Mariko Lockhart believes people can change.
She has to. The city of Seattle is betting $8 million it can dramatically reduce juvenile crimes in two years, and has handed the job to Lockhart, director of the city’s new Youth Violence Prevention Initiative.
“I’ve seen kids totally change their path and turn things around,” says Lockhart. Former director of Communities In Schools of New Jersey.
Her favorite story of a teen turnaround involves a young man who was groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps dealing drugs in one of Newark’s most dangerous housing projects.
“We were able to get him a summer internship with a suburban housing developer. He got hands-on experience and got to see wealthy suburban houses. It had a huge impact on him,” she says of the young man who went on to pursue a master’s degree in construction management.
The best part, Lockhart says, is this: The young man was on his way to take his SATs when he was stopped by police, who pulled out their guns and demanded to know where he was going. They didn’t believe his SAT story — until he pulled out his No. 2 pencil, she says.
“You can’t overestimate the odds these kids are working to beat,” says Lockhart.
