Project Us Blog

Written by Alicia Cazares

Since its founding, America has been known as the land of opportunity: a place where people can make a name for themselves and have a chance at bettering their lives. However, such has not been the reality for many. In 2015, an economic study conducted by Harvard named Forsyth County as one of the least socioeconomically mobile places in the United States. Children born into poverty in Forsyth County had the lowest rates of upward mobility. Wanting to address this disparity and better the community, Berk Yalcinkaya, Aiza Akhtar, and De'von France banded together to establish the Salem-Winston Opportunity Project.

The mission of the organization is to support and empower the next generation of leaders, scholars, and career professionals. They wanted to create a community where they could support students and provide a space where they can really explore topics that interest them. As Aiza said, “We wanted youths to know that there was always something out there for them that incorporates all their values and beliefs.”

Since its establishment last year, these outstanding leaders have already made great strides in providing more resources and education to youth throughout the community. The organization received a Makers in Action grant, allowing them to partner with the Big Brother/Big Sister organization, using the venue, and having many kids from the organization participate in their program. Speakers of various fields are brought in to talk with the kids, followed by group discussions and soft skill development activities, all helping to provide these students with youth mentorship and career education.

However, this journey has not come without many challenges. Starting off was the hardest, as reaching out to many other established organizations or programs, emailing partners, or trying to find speakers around Winston-Salem would often warrant only a few responses. As Aiza explained, “We were just 3 high schoolers trying to start this organization.” Berk followed up with “People just had a lot of doubt about us, we just kind of had a breakthrough moment with Big Brother/Big Sister.” The COVID-19 outbreak also limited the number of students and mentors they were able to reach, especially virtually over the summer, but the team always persisted in their work and continues to educate students in the community.

Berk states that his favorite part of the entire organization has been “Just seeing the power I have in my community, whether it's the power to support students or just seeing that my activity in the community matters.” The founders claim that the most inspiring part about the project has been getting to see the growth of the participants and their engagement with all the material. Many students are making connections and having fun. De’von was personally very excited to see one student open up and really start engaging in the subject he enjoyed after being very shy.

To any others wanting to make a change in their own community, Berk advises to just, “Do something you enjoy and get involved in the community that way.” This organization was something that the team was all very passionate about and enjoy doing, which has really motivated them to keep going. Aiza also encourages and reminds everyone, “There is always someone out there that is willing and wants to help you. There are always resources out there.”

There are many ways to get involved with the Winston-Salem Opportunity Project themselves as well. They are currently looking to have a youth executive board as the organization keeps growing. They also have a blog and social media for any writers. For those in the community, the team is always on the lookout for mentors and even tutors.

The team hopes in the future they can see the results of a sustainable, long-lasting program in their community open to all students. They want to add more programs, including more STEM opportunities and resources to help high school entrepreneurs. De’von hopes to hear back from students he helped mentor, and he hopes they will say that the program made a positive, lasting impact in their life.

Thank you Aiza, Berk, and De’von for all the work you have done to provide so many kids with the opportunity for a better tomorrow.

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