Young people and students
MYCincinnati Teaches About Music AND Life
They are young, impressionable minds from different diverse ethnicities, religions, and socio economic backgrounds but through music they are learning to be as one. They are growing individually into more compassionate, empathetic, responsible, and confident human beings; and 
they are growing collectively as mentors, teachers, learners, team members and performers.
These are the 90+ members of MYCincinnati (Music for Youth in Cincinnati), a free youth orchestra program for youth who live and go to school in Price Hill. While students learn violin, viola, cello or double bass as part of an orchestra, they also learn so much more about life skills.
Such a wonderful concept! I spoke with Eddy Kwon, program director who co-founded MYCincinnati as part of the nonprofit Price Hill Will with Laura Jekel in 2011. He told me the goal is not necessarily to create professional musicians, but well rounded, compassionate, empathetic humans interested in the greater good.
What makes this music program unique – in addition to the fact that this is absolutely a neighborhood empowerment driven initiative – is that MYCincinnati is group focused and community centered. Instead of incorporating private lessons and at home practice, theirs is all about learning, practicing and performing together, and supporting each other in the process.
“We want our participants to have fun but we also hold them to the highest stands. We really push each of them to the health of the whole group, rather than on pursuing individual desires and impulses,” Eddy said.
“We’ve found that that keeps them engaged. It is difficult for people new to playing musical instruments to sound good, and it can be pretty easy to become discouraged if they practice by themselves. With MYCincinnati, they make friends and when they are all working together and 
enjoying it, the experience can be pretty addicting.”
If you don’t believe Eddy’s words, these are some thoughts from some of the youth in the orchestra:
“I’m going to continue to play music, because I’m inspired by it.”
– Abner Diaz Rodriguez, 15
“I love MYCincinnati. It’s like my second family.”
– Kalla Ervin, 16
“My family thinks it’s spectacular, because you get to make new friends and learn music.”
– Gabriel Santiago, 11
MYCincinnati includes a pre-orchestra for children from Kindergarten to second grade where they learn singing, songwriting, bucket drumming and other foundational skills. This meets for one hour each day from 3 to 4 pm. And its string orchestra program is for youth ages second grade to high school juniors, meeting two hours daily. Following practice, free tutoring and mentoring is offered.
The orchestra performs often in the Price Hill area and in larger Cincinnati venues (many of their performances are free to attend). Please visit their website to see their schedule.
Some additional questions for Eddy:
Lisa: What impact have you seen on your participants?
Eddy: Imagine sitting through a two hour rehearsal and being completely focused. Doing that every day develops many skills like memory, goal setting, impulse control, values. In a multi cultural learning environment, there are many challenges but our goals and expectations are so clear that no matter their background or where they live, they know that everyone is trying their best to learn and practice for the next concert. One of things I notice most is that kids feel a sense of family and sense of belonging, have more confidence, and are able to communicate better.
Lisa: What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Eddy: To be able to spend time with all of the students every day. I love teaching and working with a large group. The business side of this can be tedious but it is all worth it when I get to work with the kids, and be a part of joyful and loving community. Seven of our 11 original students are still with us which says a lot about our impact.
Before I began this, I didn’t really like kids and think I may have been a little bit afraid of them. They have a way of calling you out or noticing things about your personality and are not afraid to tell you about it. I avoided kids when younger but the more I got to work with them, the more I see them as deep complex human beings.
YWCA Awards College Scholarships
At young ages, they have learned about overcoming challenges, about values and role models, and about setting and achieving goals. And, they are headed to college with the help of YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarships. In all ten Greater Cincinnati female African American senior high school students were recognized for their academic achievements and qualities of leadership, extracurricular involvement and community service.
Meet the Top Scholarship Recipient
Left – Sue Allen, Macy’s, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair, Scholarship Honoree Sydney Mantell, Barbara C. Perez, YWCA President/CEO, and Barbara Smitherman, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair.
Sydney Mantell from North College Hill High School
From her vantage point as a high school senior, Sydney Mantell is now aware of the insecurities and challenges she faced as a child. Raised in a biracial family by a single mother and a father she met only a few times, she struggled with racial identification, acceptance and self-confidence. But today, she is the Head Student Mentor of Girls Creating Change at North College Hill High School. The student-run and academic organization helps forge supportive, sisterly bonds between high school girls, focused on improved self-esteem, better grades and fewer discipline problems. Buoyed by her own success on the ACT and SAT entrance tests, the Straight-A student also created the Not-So-Standard Standardized Test Prep to help classmates improve their scores. Sydney is also captain of the varsity volleyball team, captain and co-founder of the Varsity Academic Team, and member of the school’s Drama Department and its Student Leadership Team. At the Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America at Princeton University, she studied biology, zoology and marine biology. Sydney plans to study biology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill with a goal of one day supporting international conservation efforts.
