In April 2024, Spark the Journey worked with Kyheim, a high school student, to make his voice heard in our local government. He presented formal testimony to the DC Council Committee of the Whole as part of their Budget Oversight Hearing. You can watch his testimony here and read the full transcript below.
Hello, Chairman Mendelson, members of the committee, and staff.
My name is Kyheim Johnson, and I am a Spark the Journey High School student. I have been involved with Spark for 3 years, and I am a Ward 8 resident. I attend Benjamin Banneker High School and am interested in pursuing a major in marketing with a minor in sports management and communication when I go to college.
Throughout high school, I’ve come to realize that I sometimes lack motivation and consistency. When I am passionate about specific academic topics or subjects, I am very energetic and will take the initiative for many things. However, when I am uninterested or dislike specific academic subjects, I require much more motivation, which can be a downside in school and in my personal endeavors. Spark has really helped me with motivation and consistency both in and out of school. It has not only helped me to be confident in my academic potential, but also in myself as a person.
Through Spark, I can really say that I have stepped into my own. I have started to push myself to be better and to achieve the goals I have set for myself. I have gained great internships preparing me for my future, learned what truly sparks my interest both professionally and personally, and I have even been more motivated with the college application process, having now been accepted to more than 20 colleges and universities. This program has created a solid foundation for me and countless other teens like me, allowing us to grow in a positive, uplifting, and judgement-free space. Spark offers us the tools we need to be successful and thrive in an environment that does not always have our best interest at heart. They inspire teens to reach for what they want to achieve without making them feel as though it is impossible, or that they must endure the process to greatness alone.
Prior to high school, I never felt that opening up with another person who wasn’t family could be beneficial. However, I could not have been more wrong. I paired up with my mentor Luke last year, and I feel like he really affected my thought process and outlook on life. He helped me figure out who I am, and what I could picture myself being in the future. He not only showed me the path to become what I want to be, but he also helped me eliminate and identify who I do not want to be, and what I wouldn’t want to pursue. He was very supportive, and coming from a single-mom household, that type of support from someone other than my mom was invaluable. He always checked in on my progress, and offered a helping hand when I was stressed with school, which benefits everyone involved, both mentor and mentee.
Spark the Journey is an asset to the DC community and environment, and I would be extremely grateful to the DC Council to continue their funding. By doing so, you give individuals such as myself the opportunity to evolve into a person with greater chances than ever expected. You also help continue the legacy of building lifelong and impactful relationships between mentors and students. I truly believe that DC, and even the entire country, would benefit from a program like Spark the Journey, and I encourage you to allow other teens like me to receive the same opportunity.
Thank you for taking the time to listen to my testimony.