Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron M. Harris.
Hi Aaron, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was raised in West Saint Louis City by 1.5 parents when drugs and crime became common. I say 1.5 parents because my dad was a victim of the drug epidemic while fighting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma for some of my childhood. My mother and father come from big families, so I always had plenty of cousins to play with; when you come from such a big family, it’s easy for certain lines to be frayed. So biologically, I have one brother; however, growing up, it felt like I had several more, even a sister. My dad was present but not the best version of himself. Normalcy in my childhood was my preoccupation with the possibility of my father’s death, either by drugs or cancer. My best memories of my childhood involve the village that raised me. I remember at least 8 elders on our street that ensured I stayed on track. As my dad began to improve and rid himself of the ills that negatively impacted our family, I pushed my mom to allow me to live with him. One day in the 8th Grade, it was decided that it was time for my dad to take the wheel of rearing me. During this time, I would get to know my dad. He told me stories about sharecropping in Arkansas and how hard work was the secret to success. My favorite quote of his was, “Work Hard and Be Humble,” which would shape my overall outlook on life. By high school, my parents would reunite, which was fantastic to have them both under the same roof again permanently this time.
While at home, college was pushed; I do not feel my guidance counselor and teachers in High School felt that college was an option. I went to a “good school” in Rockwood School District. However, I can’t remember a single teacher, counselor, or principal talking to me about my career or college goals. So there I sat, my senior year of High School, trying to figure out how to become a Sports Agent. This was in the early days of the internet, but there was little information out there. After procrastinating all of my high school senior years, I would attend Saint Louis Community College for two years while figuring out my next steps. I applied to the University of Missouri-Columbia a short time later. I would be shocked to learn that I was admitted.
At the University of Missouri-Columbia, I learned a lot about myself and the types of friends I should have. I planned to go to Fordham Law School with my roommate Kevin during my Junior Year. With the rising cost of tuition, my law school tuition would be solely my responsibility. I would get a job working with the Urban League for the Youth Workforce program in the summer of my graduation. My duties were to go to each job site and ensure that the teens worked and had a transportation home. This job would lead me to my first career at the Fathers’ Support Center (now Fathers’ and Families Support Center), working with teens involved with Juvenile Courts. The position was part-time when I was hired, and I was learning on the fly how to impact the youth we were serving positively. Six months after being hired, I was promoted to the Coordinator of the Youth Services Department, eventually becoming the Director of Youth Services. I would hold the Director position until 2016, when I would accept the position of the Executive Director of the Ferguson Youth Initiative.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My most challenging obstacle happened in 2010 when my dad passed away due to complications from cancer. Losing my dad was difficult; I no longer had that person I could trust with my secrets or have those father-son discussions with. Professionally, I battle with growing a grassroots organization for its first six years. Also, being the lone employee, I have an ever-growing list of job duties and responsibilities. Programming-wise, I would love for us to expand and serve teens outside of the Ferguson Florissant School District, but we would need transportation and additional support. We also need to grow our list of supporters to Empower more teens to become productive, positive, and contributing members of their communities.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am the Executive Director of the Ferguson Youth Initiative, founded in 2010. We work to empower teens in Ferguson and the surrounding communities to become productive, positive, and contributing members of their communities. Daily, we work to structure our programs to maximize our opportunities to support our youth. We have five programs that allow us to empower teens. Our initial program is the Ferguson Youth Advisory Board which works with the Ferguson City Council to plan events and activities for the city of Ferguson. As the Executive Director, I ensure the Youth Advisory Board meets monthly and has a productive agenda to guide the meeting. Also, I work with our Board of Directors to ensure the events and activities the teens plan has the proper support and supplies necessary to succeed. Another program we offer is Drop In; it’s our After School Program on Fridays. Drop-In teens are invited to come by and be themselves during lightly guided events.
Drop-In now includes E-Sports. We offer workshops on college readiness, financial literacy, banking, cooking, etc. attendees can also play board games, video games, watch movies, do homework, or participate in another positive activity. Our Job Readiness Program, Next Steps, works to provide teens with the skills needed to obtain and maintain employment. I lead the Job Readiness classes and recruit employers to partner with us to provide the teens with mock interviews and potential internship and job opportunities. SLAM (Style, Literature, Arts, and Music) allows teens to express themselves artistically. During SLAM, teens are invited to sing, rap, dance, perform poetry, paint, or any other form of artistic expression. Recently, we expanded SLAM to create a music video with our teens.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, my brother and I didn’t hang out often due to a twelve-year age difference. I spent most of my days outside playing with friends. As a teen, I often was at my grandmother’s house, where I would forge some of my longest-lasting and most rewarding friendships. My friendship circle includes five best friends that were also my accountability partners. As friends, we pushed each other to chase goals that would lead to each of us attending college.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fyifergyouth.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fyifergyouth
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/FergusonYouthInitiative
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/ferguson-youth-initiative-fyi
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/fyifergyouth
- Youtube: https://youthube.com/@fergusonyouth4966
- Other: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-harris-b685ab19
