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Youth Sync
welcome to ... Youth Sync A regular section in the Northwest Observer focused on our local youth and the adults who positively impact them.
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We are OPEN and accepting new patients Youth association offers opportunities beyond sports
ORYA’s Teen Leadership Team offers skills training, leadership offers skills training, leadership experience for high school students while providing activities for the community
by CHRIS BURRITT
OAK RIDGE – As a child, Nick Gervasi played As a child, Nick Gervasi played on an Oak Ridge Youth Association (ORYA) baseball team. He’s still involved with the organization as a freshman at UNC-Greensboro, but not on any of its numerous sports teams.
The 18-year-old Oak Ridge resident is director of ORYA’s Teen Leadership Team. The volunteer group serves two functions: helping high school students develop leadership skills while creating activities other than sports for young people.
“It’s such a good opportunity for those not involved in sports to make friends, to gain confidence in their ability to lead and to create good ideas for their community,” Gervasi said in an interview last week.
A few days earlier, Oak Ridge Town Council members applauded Gervasi after his introduction by Randy Collins, ORYA’s community relations director.
“It’s not just sports; it’s about community,” Collins told the council, adding he hopes more youth will learn about the leadership program and sign up as volunteers and participants in its events.
The activities in Oak Ridge Town Park range from 5K runs to summer camp to the Halloween Terror Trail (L to R) Leaders of Oak Ridge Youth Association’s Teen Leadership Team are Eric Stout, Andrew Komuves, Caitlyn Annunziato and Nick Gervasi, the program’s director.
Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO
in October. The youth have also sponsored e-sports competitions for video gamers.
Over the past three years, the events have raised more than $4,000 for cancer, nutritional food and other charitable causes, according to Gervasi.
He began volunteering on the Teen Leadership Team as a way to earn service hours when he was a sophomore at Northwest Guilford High School. As particiat Northwest Guilford High School. As participation in the group waned, Gervasi and four pation in the group waned, Gervasi and four classmates who are now seniors at the school – classmates who are now seniors at the school – Eric Stout, Caitlyn Annunziato, Monica RashEric Stout, Caitlyn Annunziato, Monica Rashkov and Elizabeth Degnon – have emerged as kov and Elizabeth Degnon – have emerged as leaders. They’ve tapped friends and rebuilt the leaders. They’ve tapped friends and rebuilt the group to a core of about 15 youth. group to a core of about 15 youth. Last March, as Gervasi was preparing to graduate from high school, ORYA President graduate from high school, ORYA President Tom Collins asked him to take over as direcTom Collins asked him to take over as director of the program. Knowing that he planned tor of the program. Knowing that he planned to attend UNC-Greensboro and would to attend UNC-Greensboro and would remain close by, Gervasi eagerly accepted the remain close by, Gervasi eagerly accepted the opportunity to stay involved with the group. opportunity to stay involved with the group. “I had so much fun when I needed service hours,” he said. “I like to help out the vice hours,” he said. “I like to help out the kids who need it.” kids who need it.” Gervasi’s involvement with ORYA’s baseball program as a youngster also motivated him. program as a youngster also motivated him. “As somebody who played sports for all of my under-teen years, I was friends with of my under-teen years, I was friends with kids who didn’t like sports and they didn’t kids who didn’t like sports and they didn’t have much to do,” he said. “Having this have much to do,” he said. “Having this option is an all-around amazing experience.” option is an all-around amazing experience.” Gervasi appreciates that planning events taps his creativity. And it’s fun. taps his creativity. And it’s fun.
As an example, last fall he and others organizing the Terror Trail in Oak Ridge Town Park created special effects which included a fake guillotine they built out of wood for one of the scenes.
“I’ve always loved the creative aspect of having a job,” Gervasi said. “I’m not one to sit down in an office ...continued on p. 29
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The units are in need of some tender loving care – and lots of it. That’s where Melissa Stallings, the high school’s PTSO president, and the organization’s board of directors hope the community will pitch in. Last fall they launched the “Mobile Makeover” project to solicit community stakeholders’ help by encouraging them to “adopt” a unit entirely, or contribute to its renovation. The average cost to renovate each unit is between $10,000 and $15,000.
Stakeholders can contribute in various ways, including: • Cover a mobile unit’s renovation cost and do or coordinate the renovation work • Cover the cost of renovating a mobile unit • Make a donation toward covering the cost of renovating a mobile unit • Perform/oversee the renovation of a mobile unit • Partner with another business, individual or group to adopt a mobile unit
While the needs of each unit vary, most have this in common – new roofs.
“The roofs are critical to this entire project because of the water factor,” Stallings said. Some of the units also need new gutters. And exterior painting.
On the inside, most are long overdue for new carpet and for many, new subfloors. One unit needs a new commercial-grade sink and toilet.
