Spark the Journey hosted a community event on May 1, 2024, and we were honored to welcome program alumna Myiah Smith as one of our speakers. Read on for a transcript of her speech and to learn about how mentorship made a lasting impact in her life.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without Spark the Journey.
My mentor, Ellen, stepped into my life during a period of immense hardship: a new blended family, a transition between schools, chronic illness, gun violence and more. She plucked me out of my daily struggle and provided space to talk about it. It didn’t look extraordinary from the outside – just walks in Fort Totten Park, or trips to museums. But it made all the difference in the world. If not for Ellen, I don’t think I would ever have learned how to process all those challenges and take care of myself. I still consider her part of my family, to this day.
Mentorship wasn’t the only thing that changed my life. Without Spark, college would have been unattainable. I was the class valedictorian in elementary, middle, and high school. I outperformed every educational metric I encountered, but financial barriers were going to put college out of reach for me. Spark helped close that gap. Thanks to them, I was able to go to Georgetown University, and the support didn’t stop once I was there. So many hidden costs can chip away at your college experience when you’re from a low-income family – I was having trouble completing coursework on my outdated computer; I couldn’t afford the required textbooks; I didn’t have professional clothes for internships. Every step of the way, Spark helped remove those barriers so I could focus on my studies.
These experiences left a lasting impact on me. Inspired by Spark, I’ve pursued service work since graduating from Georgetown and earning my Master of Education from Johns Hopkins. I worked for Teach for America National, helping make teacher certification more accessible for corps members. Then I became an ELL teacher in Baltimore City Schools, so that I could serve students from environments like mine and connect them to resources that would help them thrive. After that, I went to Germany as an English teaching assistant on a Fulbright scholarship. In every position, I’ve brought the integrity, grit, courage, and resilience that Spark instilled in me.
As an educator, I know that you can’t create economic mobility by throwing money at a problem. Spark is breaking down barriers for people like me because they approach it in a multitude of ways: through mentorship, scholarships, academic support, and community. That combination is the key, because it ensures that young people have the knowledge and the skills to create their own mobility. Knowledge and skills are what enable people to anticipate challenges, pivot when needed, mitigate suffering, and multiply positive outcomes not just for themselves, but for their family and their community.
It takes a village to do that kind of work. I’m hoping that as Spark continues to grow, other organizations and other communities can follow their lead. That’s what I plan to dedicate my life to doing.
If you’ve been inspired by the stories you’ve heard tonight, I hope you’ll consider getting involved as well. You can do that by volunteering as a mentor, becoming a corporate partner, or making a gift to Spark the Journey. Thank you so much for joining us tonight.