Meet Monika Epps – One Degree at a Time Presenter

I have been working with Full Circle since last summer. My objective was to take the ODAT curriculum meant for boys and transform it into a more female-friendly version. Hundreds of hours later, the 10 week intensive course was ready for our first female class. A few changes were made to the class to address pregnancy, the role of females in gangs, and what it means to be a lady. The slides now include more pictures of teen girls.

Our first class was a great success. The mentors from the group have an ongoing relationship with each girl to provide wisdom and insight with education, career goals and spiritual life.
Our next goal will be to reproduce the class with the mentors from the first group. I will continue to train mentors to become facilitators for the next group. As soon as we get referrals from the school system or parents I will begin the next class.
I have also had the privilege to speak at all the middle schools in Aiken and have helped with small group intervention with at-risk teens. I talk to the kids about how I was able to stay out of gang life despite every opportunity to do otherwise. I feel that the abuse and neglect that I experienced in childhood has now given me a new purpose in helping those with similar experiences. I will leave you with my life verse, “You meant to harm me but God meant it for good, for what is now being accomplished, the saving of many lives” Gen. 50:20.    Monika Epps