Like a lot of young people, Misty struggled through her teen years. Also like a lot of young people, she challenged the authority of her parents and teachers and even tested the patience of her friends. Misty however, went beyond typical teen struggles by getting into fights, drugs and even gangs.
“I spent 80 percent of my time in detention or talking to a principal or counsellor or to someone who was to trying to fix me,” she recalls.
Despite her own destructive behaviour, her family remained supportive and strong and Misty even found success as a competitive dancer. She wasn’t far from being able to find the right path.
“In reality, I just needed someone to direct me,” Misty says. “I needed a mentor.”
A community agency could of provided Misty with the mentorship she needed, and it was something she was able to find later on in life.
“That mentorship was what I needed and could have prevented years of struggle”.
Misty’s life today bears little resemblance to her troubled youth. She ended up staying in school, buying her first home at twenty one, opening a competitive dance studio and home daycare all while raising a wonderful daughter on her own. Currently, Misty is the proud owner of “Love My Life” Fitness Inc. where she focuses all of her positive energy into fitness, dance and entertainment as well as mentorship. Misty has even become a mentor herself as a community volunteer for more than a decade.
“I’m 100 percent different,” she laughs. “Whether it is impact presentations or dealing with youth one on one, I do whatever is needed,” she says. “Now I get to be that person, and that, to me, is everything.”