Emily’s Story

How a BYEP Participant Found Belonging and Uncovered Her Potential

August 2022

About 5 years ago Emily was sitting in her therapist's office. Her therapist was telling her about Big Sky Youth Empowerment (BYEP), and it was the first time she’d heard about the program. Her immediate reaction was “There's no way I'm doing that”. At that time, Emily refused to do practically anything that pushed her out of her comfort zone, and BYEP was definitely out of her comfort zone. Despite her hesitancy, there was something inside of Emily that made her take the leap and apply to the mentorship program. She remembers her first workshop like it was yesterday. She got picked up from school in one of the old suburbans that was crammed full of kids, and then there was BYEP’s old little office that had practically no windows. But when she walked into the building she immediately felt welcomed. “I was met with overwhelming kindness from people I had never even met before,” Emily shares. “From that night forward, every time I walked into the BYEP office I felt at home. All of my other troubles seemed to wash away whenever I was there.”

Before BYEP, Emily felt lost and afraid. She was depressed, suicidal, and her anxiety controlled her life. She was struggling in school and at home, and BYEP was how she got away from it all. Prior to joining BYEP’s youth empowerment program, Emily had no hope, and for most of her adolescence she planned on ending her life, with no intention of making it to her high school graduation. She had no intention of going to college either, and was simply going through the motions. Emily saw life as a burden. After BYEP, Emily sees life as a gift. “Not only can I finally see all the amazing things life has to offer, but I can see all the amazing things I have to offer the world,” Emily says. “I can see my own potential, and my ability to be whatever I want to be. I can succeed at whatever I put my mind to. Because of BYEP I didn't end my life, I did graduate high school, and I did go to college. Looking back on my life I am so proud of myself for all the things I overcame. I never thought I would be where I am today.”

Today Emily shares that some of the most influential people in her life have been from BYEP. Every one of her Program Managers and mentors - volunteers who play an integral role in BYEP’s programming, and bridge the gap between adolescence and adulthood - helped shape who Emily is. Seeing the work these people do for teenagers has moved her deeply. The hardest part about BYEP for Emily was having to say goodbye to all of them. She says: “I'll never forget all the time I spent with them and the amazing things they taught me.” BYEP has also played a large part in influencing Emily to major in Community Health and become a therapist. She hopes that one day she can give to other kids what her mentors and Program Managers gave to her.

BYEP not only impacted her, but Emily’s entire family. Her brother Bennett worked for the organization as a Program Manager for several years, her mother is a monthly donor, and her brother Will recently became a volunteer mentor. “Now I do have to mention,” Emily adds with a smile, “I was the first person in my family to join BYEP so I do take a little bit of credit for inspiring my brothers. And when I graduate college I do expect there to be an open position so I can become a Program Manager.”

Emily’s years as a teenager were incredibly challenging, so much so that she did not think she would make it through them. It is not always easy to speak about these challenging years, but Emily is honored to be able to share her story and the enormous part that BYEP played in it: “My whole life I never really felt like I belonged anywhere, I was never a part of something. I'm proud to say that I was a part of BYEP, and I belonged there. I am so excited for the years to come and what they have in store for me.”