Mentoring program to bring bond of sisterhood to Mt. Pleasant

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

In the next two months, the girls? mentoring program, ?Luv Ya Like a Sister,? will be launching a Mt. Pleasant Chapter.

?I feel I need to do something in this community because it was founded here in Mt. Pleasant,? said Becker. She said the idea has always been in her mind, but she really put it into action after moving to Mt. Pleasant. She commutes to Iowa City for work, so she has already started a chapter there and in Cedar Rapids. There are also other chapters in the early stages of launch.

?The group is growing, and it?s growing quickly,? said Becker, president and founder.

The non-profit mentoring organization is geared to middle and high school girls and gets its name from the support and protection that comes with a sister relationship.

?Although sisters might not see eye-to-eye on everything, and they may be different in almost every way, the bond still and will always exist,? explained Becker. ?There?s an unconditional love between them.?

That is the goal of the program ? to re-create this bond of sisterhood.

?What I want to do is create an environment where girls feel safe, loved and appreciated for who they are,? said Becker. ?It?s just showing them that it?s okay to be you, and you don?t have to try to be someone else, and that they?re not alone. There are other girls that can relate to them.?

Becker cited her grandmother as a motivation for starting LYLAS.

?I grew up watching her little life of service, and I knew at a very young age that I wanted to pattern my life after hers,? said Becker.

She was also inspired by her own mentor.

?She had such a significant impact on my life,? said Becker. ?What stood out most about her is she saw more in me than I saw in myself.?

Becker recently re-connected with her mentor after 12 years.

?It was a very emotional experience for me, and very difficult for me to choke back the tears,? she said. ?I guess I never really stopped thinking about her.?

Becker stressed that the purpose of LYLAS is to create this same kind of experience, and the focus is on the girls.

?This isn?t about me or what I think the program should be. This is about them. They have a voice. The organization?s about girls, for girls and run by girls,? said Becker, adding, ?I will have a no girl left behind policy.?

She said the program focuses on building self-esteem and leadership skills, as well as community service.

?The particular area of focus in everything that we will be doing is paying it forward,? said Becker. ?I challenge the girls every time we part ways to pay it forward and to come back and tell our group about it.?

Currently Becker is running the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City chapters, with about 23 girls, by herself, but she hopes to get more volunteers. Currently mentoring is happening in a group setting, but she has goals of it being one-on-one. ?While we start building chapters, it?s going to be more peer-to-peer in the room, said Becker. ?Slowly but surely I?ll start pairing,?

Becker said that she?s been learning each chapter will be a little bit different.

?LYLAS isn?t going to be a one-size-fit-all program. It?s going to be built around each individual community, meaning its schools, community organizations, churches and businesses,? said Becker. She said she will be leaning heavily on these community organizations, churches and schools to help identify girls who would especially benefit from the program.

In addition to the Mt. Pleasant chapter, there are also plans to launch chapters in New London, Danville, Burlington and Des Moines chapter. By next year Becker hopes to spread into surrounding states.

More information about LYLAS can be found at www.luvyalikeasister.com