MILWAUKEE — In 2019, Jasmine Johnkin made a commitment to saving lives when she graduated from nursing school. The 28-year-old works full-time as a nurse at Frodert Hospital in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, but said she felt like she needed to do more.
“I felt like I was fulfilling my purpose to be a nurse, but I was missing something else,” Jonikin said.
It was during the pandemic that Jonikin realized she had a passion for mentoring young people. After sharing his vision with family and friends, he launched As I Am Mentoring Inc. In June 2022. It is a mentorship program designed to help children realize their purpose in life and give them a voice.
“They’re dealing with things and they’re dealing with a lot of different issues,” Jonikin said. “Our goal is just to help strengthen them and help push them in the right direction.”
,,It’s amazing to watch him grow with each season. it makes me happy, said Sarah Smith, another consultant with the program.
The co-ed program is currently offered free of charge to any and all high schoolers. Whatever is needed to run As I Am is paid for by Johnkin himself.
“It’s my passion, it’s my purpose, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make it happen,” she said.
14-year-old Jazzia Watson was one of the first teens to sign up for the program. She meets with mentors at Cardinal Stritch University once a month on a Saturday, along with 11 other teens, to discuss the challenges they face on a daily basis.
“It’s kind of a stereotype against teens, especially African-American teens, so I definitely feel like I can come here and express how I feel,” Watson said. And I can beat the stereotype to some extent.” “We are an intelligent group of people.”
By providing more programs, Johankin hopes she’ll be able to save even more lives.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to use that as a vessel to have a conversation and make a difference in the lives of our youth,” Jonikin said.
This article was written by Taylor Lumpkin for WTMJ.