Sydney received a $3000 scholarship.
Left – Sue Allen, Macy’s, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair, Scholarship Honoree Miracle Flowers, Barbara C. Perez, YWCA President/CEO, and Barbara Smitherman, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair.
Meet the Runners-Up
Miracle Flowers from Western Hills High School
Miracle and her mom have been through a lot together. Miracle calls her mom her role model. She has watched her lift herself up and Miracle is determined to do that for herself. At a very young age, Miracle realized that education and hard work are the keys to her success. She is in both Advanced Placement and Dual Enrollment courses (for college credit). She has a 4.5 GPA and is ranked 2nd in her class. She holds leadership positions at school and serves as a Student Ambassador for school events and also serves on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council representing Western Hills. Miracle works part time and is proud that she was able to purchase her own car and save for college tuition. She is well liked and respected by her peers and the school administration. Miracle has been accepted into the University of Cincinnati’s prestigious Design, Architecture, Art and Planning program where she will study Fashion.
Left – Sue Allen, Macy’s, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair, Scholarship Honoree Janiah Miller, Barbara C. Perez, YWCA President/CEO, and Barbara Smitherman, YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Committee Co-Chair.
Janiah Miller from Newport High School
Janiah knows about personal change and redemption. She embodies integrity and character. However, this is not always how she lived her life. Janiah got involved with some dangerous kids and she made some poor decisions. But Janiah owns those decisions, and she is determined to look forward and not regret the past. She will use past experiences to help fuel her drive to be a better person every day. Janiah is a student athlete, is Captain of the Cheerleading squad and President of the Student Council. She is an active member in Future Business Leaders of America and has placed in Public Speaking in their state conference. Janiah plans to attend Northern Kentucky University and study Political Science with a double minor in peace and social justice studies and pre-law. When asked about her plans for the future, she replied: “I want to create policies that will help the less fortunate and also close the gap on gender equality”.
Miracle and Janiah each received a $1000 scholarship.
Honorable Mentions each receiving a $250 Scholarship include Hemen Aklilu, Mother of Mercy High School, Leola Colvin, Clark Montessori High School, Precious Gary, Oyler High School, Danielle Udosen, Fairfield High School, Kayla Walker, Princeton High School, Felicia White, St. Ursula Academy, Tianna Woodford, Purcell Marian High School
About the YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship Fund:
Established in 1993, nearly 50 applications from over 20 schools are accepted each fall, and an independent panel of community leaders and educators makes the final decision on the scholarship recipients.
The scholarship serves as a memorial to Mamie Earl Sells, a dedicated community volunteer who gave her time, intellect, and enthusiasm to the YWCA. The scholarship upholds the vision and leadership she provided to the YWCA and its Career Women of Achievement program through enacting her philosophy that we must “lift as we climb” by acting as role models to the young women of today and tomorrow. The Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship is awarded each year in coordination with the YWCA Career Women of Achievement Luncheon. This year’s luncheon is Wednesday, May 11th, 2016.
About the YWCA:
The YWCA IS ON A MISSION to eliminate racism, empower women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. YWCA Greater Cincinnati has been serving the community since 1868. It serves more than 35,000 women and their families each year through programs in crisis intervention, health and wellness, education and training, youth services, and recognition and advocacy. For more information call the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati at (513) 241-7090 or visit www.ywcacincinnati.org.
Celebrating ArtWorks
“ArtWorks taught me to do what you love and love what you do,” these are some of the words we heard as we sat in a filled ballroom – all 1100 of us – when we gathered to celebrate the lives and neighborhoods that are positively impacted by one of our region’s true gems, ArtWorks. 
How lucky we are to have such an amazing nonprofit organization in Cincinnati that is using creativity as the backdrop for building more inviting communities and for growing young, impressionable minds in life changing ways.
If you are unfamiliar with ArtWorks, you more than likely know of their work. It is hard to miss. By this summer’s end, over 135 larger-than-life murals will decorate 37 of our neighborhoods. And each one being a project built by young, creative and untapped youth – apprentices – working side by side a professional artist. Together they practice problem solving, team work, responsibility, and artistic skills. Through the experience, their potential soars.
Please take a moment to hear a special poem written and shared by Vernon Jackson, former ArtWorks Apprentice, ’99.
Additionally, ArtWorks has other innovative programs like the Hero Design Company. Superhero capes are designed at the hands of these young ArtWorks apprentices for children facing emotional, physical and medical hardships. The website talks of this program saying, ‘Together, we seek to unity our community and prove that within every child lives a true hero.’
I just love that. Please take a moment to watch the video.
ArtWorks has provided jobs, training and business development support to thousands since it was founded in 1996. When you drive by one of its murals, think of the youth who painted it, and be proud and inspired by the organization that made it happen.
