THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 2, 1995 TAG: 9506010205
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: THUMBS UP
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
``WORKING WITH KIDS is something I love doing,'' Tylesha Knox told Mayor Meyera Oberndorf, members of the city's volunteer recognition committee and the group of supportive teachers, community workers and family members who gathered in the mayor's office when Knox received the Debra Lee Elam award for outstanding teen volunteerism.
The mature, outgoing Bayside High School senior was honored for her dedication to the city's CARE program, which works with at-risk youngsters in some of the city's toughest neighborhoods.
For the past three years, Knox has been a soft but joyous presence in the lives of youngsters who frequently know too much that is harsh, too little that is joyous.
During the summers she has worked with the CARE camp program, during the school year she has helped CARE staff member Malissia Lee with the group's monthly Saturday outings.
``I got into CARE by accident,'' the Pine Oaks resident said. ``I was in the summer youth employment program three years ago and they sent me to Thoroughgood Elementary school. There wasn't enough work for me there so they sent me to the 3rd Precinct but there wasn't enough there either. That's when they sent me to the CARE camp.''
Not only did Knox find work to be done in the program that summer, she also found a future.
``I didn't have any idea of what I wanted to do,'' Knox recalled, but after I started working with the kids I realized how much I liked doing that.''
Using her CARE experience as background, come fall she'll be studying elementary education at Norfolk State University.
Even before Knox started thinking seriously about her future, there were a lot of people who knew that there was a lot of potential in the cheerful, caring young woman. ``She's been at Bayside for three years and we knew early on that she was a leader,'' Principal Michael Debranski said.
``She's my protege,'' assistant principal Barbara Saulsberry added. ``She's today's leader and a leader for tomorrow.''
Knox's leadership roles at school include music (``I call her Bird, because she sings like one,'' Saulsberry said), the Peer Mediation club (she's president), Teens for a Better Bayside and the Bayside Octagon service club.
Outside school she's one of the Bachelor-Benedict Social Club debutantes and a member of Morning Star Baptist Church.
An only child, Knox gives credit for her success to what she calls the ``strong women in my life.'' She numbers Lee and Saulsberry among those, then adds two more who are especially important to her.
``My church mother, Erma Ames, has been there for me ever since my grandmama died in 1988,'' she said, ``and my mom, Annette, she's just always stuck by me.''
Quietly observing the presentation in the mayor's office was Charlene Elam, mother of the young woman in whose memory the award is given. Debra Lee Elam was a 19-year-old freshman majoring in special education at Longwood College when her life was cut short by a brain aneurysm nine years ago.
An expert gymnast, she had volunteered as everything from hugger to coach with the Special Olympics where she was a great favorite with the young competitors. Frequently she also worked beside her mother, who was a volunteer phone counselor at Virginia Beach Comprehensive Mental Health.
``It was so nice seeing Tylesha get the award,'' Charlene Elam said. ``Knowing that she loves working with children just as Debbie did made it very special for me.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JO-ANN CLEGG
Tylesha Knox, left, excepts congratulations from Mayor Meyera
Oberndorf and Charlene Elam, mother of Debra Lee Elam, in whose
memory the teen volunteerism award is named.
by CNB