Youth Life

Taniyah (middle) posed for a shot while playing on the playground. Later in the day while I was shooting, she asked me to help her with a math problem. I quickly showed her how to do it so I could get back to shooting. That is when “Mr. Cameraman,” as I was originally called, turned into “Mr. Know-it-all!”

CJ is a pre-kindergarten student who loves to stop by Youth Life during recess to hang out with some of his cousins who are in Youth Life. He will be a part of the program next year.

Ti’Yon may be small, but his personality is massive. I asked him what is his favorite academic subject to study at Youth Life. Tion replied with a smirk, “Everything is my favorite subject to study at Youth Life. I love it all! I just want to learn!” And when I asked him what he likes to do when he isn’t doing school work, he said, “If I wasn’t doing homework, I would still read. I love to read.”

Tamiya’s mentor is Sarah, a senior at the University of Richmond. I asked Sarah to tell me about her experiences at Youth Life and why she chose to volunteer at Youth Life. “I’ve been volunteering at Youth Life since freshmen year. I like the atmosphere at Youth Life and have always wanted to be in education for my service. The atmosphere here is laid back and there are great opportunities for one-on-one relationships, which was exactly what I wanted.”