September 2012 - Parks & Recreation - 35

FUTURE LEADERS
By Tiffany Johnson

Leadership Rising
Developing programs as a young professional

GREW UP IN A NON-TRADITIONAL HOUSEHOLD and remember being a

SHUTTERSTOCK

10-year-old girl who frequented my local recreation center every day.
We didn't have many recreation programming opportunities. It seemed
like everything was geared towards the " boys, " especially sports. I wasn't
the most popular, my family didn't have much, and because of my weight,
I was teased a lot. Little did I know that the woman who became my mentor
would persuade me to join an all-girls club.

Initially, I hated going to the weekly meetings because I was the new girl. There were only six of us,
and we participated in everything the center offered. We were the pom-poms, cheerleaders, basketball, and powder puff football players. We went
through various levels of bullying, teasing, and crying. It was at those trying times that my mentor instilled the values of self-esteem, moral support, and
encouragement into all of us. Some of us would have
never learned how to cook, learn formal table etiquette, or how to fi ll out any type of application. It
was a needed intervention in the lives of young ladies
who were at risk and may have lacked other sources of empowerment. Today, I am proud to say that
our participation in that recreation program played
a significant role in getting us where we are today as
doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, educators, and park
and recreation professionals. We beat the odds, and
my passion for this profession derived from such a
rewarding experience.
After the completion of undergraduate studies, I
was eager to learn how I could put theory into practice and use all of the information learned to help
me excel at the next level. My mentor was one of the
co-founders of the girls' initiative and offered me a
leadership position within that program because it
needed innovation, fresh energy, and young professional creativity. Initially, the most challenging task
was getting people to buy in to change and move
past how things were always done. As a leader, I had
to set a clear vision, engage the team, and drive for
high performance.

I encourage all young professionals to be
role models for young program participants
and be willing to encourage change. As young
professionals, we can help promote the longevity of
programs that have benefited us in the past. Great
programs such as Young Ladies on the Rise can happen if you are willing to take a fresh perspective and
step up to a leadership role. This is our role
as young professionals in the field, to be innovative and encourage change in others. The As young
Young Ladies on the Rise program is just one professionals,
example of this.
we can help
In 2005, the District of Columbia Department of Parks and Recreation's (DCDPR) promote the
Young Ladies on the Rise program was cre- longevity of
ated to implement quality programming for programs
girls in our community. The program concentrates on social development, community that have
service, health and nutrition, environmental beneﬁted us
conservation, and career development. Full- in the past.
time staff and volunteers implement this program at their recreation centers daily. This is
one of the most successful programs in the department. The purpose of the Young Ladies on the Rise
program is to increase the participants' self-esteem,
promote their character development, and enhance
their reasoning and coping skills. We provide experiences for peer interaction and social development
with an emphasis on personal development through
relevant workshops, socially stimulating field trips,
conferences, and special events.
Our participants come from diverse communities,
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September 2012 - Parks & Recreation

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