Cincinnati Teacher Inspires Learning
This post is written by intern Brittney Bash, a student at Cincinnati Country Day School.
“Be who you are, because that’s what you have. Impact other’s lives the most by being honest and true” – Lisa Bodollo
Lisa Bodollo would describe herself as nutty, crazy, creative, and passionate. With a job in the performing arts, one indeed needs to possess each of these traits. 
. She’s previously worked at Mercy High School after obtaining undergraduate degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and her Master’s Degree in Directing and Theater Production from Central Washington University. Along with Cincinnati Country Day, Lisa also teaches and directs productions at Mount Saint Joseph University.
Both of her parents are from Hungary and some of her favorite childhood memories are from when she would visit her grandparents there. Nowadays the Bodollo family is spread out across the globe, but Lisa is still thankful for the strong bond they share. She was also the first Bodollo to get a college degree.
Lisa pushes her students every day to do everything they can to the best of their ability and to always give 100 percent. “Dare to be remarkable, because what are your other options? You do not dare to be mediocre, to be lower than others,” she will say. “Some people can reach a certain level and be fine with their achievements, but you should always aim a little higher. People don’t realize their own capabilities and therefore often do not realize all of the incredible things they can do!”
She believes in producing good shows of which people can look back on and be proud. She aims to eliminate the stigma surrounding the theater arts by encouraging others to “just try it” and by never putting people in a situation where they would be embarrassed. One of her goals is to also make theater classes less of a dumping ground for students who need an extra arts credit and more of a place where students can learn 
more about themselves and discover talents they never knew they had.
Lisa spends a large amount of her time giving back to the community outside of Cincinnati Country Day School. She currently serves as a committee member on the CCM Prep Department Board and the MSJ Arts Grant counsel. In the summer months, Lisa enjoys directing for the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and running her Theatreworks Summer Drama Camps for kids through the Northern Kentucky University Music Prep Department, Mount St. Joseph University and Madcap Puppets. She works a lot to try and create scholarships so kids don’t have to pay. She believes that the arts should never be denied to someone because they can not afford it try and often times those are the kids who need it the most.
Lisa is a big advocate for respect, both for others and also for oneself. One act of kindness that she recalls fondly is when she was in Over the Rhine and saw an older woman who was struggling with groceries. Lisa pulled over her car and helped the woman carry the groceries to her apartment. “She trusted me.” Lisa said. “And in a today’s world where all you often hear about is people being hurt and taken advantage of, that trust meant a lot. It showed me that there is still goodness in the world.”
Lisa continues to inspire and lead everyday by blessing those around her with her beautiful personality and spunk. If she could give one piece of advice, it would be this; “Dare to be the best you can be, and most importantly, dare to be true to yourself.”
#GoodThingsCincy
UpSpring Lessons For Youth
It is pretty difficult to grasp that in our Greater Cincinnati region, there are an estimated 7,000 children among us each year who know what it is like to be called ‘homeless.’ They are young and impressionable and facing life challenges none of us should have to understand.
UpSpring (formerly Faces Without Places) is a wonderful Cincinnati nonprofit organization that each year empowers over 3,000 youth without permanent places to call home, removing barriers and providing inspiration for them to succeed in the classroom and in life.
This year UpSpring began a new after school program at Newport Intermediate called Club Diversity, and already it is opening students’ minds to new, unique growth opportunities.
Early this year, Club Diversity students got to know peers from across the globe who, like themselves, face daily challenges in life. Partnering with Crisis Relief Overseas, a veteran based organization that is meeting the medical needs of nearly 700,000 Syrian refugees residing in Jordan, UpSpring teens began a communication ‘penpal’ exchange with Syrian children.
Chris Erdmann, co-founder and president of Crisis Relief Overseas, shared with the Newport students how so many of these refugee children and families suffer from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder following the bombings to their cities and subsequent stress of fleeing the only place they called home. Chris also shared the importance of the penpal program in aiding the recovery and healing process.
UpSpring’s newsletter summed the program up this way: “In addition to shedding light on the many layers of homelessness experienced worldwide, through this project, we hope to also emphasize the simple but essential human need to be listened to, cared about, and understood.”
As an alumni of a childhood international exchange program, Children’s International Summer Village, I know firsthand the great learning lesson there. In addition to those benefits UpSpring pointed out, exchanges like that close gaps and teach young minds how alike we are in many important ways.
That same group of students had even 
more growth experiences when they spent three days of their spring break at Camp Joy, pushing themselves beyond their comfort levels, working together as a team and individually, doing activities many adults have never done.
Thank you to the staff, volunteers and supporters of UpSpring for teaching children in very difficult situations so much about their world, and enabling them to grow and dream and pursue goals.
