RESET-Y has an explosion of meanings and value to me. The time is ripe to bring to bear my personal life lessons, and those acquired throughout my professional journey to respond to the crisis involving youths today. Preyed upon by societal ills, my humble and timid Brother discovered Pride and Self-esteem in a far- away place where Success nurtured by home grown values of respect, courage and self-sacrifice flourished to great and unimaginable heights. His life embodied the full meaning of RESET-Y. I learned that words at the right time and place by the right person could galvanize my mind like a laser focused rocket to break through boundaries and obstacles to reach new beginnings beyond the starts.
As a young girl growing up on the rich strip of land that connects North and South Americas, the treasures of my future were unknown. My horizons and intellect were confined to the impulses my five senses could absorb and experiences in the small Afro-Latino community I called home. My imagination and vision were developed and shaped by role models and exposures to new concepts, ideas, and approaches that were transported from foreign places by a fusion of social, cultural and spiritual interactions involving people from myriads walks of lives.
Fueled and ignited by a village of family and friends, we successfully weathered the storm of educating, coaching, and mentoring my own young male children whose faith shouldered the weight of underdogs in a society where a subset of the US population particularly African American and Hispanic youths are disproportionately the subject of harmful law enforcement and U.S. judicial system’s criminal procedures and norms.
Although children are the future of our generation, many youths are hindered by discrimination, injustice, poverty and violence. RESET-Y is a medium I employ to personally give back to my community. It channels evidence based principles and interventions to strengthen and empower youths crippled by socio-economic, environmental and cultural factors. It promotes survival and tactical skills to motivate youths to dream and achieve success surmounting pervasive hardships and barriers. Mentorship and impactful environment change opportunities are key drivers that promote and strengthen resiliency and pro-social skills.
Many of us are fortunate to have enjoyed the gratifying experience of giving our precious time and resources to add value and advance a cause that we are invested in and passionate about! We have an opportunity today to have a positive impact supporting our youths particularly those most vulnerable to the many ills and challenges that burden our communities and societies. By acting now and becoming a RESET-Y member we can make a positive difference for future generations.
Dr. Xiomara Brown, MPH, Executive Director