student at Marysville Junior High School. I am also the eighth-grade Associated Student Body vice president. I have been going to the Marysville YMCA since September 2002, when I was first introduced to it by my older sister, Laura Fernando. That’s when I first met J.J Frank, the YMCA teen director, and got involved with the Minority Achievers Program.
MAP is a dynamic program that is designed to motivate and support ethnic minority youth, ages 11-19, to achieve higher education and career goals. We meet every Tuesday and Thursday in the YMCA teen center, where we do our homework and get tutoring assistance. We have also gone on field trips to places such as Everett Community College and the Students of Color Career conference. At this event we got to talk to and listen to personal stories from people about their struggles and determination in reaching their career goals. Listening to this taught me that if I want to fulfill my dreams and am determined, I will succeed in anything.
With MAP and the Marysville YMCA, I have had many public speaking opportunities. I got to be a part of the Snohomish County Youth Summit 2002 as well as 2003. These were events where a group of teenagers got to share their opinions on a range of issues to the community. I also serve in the YMCA Invest in Youth Program, where I spoke to more than 300 volunteers on giving to families, teens and the community.
I was the master of ceremonies for MAP’s 2nd Annual Recognition Event. Finally, I gave a speech at the Minority Achievers Program’s first Annual Black Tie Gala on how MAP and the YMCA have impacted my life. MAP and the YMCA have truly built the person I am today. Through all the events I got to attend and speak at, MAP has taught me I may be small but I can make a big difference.
A big part of why I love the Y is because of the caring adults. YMCA adults are wonderful people I can look up to and feel grateful to know. At the Y I know I am in a safe place with caring people. The adults at the Y are the best and I don’t know what I would do without them.
This year I won the United Way Spirit of Snohomish County Youth Award and was nominated by the Marysville YMCA. The award is presented to a youth community member who best exemplifies the spirit of caring and involvement. It made me feel very proud and special to be recognized and awarded such a great honor.
The YMCA and MAP have been a really big part of my life and I’ve gotten so much out of them. My grades are great and I am very involved in my school and community. I am so grateful for a program that I can truly say I am proud to be a part of. It has really built up my confidence and self-esteem.
Without MAP and the YMCA I wouldn’t be who I am today. This is why I encourage people to support this wonderful program by attending this year’s Minority Achievers Black Tie Gala at the Everett Event Center at 6 p.m. Dec. 4. Thank you.
For more information, contact YMCA of Snohomish County MAP director J.J Frank at 360-653-9622 or jfrank@YMCA-Snoco.org.
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