'All Grown Up' — Guest Blog by Akoy Marial, Peer Mentor at Project Legacy

From the time I started Project Legacy, I vividly remember how fun and supportive it was. Whether I was going to carnivals or having girls’ circle, I always felt a sense of comfort from Project Legacy. As I grew older, I started to realize one of the purposes of Project Legacy was to help the next person in line. 

When I was younger, I was the one being helped. And now, I get the chance to return the favor.

This summer has been one to remember. I was given the amazing opportunity to peer mentor the younger girls’ group, with participants ages 11 to 17 years old. That alone has been a great experience, because I was once in their shoes. Watching them paint, make bracelets, engage in the Writers’ Workshop and make new, everlasting friendships is like déjà vu. I would have never thought I would one day peer mentor a girl’s group that I was once a part of, and that makes it even more special. 

I am helping younger girls with experiences that I have been through, that now they won’t ever have to go through alone. 

Being a peer mentor is more than just watching these young girls grow into amazing women. It means showing them and teaching them to help the next person in line, because down the road, there will be someone who is going through exactly what they went through. Nothing is better than having someone to guide you on the right path. Whether it’s something major or something like helping them with math, the point is to show that you have support no matter what you go through, and that you will always have someone to lean on. 

Having the ability to change the lives of these young girls is pure bliss. Knowing that I can be the reason these girls push themselves to be the best they can be is a joy that matches no other because making a difference in their lives makes the biggest difference in my life. 

My hope is that one day these girls help the next person in line, and from there, it will continue on for years and years.