And although not considered critical, updates to other interior classroom features, including design, would be appreciated by the teachers who spend their days in those classrooms.
Stallings and PTSO board member Kristen Law have kicked into high gear to raise awareness for the PTSO’s initiative. Hundreds of letters have gone out to local builders, Realtors and other business owners and professionals as well as healthcare facilities, churches, business associations and other nonprofits. Law recently attended meetings of local town councils to present the Mobile Makeover project and explain how community stakeholders can contribute. She and Stallings have also been on the phone answering questions and seeking support.
The open house on Jan. 29, they hope, will give people a bird’s-eye view of why parents are taking matters into their own hands and seeking the community’s help in renovating the mobile classrooms.
Stallings and her board are encouraged by the response they’ve received so far – 14 of the units have been “adopted,” putting the PTSO over their goal’s halfway mark.
To date, those who have committed to adopting a unit are: Blue Ridge Companies, JP Monroe LLC, PS Communications/Northwest Observer, Oak Ridge Youth Association, Samet Corporation, Granville Homes, DH Griffin Companies, D.R. Horton, Brian Carroll/Carroll Construction, Allen Tate (Oak Ridge and Green Valley Road, Greensboro offices), LJ Custom Homes partnering with Maureena Shepherd & Associates/Allen Tate, Wolfe Homes, and individual donors.
Stallings said she’s been both touched and excited by the support the Mobile Makeover project has garnered so far. Just last week she talked to a northwest Greensboro resident who teaches in a mobile classroom at Southwest High School. With her husband’s help, the teacher renovated her classroom and helped renovate another one as well. She’d like to help do the same with a mobile classroom at Northwest High School, where
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her children will one day attend.
For Tom Collins, president of Oak Ridge Youth Association, being involved with the Mobile Makeover project is a “no-brainer” and aligns with the association’s goals to contribute to the community.
“We’ve worked hard over the years to have money in the coffers and we want to be able to do things for the community,” Collins said in an interview. “A few years ago, we got involved with paying off the school lunch tickets (for Oak Ridge Elementary School students). That was the first time since I had been involved with the association that we did something like that. You’d be surprised at how many times things like that have come up since then.
“We were looking for these types of opportunities, and then when Melissa (Stallings) called, to me it was a nobrainer,” Collins continued. “I was like, ‘Yes, we have money in our account that we can put toward that.’”
But the commitment to adopt a mobile unit wasn’t made by Collins alone.
“It was a unanimous decision of our board,” he said. “We have the same mindset, and most of us are going to put our kids into Northwest High School. And, we truly believe in the leadership of Melissa. If she says something is going to get done, it’s going to get done.”
That’s the kind of community support that’s encouraging, and spurs Stallings and her board members on to get the last 10 mobile units adopted so renovations can be completed this summer when school isn’t in session.
As they continue to seek sponsors for the remaining 10 mobile units, Stallings said the PTSO board is shifting some of its focus to “getting the everyday family to start making those donations. That will be Jane and John Smith donating $100, or $500, or more.”
The open house scheduled for Jan. 29 was originally set for Jan. 22 but rescheduled because of another pending winter storm this weekend. Weather and COVID permitting, Stallings and her board members plan to be on campus on the 29th to greet visitors who come to tour the mobile units and share more details about the project.
want to learn more, attend, or help?
To learn more, or to donate to the Mobile Makeover project, visit www.nwhsptso.org. The open house on Jan. 29 at Northwest High School, 5240 Northwest School Road, Greensboro, will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Park in the student parking lot beside the group of mobile units. Stallings also invites anyone interested in adopting a unit to call her at (336) 601-2836.
That’s ‘V’ for Vikings (and ‘C’ for champions)!
Photo by Shelli Craig Photography Annlee Grayson, a junior, participated on Northwest Guilford High School’s 11-member varsity cheerleading team in the 2021 NCHSAA (North Carolina High School Athletic Association) Cheerleading Invitational last month in Raleigh. After scoring 89.1 to win the Small Varsity Non-Tumble D1 Division, the Vikings went on to win the coveted Carolina Cup, the award for the varsity squad (regardless of division) posting the highest rated performance in the traditional competition – out of 132 teams. They’ll head to Orlando, Florida, next month to compete in nationals for the fi rst time in the school’s history. Look for an article about the Viking cheerleaders in our Feb. 3-16, 2022 issue.
MORE THAN SPORTS
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building working on a computer for hours. I prefer hands-on learning.”
That attitude dovetails with the mission of the Teen Leadership Team.
“Participating teens get to be involved with the strategizing, planning and execution of these events,” ORYA says on its website, noting these volunteer experiences offer opportunities that go far beyond the traditional ones that come with playing sports.
want to participate?
To learn more about ORYA’s Teen Leadership Team, visit orya.org and select “Teen Leadership Team” from the “Home” tab at the top of the homepage.
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