Black History: Role Of Mentor Is Inspiring For Sommer Woods
DETROIT (WWJ) - A wide smile grows across the face of Sommer Woods when she talks about her role as adult mentor with the Midnight Golf Program, now in her eighth year.
WWJ's Stephanie Davis tells us about Woods who, by day, is vice president of External Relations and Marketing for the new M1 Rail system ... but spends many of her nights with dozens of Detroit teens.
Over 200 young people participate annually in the program and Woods says she finds the kids inspiring:
"I love our young people, I'm really passionate about our young people in the city of Detroit," she says.
She teaches high school students life skills - helps them secure critical internships and wraps her arms around them in support.
Woods encourages students to prepare for the challenges ahead and know that hard work will be a part of that journey. "That's what I'm always saying to them; 'you can't skip the struggle, so instead of looking at the glass half-empty or half-full, I want you to think of the glass as refillable."
She believes in the phrase 'it take a village to raise a child.'
"My mother always instilled in me this sense of community and that we are in this together and there is no such thing as - I made it or us versus them - it's really 'us' ... it 'us.'"
WWJ celebrates Black History month this year by highlighting local outstanding African Americans who inspire others. Tune in for the reports throughout the day at 6:20 a.m., 10:20 a.m., 5:20 p.m, 10:20 p.m.
