McCullum Youth Court Success Stories
Graduate of Oakland High School '07,
Currently attending University of California-Santa Cruz.
|
Growing up, I didn't care much about school or anyone else; and more importantly I didn't care about myself. I've always seen myself as a young woman who didn't know what she wanted out of life. Eventually, my rebellious actions lead to my arrest during my sophomore year of high school, and it's amazing how a 10 minute chase from the police impacted my perspectives on life. I can still remember my arrest as if it was yesterday; as I was waiting in the principal's office for my mother to come pick me up, I asked myself, "What am I running from?"
I took interest in McCullum Youth Court when an outreach presentation was made at my high school. By participating in an extra-circular activity, I figured that this could be the first step of getting my act together. I entered the program as volunteer, and I absolutly loved it because it was an eye-opening experience for me. Each and every youth offender I've ever worked with reminded me a bit of myself; majority of us are just looking for guidance, but we have too much pride and not enough courage to ask for help. Working with the youths, and knowing that I can make a little different in someone else's life is priceless. Personally, MYC has made such a positive impact in my life; it has taught me so much about myself, who I am, and who I would like to become in the future.
For the past four years and continuing, McCullum Youth Court has always motivated me to strive for the best and to never settle for less. Recently, I’ve completed my second year of college at UCSC, and my experience at Youth Court has influenced me to double major in Legal Studies and Politics. By taking the initiative to promote leadership and community givings, I am currently an Active Sister of Alpha Psi Sorority and a Founding Member of the UCSC Pre-Law Soceity. With my ambitions and the strive to succeed, I know that someday I will be able to make a difference within our democracy and our society.
All along, what was I running from? It has taken me years to answer my own question; and personally speaking, I was running from the reality of life. There is so much anger, pain, and struggle in the world. I came to accept the fact that with all these negative actions in our society, it only takes one person, one team, and a commitment to make a positive impact towards the community. McCullum Youth Court is one of the rare organizations that promotes and empower youths to be the leaders of our future. I am blessed and thankful to have such a wonderful opportunity to be apart of McCullum youth Court, and all the positive changes that youth court is making within our community. |
"One must be able to experience failure to understand the true meaning of success..."
-Maribeth Chao
Graduate of Oakland High School '08,
Currently attending Duablo Valley College
|
From nothing to something |
|
I am lifes greatest mystery |
|
Its like a journey to the past |
|
to view who I could've been |
|
Mother in prison doing 15 years |
|
Father went down i was in tears |
|
next thing you know he's facing 6 years |
|
Now what do you expect of me? |
|
Different, like no other... |
|
I'm not going to follow the footsteps |
|
of my father or mother |
|
could have been killed a couple of times |
|
I changed my life; my life is mine. |
-Marcel Nelson
"Youth court is inspirational yet simple. Why hadn't someone thought of this before?"
| "I was the only girl in a family of 9 kids. Upon turning seven, my parents filed for divorce. It was a nightmare turned into reality. My family never believed in “a dollar earned is a dollar saved” it was more like “a dollar earned, five dollars spent”, and with a rapid growing family of demanding boys, my life was always about keeping up with the boys and being tough and strong like them..."
....Running with the wrong crowd not only crafts you into becoming ignorant, but also brings you to a series of dire predicaments. This I found out when getting arrested over a scuffle at the tender age of 14. Apparently my “bringing up” had taught me to believe that it was ok to beat on people who were more fortunate than I. I hated what I had become, but that was the only me I knew how to be. Fortunately the officer that arrested me that evening saw the potential in me that was once forgotten by everybody else in my environment. The officer referred me to McCullum Youth Court program where I would be given the opportunity to right my wrong...
....Today I am the first person in my family to go to college. I am majoring in criminal justice to obtain knowledge that will alter allow me to steer into creating prevention programs for incarcerated youth in California. I want more of that achievement, more of that success and laughter. I want to be happy. Youth Court has opened my doors to a whole new world where you truly can be whatever your heart desires if you work hard for it. |