GROWTH MINDSET
This month a long time "Metanoia Marathoner" Stacy Brown transitioned from her position as Director of Operations for our Youth Leadership Academy to a new position directing Cultural Competency for the Charleston County School District. Below Stacy reflects on her experience at Metanoia and we celebrate and bless the next stage of her journey!
I began at Metanoia as a volunteer in 2005, when I was also a student at Charleston Southern. I stayed at the organization because of my encounter with one student who stated that she did not want to attend college. When I saw her potential, this was not an option for me. With her capabilities and the guidance of the program and mentorship, she was able to skip a grade, attend a high-performing middle and high school, go to college, and graduate. I realized the power of mentorship. When you are mentoring youth, you expose them to new experiences while sharing positive values to help them avoid negative behavior and achieve success. I have a plethora of reasons why I am driven to be a part of the solution rather than the problem. Metanoia is a place where GROWTH is nonnegotiable.
I am motivated to help others because I believe in the African philosophy Ubuntu - a concept of common humanity; of “oneness.” It is a form of humanism expressed in the phrase “I am because we are.” There are so many benefits of connecting with different people and their cultures to learn from each other.
We also learn more about ourselves, which in turn creates a more connected society. When people connect, it cultivates a positive, accepting, and culturally diverse society which allows us to embrace multiculturalism and reevaluate old beliefs. We reflect on what we see as normal or abnormal and challenge ourselves to see the world from new perspectives. That allows society to escape the disadvantages of homogeneity, reduces unnecessary societal fears, and increases creativity and forward-thinking.
