Melissa Wyatt, executive director, Foundation for Second Chances
Tell us about Foundation for Second Chances.
Foundation for Second Chances* gives kids in at-risk communities a second chance at a promising future through hands-on education and mentoring, In our programs, kids are prepared to face the challenges life brings, taught health awareness and leadership tools so they can reach their full potential. Our environment of love, compassion, safety and respect allow us to better serve our youth and helps create a strong network of partners for youth to become engaged and proactive in their communities.
What inspires you to show up to work every day?
Believing that I can make a difference in one child’s life if they get a second chance makes my heart beat. When we change a young person, we’ve sparked the change in a parent and then in a family and ultimately in the entire community. I love to see that spark fired up.
How did you determine your career path?
I didn’t choose my career path it chose me. Honestly, I met a young girl caught up in the system, who just needed a chance. I took my own money and gave her the tools she said she needed. She succeeded and came back and told me it was because I believed in her. That touched me. She was victimized by the disparities that existed just from where she lived. Health, education, poverty … the disparities went on and on. My heart couldn’t take it so I took action and then the kids took me. They took me to a place where I had to help and become a community activist.
What other industries connect to your career choice?
I have a background in chemistry and psychology. What do they have to do with Foundation for Second Chances you might ask? Well, they are my second chances. I know that with education and understanding my psyche I have become a better person, able to do more things that I’ve dreamed. I want my kids to have this same chance. I want them to be able to dream big and go far. I teach them about the avenues that can help them fulfill their dreams. It starts with knowledge.
Describe the skill sets that are essential to future business leader and innovators in the nonprofit industry.
I believe in any industry you have to be ethical and operate with integrity. You have to be willing to turn down funding even when you need it when it’s not right. People have to be able to trust you. I am a woman of my word and people in the nonprofit realm, etc. know that so they are willing to help whenever I ask. For future business leaders I would say, stand up for what you believe in and do the right thing. It really does matter.
Define innovative methods you apply to your business and life.
Well, funding a nonprofit is innovative in itself. I find myself utilizing funds from my for profit business to fund my nonprofit. That’s not the way to go. To be truly innovative, I would create a revenue portion of the nonprofit business, run by the kids. Our Leadership group is working on things like that and when these kids think of something that clicks with us all, I’m ready to implement it. So I think you have to look for innovation.
How do you set goals and evaluate your foundation’s success?
In the beginning, the goal was just to keep the kids in school, tutor and mentor. I set goals to find volunteers and money. Now, we set longer term goals — like our Leadership Program is 15 weeks of learning life skills and culminates into a trip of some kind. This year, the big goal was to get to Africa. The smaller goals were to have successful weekly workshops and showcase them to sponsors who could help us reach the big goal. We made it happen. We found sponsors. We completed the classes and we went to Africa!
Name your favorite role models for success in different industries.
Dr. Thyonne Gordon in nonprofit management and Ursula Burn of Xerox. These people exemplify the best in the for profit and nonprofit landscape.
Names three books that changed how you saw life that you would recommend to others.
The Alchemist, Things Fall Apart and For colored girls who have considered suicide/When the rainbow is enough. The range of these books should tell you something about how I think. I’m a business minded, heart filled, futuristic, philanthropist!
Describe why lifelong learning is important to you.
Change comes when you allow yourself to become a lifelong learner. I learn something new every single day and I love it. I learn from all generations, from people of all works of life, my faults, my successes, and my failure. Being a life-long learner allows me to become wiser and learn from all aspects of life.
Describe the voice of success that you hear in your head.
The voice of success that I hear in my head is my mother’s. She is an amazing woman who does not have much but is probably one of the happiest, caring and lovable human beings that you will ever meet. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body. She is so unselfish. I look at her as a success because everyone cannot attain that calmness and simplicity of her life. People respect and love her because she is so amazing but also because she is respectful to all and is at peace with herself.
Community success based on what you do in the community means what to you?
Community success is being proactive bringing the community together to engage in conversations to solve problems. Allowing the community to share, understand and voice the issues and disparities that reside in the community. Then helping them understand how to be proactive leaders to make the necessary changes to not only better the community but to better themselves.
Technology plays what role in your daily life? What gadgets can’t you live without?
Technology keeps me organized and aware of the events happening in my life. I can’t live without my iPhone.
What software and tools of technology have made the biggest difference in your life?
Trello has been a life saver for me. I use it in every aspect of my life to keep me organized, enter my thoughts and to take me to the next level with projects and potential opportunities.
How do music and culture align with your self-identity?
With this I will mention my son. In order to stay in his world, I stay in tune with what he’s listening to because music is an important part of this new generation’s life. Because I’m not a trendy person, cultural or common events are not as significant to me. But, how my son thinks, and what he aspires to be is part of me and my interests. Being “momma” is one of my biggest roles.
Define your personal culture.
My personal culture is an honest and laid back culture. What you see is what you get. There is no in between with me.
What’s your favorite vacation spot?
My favorite vacation spot is Rome — great food and history.
How do you relax?
As an executive, I relax by spending time with my family and friends, travelling, eating a good meal and engaging in great conversations with whomever. Where ever I go I engage in conversation and that relaxes me. It’s something about learning about people that is exciting and fun.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about the world I would give everyone the same opportunities. I wish we could see each other as one, and help each other to succeed and to become better rather than tearing each other down.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
If I could change one thing about myself it would have to be nothing. I love who I am and I am comfortable with me! I wouldn’t change my experiences, my skin, my face, my hair, my me — for anything in the world. Part of that is because my momma made me, and I love her for making me!
*Here are a few of our programs:
Second Chances Mentoring Program (SCMP) – SCMP matches youth from the Imperial Courts Housing Projects with positive and caring adults mentors to help students improve their overall academic performance and positive behavior in school and home. Mentors make a one year commitment and spend at least 6-8 hours a month with their mentee.
Second Chances Tutoring Program (SCTP) – SCTP provides Supplemental Education Services (SES) “free tutoring” to youth in underperforming schools in LAUSD and that receive free-reduced lunch. SES services are additional academic instruction provided outside of the regular school day and designed to increase the academic achievement of students attending schools in Program Improvement (PI) Years 2 through 5+. Each student is given a pre/post test and an individualized service learning plan that assesses their language arts and math skills.
Second Chances Community Service Program (SCCS) – SCCS is a two-tiered effort that includes organizing a variety of community events every year utilizing service learning opportunities to engage at-risk youth in leadership and character building activities. FFSC invites youth from all of its programs and the larger community to collaborate with volunteers on service projects throughout the school year. Projects include two (2) beautification day projects, FFSC’s Annual Community Health Fair and the Gift of Giving Christmas Event. The second tier of the FFSC community service program involves working with our After School, Mentoring and Leadership program to identify a community ill and/or issue and empowering the youth to take on that issue through a day-long community service project that directly impacts the problem.
Second Chances Reading Wheels (SCRW) – SCRW program prepares and motivates children to read by delivering programming, free books, activities and literacy resources to the children and families that we serve and who need them most. During Reading Wheels, students and volunteers take turns reading aloud and participating in themed activities.
Second Chances Leadership Program (SCLP) – In collaboration with Grammy Award-winning artist Estelle’s All of Me Foundation this program is designed to build and develop the self-confidence, life and leadership skills of youth through interactive learning, in-class discussions and presentations, workshops, and exploratory field-trips. Upon conclusion, participants will be able to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of a leader’s core essentials through a service learning project, weekly homework and journaling assignments, discussions, presentations and a culmination project. The program year culminated with an International field trip that took 17 youth to Senegal Africa.
