Getting Out of the Struggle
By Mekkiayah Jacobs
Are you looking for a personal story with some true information that you don’t have to read? Then you are in the right place. My podcast, “Getting Out of the Struggle,” informs you on an average person’s life, about a situation they were once in, and how they got out of it. We will have one person every episode come on to tell their story, and I will give out information on how to help that cause. My first episode will be about a mother of two and how she was once homeless, and what she did so that her children could grow up with a roof over their heads. So grab your tissues, because you may shed a tear or three.
Process
I originally wanted to write a piece about the homeless population in our city, but it developed into a more personal piece about my family’s story about being homeless and how we got out of that. I know that everyone has a story and that life happens and you can’t change that. By sharing your story, you never know if you could help out another person who’s going through the same thing. Ariah, my Staff Pod Lead, had suggested a podcast to me, and I thought that would be a great idea. So I created one about struggles people have gone through and how they got out of their situation.
Meet the Pair
MENTEE MEKKIAYAH JACOBS & MENTOR BROOKE BOREL
Mekkiayah’s Anecdote: “Hey, how are you?” “I’m good, so let me tell you what happened in student government…” That is usually how my conversations with Brooke start: with my school drama that we both love. We always make sure to get something to eat. Sometimes I try to be fancy and get something new, but I usually go for avocado toast and a chai latte. Brooke and I are so close that we can literally talk for most of our time together and forget what we are there for. But we do get to work on my own project or Girls Write Now workshop projects.
Brooke’s Anecdote: I am so happy to be Kiayah’s mentor. We always have a mix of fun and writing at our weekly sessions, from gossiping about the latest drama in her student government group, to talking about our families, to working through edits on her latest poem or essay. I’m excited—and, selfishly, sad because I will miss seeing her every week!—for her to continue to take her place in history when she goes off to college next year.
Mekkiayah Jacobs
Mekkiayah Jacobs is a class of 2020 Girls Write Now mentee based in Bronx, NY.
