In this blog, we will hear from Jasmine Boatwright (she/her). We are honored to share her voice and story with you all.
Written by: Jasmine Boatwright
Imagine being 14 years old, screaming in frustration at the top of your lungs in your bedroom. Feeling alone, misunderstood, and overlooked—that was me.
I remember being tired of everything, and because I was the youngest, it felt like nobody cared.
By the time I was 14, my family and I had moved more than 10 times. I had to attend more than 10 schools, restarting the process of being new and trying to make friends over and over again. It was hard for me to constantly move to new places and start at new schools with new teachers and new friends. My education was choppy, to say the least. Looking back on it, it taught me never to get too comfortable—something that I struggle with to this day.
In 2005, I found my outlet in youth leadership work with a small group. When I started, we were a group of three young people being paid about eight dollars an hour for about 15 hours a week. We were working with a family organization to help inform youth and family programming and host youth groups in our local community. This finally gave me an outlet. I was finally making money, which meant that I could help keep bills paid, make sure we had a consistent phone line, and buy the things that I needed—or so I thought.
What most folks don’t know is that when I started as a youth advocate, I was at a really low place in my life. Not only was I screaming in frustration, but I was also just depressed. I went from having a 3.67 GPA to not attending school at all. However, I had champions around me. My adult support at the time would not let me give up. She pushed me and pushed me, and oh, how I wished she would just mind her business, but she kept me in school. She even went so far as to take me to enroll in school herself. Looking back, I had a lot on me. We took care of my mom when my dad was at work, my sister was pregnant, and bills were due. Even though I was a teenager, I felt my parents’ pressure and insisted on helping. So working was the priority for me.
Being a part of this youth leadership group allowed me time with my newfound friends to discuss things that were really affecting me, like relationships with adults, racism, understanding my story, and honestly just time away from all of the responsibility. The best part is, I was being paid to do it. This is when I knew that this was what I wanted to do. We began to travel and present out of state. I didn’t have friends doing this type of work and realized I wanted to be the light that others were to me. I wanted to make things better, but most of all, I wanted to provide opportunities for others like me to be a part of all of the things that I had.
Joining the youth leadership group was a turning point in my life. It gave me the strength and motivation to continue my education and eventually graduate. It also instilled in me a passion for helping others and advocating for youth voices. Today, I continue to work in youth leadership and advocacy, helping to create opportunities and support for young people. My journey was challenging, but it shaped me into the person I am today, and I am grateful for every step along the way.
Looking to get started in your youth leadership and advocacy journey? Visit our Youth MOVE Peer Center website for an abundance of on demand resources and support to help support you on your youth leadership and advocacy journey!
