JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Middle school is a time of major transition. In addition to physical and emotional changes, many Jacksonville students are also dealing with peer pressure -- even bullying.
“What are some issues that kids in middle school are facing?” asked Action News Jax anchor Tenikka Hughes.
“Drama, bullying -- that’s a big part of it, bullying,” said Kylee Mathis, an eighth grader at Lake Shore Middle School.
Hughes and several other members of the Action News Jax team volunteer and visit local schools.
Erica Bennett and Hughes mentor groups of middle-school girls in Duval County.
“We talk about so many things -- boys, fights, conflict resolution,” Hughes said.
“Social media, he-say she-say, family drama issues,” Bennett said.
These are issues that Hughes and Bennett encourage the students to talk about so they can work together to help them think critically, put things into perspective and find solutions. Erica is Kylee's mentor.
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“What did you like most about meeting with Ms. Erica every week?” Hughes said.
“Being able to talk to someone and express my feelings,” Kylee said.
While Hughes and Bennett definitely spend time sorting through the serious stuff, they also make room for chit-chat, quality time and just having fun. It's an experience that impacts everyone involved.
“As a mentor it really did a lot for me personally to watch these young ladies grow and know that I’m playing a part, albeit it even if it’s small, in helping them to make better decisions,” Hughes said.
“There’s joy in the journey. There's definitely joy in watching the progress, because like any great leader or motivator would tell you, you can’t save everybody. You can’t reach everybody. But if you can reach one girl, one teenage boy, one kindergartner -- if you can make a difference, that’s it,” Bennett said.
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