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Appearing in The Bridgton News
Thursday, June 18, 2009
CASCO -
Danielle Young was out of control.
She was in trouble at school, “all of the time.” Once an “A” and “B” student, Danielle started to “hang out with the wrong people” and her grades slipped dramatically.
She used drugs and alcohol.
She fought with her parents and was told to leave her home.
She spent time in foster care, but often ran away.
She was under house arrest and spent time in jail.
“I had no motivation. It seemed one thing led to another. I was having problems at home, so I went to a friend’s house to stay. There was no supervision and we did things we shouldn’t have. Everything escalated,” she recalled. “I just felt no one really cared. I came up with all kinds of excuses, including ‘why should I care when no one else cares what happens to me or how I feel.’ Nothing mattered.”
Danielle was just 14 years old.
When she hit rock bottom, Danielle took a hard look at her life. She found deep within herself that she wanted more. After landing in juvenile drug court (she accepted a plea bargain to remain sober for a year to avoid jail time), Danielle was sent to a residential treatment program operated by Spurwink Services in Casco. At the point, she started to turn her life around. She was determined to make a “fresh start.” Improvement has occurred little steps at a time.
Almost a year later, Danielle’s determination and commitment to achieve and reach her goals are evident. She is thriving academically at Lake Region High School. She has surrounded herself with “good friends” by being involved in cross country running, cheerleading and track and field.
Her turnaround from problem child to an inspirational teen has caught state officials’ attention.
Danielle, a junior at Lake Region High School was one of eight youth recognized by First Lady Karen Baldacci and the Maine Children’s Cabinet as a “youth who inspires,” at a ceremony at the Blaine House in Augusta last week. Danielle received the Keep Maine’s Children Connected “Youth Who Rock Award.”
"These awards are a unique opportunity to acknowledge youth who have persevered in their lives to continue their education," stated Susan Lieberman, director of KMCC.
Danielle was also chosen to be the ceremony's youth speaker and thanked all of those who have helped her along the way.
"There is not one specific moment that changed my life, but a lot of small moments that just added up to help set and achieve my goals," she said. "I would not be where I am today, without my extensive support system."
She was totally surprised to be nominated for the honor.
"I always thought that the same people always seem to get awards so why bother trying," she said. "Hearing that I was receiving this award, I realized that my hard work did pay off and was one of the greatest things that has happened to me. When I was asked to be a speaker, I was so surprised. Two years ago, I wouldn't even go to school unless I was court-ordered to do so. I never thought I would be the one to try to encourage other kids
to do the right things, to go to school and to set goals."
Susan Magee, association program director with Spurwink's Casco program, believes Danielle has the power to inspire other teens, who are struggling to make positive changes in their lives. She and Harvey Toews felt Danielle was a strong candidate to win the state award.
"Danielle's peers look up to and respect her," Magee said.
"She is a great support in the classroom by completing her assignments, asking for help when she needs it, maintaining good grades, remaining positive and using supportive statements."
Today, Danielle is highly motivated and has a clear vision of what she wants to achieve in life. Danielle is currently ranked 11th in her class of 140 students and has also been nominated to attend the National Youth Leadership Summit 2009 in Washington D.C. Her goal is to be in the Top 10% when she graduates next year.
"When I started out, I was 23rd, then 13th and now 11th," she said proudly. "I want to go to college. No one in my family has gone to a real college. I want a job I like every day – something outdoors."
In addition to her recognition, Danielle was one of three youths honored who also received a $200 educational scholarship made possible by grants provided by the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Maine and Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, Maine's oldest bank.
Keeping Maine's Children Connected, an initiative of the Children's Cabinet that includes the Departments of Education, Labor, Health and Human Services, Corrections and Public Safety, and Maine's Chief Justice Leigh Saufley, aims to improve educational
outcomes for youths whose schooling is disrupted because of homelessness, hospitalization, incarceration, foster care placement and/or high mobility.
"This initiative recognizes that instability in a child's life puts great pressure on their focus and ability to maintain their schoolwork," said Maine's First Lady. "Keeping Maine's Children Comected helps bring dedicated individuals together, to ensure that no child falls through the cracks."
Making Good Choices
While she looks forward to a promising future, Danielle always remembers her past.
"It seems unreal how much trouble I used to get into," she said. "If you don't have someone at school or at home that leads you in a positive direction, it is easy to get in trouble."
Friends back home in central Maine "are still doing the same things years later," Danielle said. "They tell me it is all that they have. I was probably the most misbehaved kid in my town. I don't want any part of that anymore. The hardest thing ever was to get away from that life and start new. You can do it. You have to set goals if you really want it."
Her time at Spurwink has taught her the importance of structure, goal setting and making good choices.
"Because of my past, I have an easier time handling some situations because I have been there and know the consequences. I've lectured some of my friends about some possible bad choices they might make. They're often surprised about what I have been through. They think I made it up. I wish I did," she said. "I don't mind talking about it because kids don't want to hear certain things from an adult. I talk with different kids. I think, at times, they take it better coming from a peer."
As for some advice to teens who might be troubled and headed down the wrong path, Danielle suggests finding someone "they care about and can talk to." She added, "Set some goals, focus on them. Whatever problems you might be having, they can be resolved, if you work at it."
At Lake Region, Danielle set simple goals such as avoiding detentions, and earning "Bs" and "Cs." Then, she challenged herself to earn "As" and "Bs."
"It's been such a supportive environment (at Spurwink and Lake Region)," she said.
Sports at Lake Region opened the door to meeting new friends.
"They were so friendly," she said. "I've learned a lot about myself, while running. When I've wanted to quit, I push myself to go a little farther. Even if it is just 10 feet more, I feel good about it. It's about making progress. More effort means progress."
Looking back, Danielle says her biggest change is her attitude.
"I was always down. I'd say 'I don't care, I don't care,' a hundred times a day. I didn't listen to adults, because I didn't think they understood. 'Times are different,' I'd say, 'Everybody is doing it.' Now, I realize that some things have never been okay to do, and the people who were trying to help me do care," she said. "Peer pressure is tough. You trust your friends, even when they are not doing the right things. I found that the better choices I made, the better I felt about myself."
Finding stability remains one problem area for Danielle. She hopes to remain in the Lake Region, so she can graduate with her classmates next June. She has written a letter to her supervisor at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to request that she be placed with a foster family within the SAD 61 school district. Danielle believes that moving to another high school would be detrimental to her goal.
Contact:
Spurwink Services
899 Riverside Street
Portland, Maine 04103
207-871-1200
1-888-889-3903
info@spurwink.org
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