In April 2024, Spark the Journey worked with Nyoami, a high school student, to make her voice heard in our local government. She submitted formal testimony to the DC Council Committee of the Whole as part of their Budget Oversight Hearing. Read her full testimony on the lifelong impact of mentorship below!
Good afternoon, Chairman Mendelson, members of the committee, and staff.
My name is Nyoami Cox, and I am a member of the Spark the Journey mentorship program as a high school student. I attend Phelps ACE High School in Washington D.C. In the 10th grade, I was paired with my wonderful mentor, Ms. Beth. In the beginning, I was hesitant to join Spark because I had social anxiety and having a mentor meant I had to be social. But Spark brought me into a new realm of development. I learned through Ms. Beth and all the social events and gatherings Spark held that I don’t have to stay trapped in my own world all the time. I learned that I was bubbling myself up and blocking countless opportunities.
As a student attending Phelps, there are Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways you can choose in the 10th grade and I chose architecture. Architectural design has been a passion of mine for a long time and it’s a very important factor in the decisions I make for my future, like college and careers. Ms. Beth is one of the most supportive people in my life. She went to one of my debate tournaments at the British Embassy and she helps me with networking. Ms. Beth taught me how to communicate my thoughts, open myself up to different experiences, and celebrate the little things in life. She also connected me with more than two of her colleagues who have a background in the career I’m interested in. Through Ms. Beth, I gained more clarity on what I want to be in the future and learned about the experiences I might have as an architect or interior designer.
Spark as a whole program is amazing – it’s been such a huge blessing in my life. Spark has provided me with an outside advisor, community service opportunities, funding for personal emergencies, and resources for me to explore who I am and what I can do. I highly advocate for the DC Council to renew the College Rising grant and continue funding Spark the Journey.
My life would look very different if I had not joined Spark the Journey in the counselor suite in my sophomore year. Spark exposed me to a variety of field trips, career and college explorations, and even just social events like the Pair Events, where you get to go with your mentor and hang with other mentors and mentees to do things like roller skating. And their funding every semester has not only helped me explore my talents in art (I used some of my academic funding toward art supplies) but it also helped my mother in times of need. I’m a Ward 8 student and I live in an unhealthy environment in SE, so Spark has brought great joy and peace to me despite my circumstances. Spark restores a hope in me that I can be a greater individual in all humbleness.
Spark the Journey should remain a program for many generations and I hope and pray it continues on. Funding will be greatly appreciated and will help impact the lives of many students like myself. Spark is highly versatile, and I believe in the mission of this program.
Thank you for your time and hearing my voice in this testimony for Spark. I sincerely hope to see Spark continue. Have a wonderful day.